Let me set you a scene: It’s finally the day of your big holiday. Your annual leave was approved, flights + accommodation booked, suitcase packed and you are bursting with excitement as you wait to board the plane. You hand the flight attendant your ticket with a smile and proceed to board the aircraft and settle down in your seat, secretly hoping that you get the whole row to yourself.
You order yourself a wine, essential, and start thinking about what movies you are going to indulge in while you blissfully await your arrival to your destination.
But then the sound of a crying baby breaks your little tranquil bubble and your face drops. For the rest of the flight the cries ring in your ears intermittently, disturbing your sleep and making it impossible to read.
If you are like me, you would never, EVER actually turn around and get mad at the poor parents who, travelling with a baby, are likely just as tired as you are right now (if not more) because it's certainly not their fault. But at the same time you paid a lot of money for this flight and wanted to get some sleep before you start your holiday.
If you have found yourself in a similar situation, you are definitely not alone. In fact it seems to be the most common annoyance for most (childless) people who travel. So much so that IndiGo, a budget airline based out of India, has just introduced new 'Quiet Zones' into which children under the age of 12 will not be allowed.
In their statement the airline said, "IndiGo endeavours to extend courteous and hassle free experience to all passengers (that includes both leisure and corporate traveller) who wish to fly with the airline. Keeping in mind the comfort and convenience of all passengers - row number 1 to 4 and 11 to 14 are generally kept as a 'Quiet Zone' on IndiGo flights."
The airline has assured that families travelling with them will have the rest of the aeroplane to choose seating from however the Quiet Zones have been implemented for the comfort of business travellers, "These zones have been created for business travellers who prefer to use the quiet time to do their work."
The Quiet Zones will include premium seating in which you can request more leg room such as exit rows, something that has some parents up in arms, with one disgruntled passenger, Anshuman Sinha calling the ban discriminatory.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Sinha stated that “The policy is discrimatory. It means that you cannot ask for more leg space while traveling with your children.”
But others were quick to send messages of support over Twitter, praising the airline for addressing the issue and calling for more airlines to follow suit.
However this isn't the first time that an airline has implemented this kind of policy with companies such as SCOOT, AirAsia X and Malaysian Airlines sporting similar child bans on premium seats most likely booked by business travellers.
Do you think child free zones on planes are a good idea?
Top Comments
Gee I can't believe people still have the gall to have children out and about in society. Surely we are at the point where they should be neither seen nor heard ;) ;)
I think it's a great idea that people have the option to travel in a child free zone, good on IndiGo for trying it out!
Having quiet rows won't rid the plane of the noise of a baby crying or children going up and down the aisles. It will fix the sea kicking issue though. I"m a parent and my suggestion would be child-free flights. When travelling alone I'd certainly pay extra for that.