Most of us like to have a pleasant and quiet journey, especially on long-haul flights. The biggest threat to it, some fear, could be a loud, screaming and crying child. Even if you manage to avoid the high-decibel noise, there is always a possibility that you could get kicked every few minutes by the baby if you have a seat next to them. Until now, it was all luck. But one airline has decided to take this challenge head-on and address it for its passengers. Japan Airlines has introduced a 'baby' icon for pre-booking that shows passengers which seats have been taken by travellers below the age of 12.
This allows passengers to avoid having their seating arrangement close to a baby. One Twitter user recently pointed out how this feature made Japan Airlines stand out vis-a-vis other airliners.
The user thanked it for warning him about the places “where babies plan to scream” during his 13-hour journey. He demanded that this “warning” should be mandatory across all carriers, saying he had to bear the screams of three babies during his New York-Doha flight two weeks ago on Qatar Airways.
According to the Japan Airlines website, “Passengers traveling with children between 8 days and 2 years old who select their seats on the JAL website will have a child icon displayed on their seats on the seat selection screen. This lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there.”
Since the tweet had gone viral and received a lot of attention, the Twitter user, later, clarified a few points, stating that “there are more important things to worry about”.
He added, “Adults can be just as bad as babies, empathy is important and every situation is different, and where babies sit can be one of many indicators that help travelers plan flights.”
He also told those who were hurling distasteful comments at him to chat constructively and that everyone has their “own stories and lives”, “different joys and pains”.
In another tweet, he said he ironically chose to sit next to babies on two of his recent flights. “Some great, some loud. It happens,” he wrote.
What do you think of Japan Airlines' solution for passengers who don't want to sit near kids? Are you in agreement with it and think it's a game-changer or do you disagree with it?
