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

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Mar 16, 2010, 08:00 ET

EDINBURGH, United Kingdom, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A poll run by flight site Skyscanner has highlighted the divide of opinion when it comes to women-only toilets being introduced on planes.

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 latest move to introduce dedicated women-only loos to most of its planes. The airline, which offers flights to Paris, Frankfurt and London as well as dozens of long haul routes, says that it introduced the women-only toilets 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 seems to have polarised the sexes.

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

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

"Women-only lavs 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 toilet into a ladies-only loo. This is bad news for the boys as it's likely to mean more queuing."

Comments from some of the respondents illustrated the 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 loos, then they should introduce men-only loos too. Women take ages."

The onboard commode conundrum joins the other great toilet debate that has been at the heart of a long running row between men and women ever since the water closet 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 based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Skyscanner 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.

SOURCE Skyscanner