Parents who don’t control unruly kids are high on the list of bad behaviors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Passenger surveys usually find that screaming, kicking, out-of-control kids – a.k.a. adorable children – are one of the biggest annoyances for air travelers. But what if you could book a seat that guaranteed you wouldn’t have any of them around you?
Indian budget airline Indigo is the latest carrier to introduce what it calls “Quiet Zones” – seating areas where it does not allow any children under age 12 (rows 1-4 and 11-14, including the exit rows).
A similar concept was introduced a couple of years ago by a few other Asian airlines, including Thai, Malaysian, Air Asia, Malaysian and Scoot.
Also, most big airport lounges now have separate, usually glassed in, romper rooms for the kiddie-boos to keep the noise at bay.
Thoughtful kiddie playroom inside SAS business class lounge at CPH (Chris McGinnis)
While the idea may seem like a terrific one for many business travelers, especially those on long-haul flights, some people might take offense at what could be considered a discriminatory policy – like the parents of those kids, who are increasingly having trouble on some airlines just getting a guaranteed seat next to their offspring. Opponents of the concept might reasonably ask what other kinds of passengers might be targeted by such a policy in the future.
The no-kids seating area can also cause enforcement problems for the airline when it has to rebook passengers onto almost-full flights, for instance.
Still, a survey of 1,100 U.K. travelers a couple of years ago found that 70 percent said they’d like to see kid-free zones—and more than one-third said they would pay extra to fly on a flight with no kids at all.
OK, readers, what’s your take on this controversial topic? Would you pay extra to be guaranteed a seat away from kids? What should the age limit be for kid-free seating zones?
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