My husband and I were flying home to KL from a holiday in Melbourne. It was an eight-hour flight and we had especially booked and paid more for the premium flat-bed in the hope of catching a few winks and to enjoy the comfort of space. In our previous trips we were lucky not to have a baby flying with us. Not this time.

I suppose we were fortunate because it was a day flight. That said, the baby’s protracted crying, unexpected squealing and noises made it difficult to have a nap or really enjoy a peaceful flight.

Coincidentally I was reading Jodie Picoult’s ‘Harvesting the Heart’ which was in part about how a young mother copes with her new-born baby. I am not a mother but having a baby and taking care of one is a demanding, 24×7 on-call job. I would not for a minute trivialize or belittle how challenging it must be for mothers. As my mother always says, “It only takes a minute” for a lapse of concentration before all hell breaks loose. So I truly understand.

I had sympathy for the young parents because I am sure they felt all eyes were on them when their baby cried. To be fair, each parent took turns to carry and soothe the child, to quieten the little one as much as possible. But there is only so much parents can do. The fact remains a baby makes it known when he/she is bothered, and cries and squeals to communicate his discomfort.

My point is my husband and I, like all the other passengers especially in the premium class, paid good money to have a quiet and peaceful journey home, but were subjected to a loud, crying baby who was disrupting the comfortable ambience, not promised, but promoted by the airline.

On another night flight we suffered the presence of a very loud snorer. His snoring was booming, and what made it all the more annoying was he kept most of us awake while he slept soundly, oblivious to the ruckus he was perpetrating.  I felt like shaking him awake but decided instead to have a word with the stewardess. She was in a bit of a quandary as there was no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on snoring passengers. There should be one for those who disturb the public peace. It is fine to snore in your own bedroom but not if you are causing noise pollution in an enclosed public space.

Some years back, I had the unhappy experience of sitting beside a rather large passenger.  I was not comfortable at all as this person kept overflowing into my space and robbing me of access and movement.  Is it fair on the passenger sitting beside this big-sized person to feel squeezed all through a flight when both passengers would have very likely paid similar fares to get to the same destination?

On my previous travels, I have seen long-legged passengers trying to fold their legs within the allocated space without much success. They invariably ended up kicking the seat in front of them or sticking their leg or legs in the aisle only to be told by the stewardesses to keep clear of the passageway, for safety reasons. There have been instances when young children (and some adults) snap and unsnap food trays and kick the backside of seats, jerking and jolting passengers seating in front of them.  The oblivious or inconsiderate behaviour of passengers who recline their seat that it literally touches the face of the person sitting behind them are just some examples of unpleasant flying/travelling experiences.

These are all different situations, we might argue. But, are they?

A baby is blameless by virtue of the fact that it is a baby. So who should be blamed? The parents? For bringing along a baby whom they know would cry for any number of reasons – cabin pressure, unfamiliar surroundings, hunger, pain or illness. Many things can drive a baby to cry and make a lot of noise. Does that mean parents can’t fly for a holiday until their babies are at an age when they are old enough to reason with?

Should the airline restrict parents with very young babies on flights? What should the age limit be? Should airlines allow babies on short-haul, day flights only? Should airlines place parents and babies, together with other parents travelling with young children, right at the back of the plane or in a sequestered noise-proof area? What is the answer? Is there one?

How about snoring adults, who stop passengers from falling asleep and big people, who spill over onto their neighbour’s seat? Should airlines require passengers to state their sleeping habits, weight and width when booking online to determine where to place these people and/or whether two seats are required at the time of booking? Would these be considered discrimination?

Or should the onus be on the person or persons who know they are going to cause discomfort by design or default to defer from flying? I don’t know. I do know I don’t want to be uncomfortable and sleep deprived on my way to a meeting or holiday. Suggestions?