The warmer temperatures are the sign many have been waiting for - summer is almost upon us and that means the big holiday.

But a new survey from Fly.com reveals that 72% of mums feel airlines do not always adequately cater for families travelling with children.

Over two-thirds of mums rated the stress experienced when flying with children as moderate to extreme.

The biggest cause of stress was the fear that their children would disturb other passengers, with 65% of mums believing there is a negative stigma attached to flying with children. Disturbing other passengers even topped the mental and physical comfort of their children during the flight.

The top four requests from mums were child play areas at airports, dedicated family security lanes, complimentary in-flight activity packs, and appropriate in-flight entertainment programming.

The survey also revealed that some airline policies are unpopular with mothers.

Just over half (51%) believe it is unacceptable for airlines to ban parents with elite status or tickets from bringing young children into first-class airport lounges; 30% did not like airlines preventing children from sitting in certain seat rows, and 69% were unhappy about the decision by some airlines to end pre-boarding for families with children.

"The airline industry has a lot to gain if it can better understand the needs of mums flying with young children," said Warren Chang, vice president and general manager at Fly.com.

"With more tickets purchased per itinerary, it's a great opportunity for airlines to develop a loyal and lucrative passenger base. Just as business travelers appreciate targeted services to improve their flight experience, so does the traveling parent."

The survey asked the views of over 800 mothers who had flown at least once with their child.