Battle of the Sexes as Women-only Toilets Introduced on Planes Reports Skyscanner

Released on: March 17, 2010, 8:00 am
Author: Skyscanner Ltd
Industry: Travel

Plans by one airline to add women-only toilets to its flights have split opinion in half according to the latest poll run by flight site Skyscanner.

The poll asked whether travellers agreed with All Nippon Airway’s (ANA) latest move to introduce dedicated, ‘women-only’ toilets in most of its planes. The airline, which offers flights to San Francisco, New York, and Chicago, along with dozens of long haul routes, says that it introduced the women-only restrooms following requests from its passengers.

46% of voters agreed with the move saying that all airlines should do the same. However, 51% disapproved of the idea. Over 900 people voted in the Skyscanner poll, which shows opinion is polarized between the sexes.

The move by ANA has sparked controversy because many men feel that they will be getting a raw deal. With fewer lavatories to choose from when flying, men may have to stand in line for longer on flights that offer women-only WCs.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner Co-founder and Development Director said:

“Women-only lavatories are great for the girls, but the problem is that most planes would not be adding extra toilets, instead they would convert a uni-sex restroom into a ladies-only one. This is bad news for the boys as it’s likely to mean longer lines.”

Comments from some of the respondents show this split in opinion:

“We need women-only toilets because men make so much mess” said one voter.

But another countered: “If they introduce women-only lavatories, then they should introduce men-only ones, too. Women take ages.”

The onboard restroom riddle joins the other great toilet debate that has been at the heart of a long running row between men and women ever since the WC was invented: should the toilet seat be left up or down?

Cheap flights carrier Ryanair caused controversy last year when it joked that it might start charging people to use its toilets.

About Skyscanner:
Skyscanner is a leading travel search site which provides instant online comparison on flight prices, including flights to New York for over 670,000 routes on over 600 airlines, as well as car hire, hotel and holiday price comparison.

With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or even destinations, and Skyscanner is available in 20 different languages including French, German and Spanish.

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