[Charles-P]

From the Daily Telegraph

As far as contentious air travel issues go, it’s up there with what constitutes free hand luggage and who the arm rest between two passengers really belongs to.

The debate over whether airlines should introduce child-free zones in aircraft – or even child-free aircraft – has shown itself to be about as sensitive as it gets after numerous carriers have mooted the plan and felt the wrath of family travellers.

IndiGo, the Indian budget carrier, is the latest after it last week announced its Quiet Zones aimed at business travellers, where passengers under the age of 12 are forbidden.

“Keeping in mind the comfort and convenience of all passengers,” a statement from the airline read, “row numbers one to four and 11 to 14 are generally kept as a Quiet Zone on IndiGo flights. These zones have been created for business travellers who prefer to use the quiet time to do their work.”

The airline also said that children are not allowed to sit in rows one, 12 and 13, where the emergency exits are found, as well as additional leg room. While, as anyone who has ever flown knows, the cry of a child has the volume to fill an aircraft, the policy would help the airline control where families might sit.

The backlash has already begun. One flier, Anshuman Sinha, told the Hindustan Times: “The policy is discriminatory. It means that you cannot ask for more leg space while travelling with your children.

[Peter M]

Relocating all the noisy seat kicking machines to cluster in an open section of the plane will likely result in a group meltdown….Not the best idea.

why not ..child free planes for business scheduled flights
or
seal off the tail section with scream proof barrier
or
convert part of the fwd cargo hold for a child and parent zone.

[AMcWhirter]

Two Asian LCCs, Air AsiaX and Scoot, have been offering a similar facility for a number of years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2274854/Peace-Air-Asia-rolls-child-free-zones-stop-screaming-infants-ruining-travellers-flights.html

[thebigseats]

A brilliant (although perhaps not truly practical!) idea. Noisy kids (usually, IME, caused by disinterested parents) are a total pain. Anything to mitigate this is most welcome. More power to the airlines instigating this – especially in Business & First – PLEASE!

[Author]

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