Picture this: You’re anxiously waiting for your flight to take off, after somehow getting the whole family packed, to the airport, and through security without a hitch. In your mind, you’re silently praying that those kiddos of yours will magically sleep the whole time like the precious little angels you know they (sometimes) are. But before the plane’s wheels are even up, the baby starts crying (because, teething pain), the 2-year-old whines because there’s two ice cubes in her apple juice instead of three, and the pre-schooler isn’t getting enough attention so he’s decided to throw a fit over sitting in the middle seat.
You tell yourself your fellow passengers aren’t thinking the worst of you right now, or cursing your kid under their breath, but of course, you know that’s probably not the case. The truth is, the stress of flying with kids can sometimes suck for all involved — __parents and fellow passengers alike.
It looks like the good folks at IndiGo, a budget carrier out of India, know the pain of that all too well; and that’s precisely why they’re now offering “Quiet Zones” on planes, where children 12 and under are strictly forbidden.
The company explained the decision in a statement issued earlier this month:
“Keeping in mind the comfort and convenience of all passengers, row numbers 1 to 4 and 11 to 14 are generally kept as Quiet Zone on IndiGo flights. These zones have been created for business travelers who prefer to use the quiet time to do their work.”
IndiGo isn’t the first airline to come up with the concept — Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia X, and Singapore’s Scoot airlines all have child-free zones that allow passengers to relax without having someone kick the back of their seat over and over (and over) again. What’s more, other companies like Amtrak regularly offer “quiet cars” for their passengers, since more and more people are asking to be seated in child-free areas.
Still, not everyone’s on board with the idea. In an opinion piece written for The Independent, Charlotte Gil writes:
“Baby bigotry has become one of the most open, yet underestimated, types of discrimination in our country —meaning that adults are only too happy to vocalize any disdain they may have for fledglings, whom they perceive to be the drain of civilization. For women, a hostile attitude to children may even help them cure the dissonance between their desire for babies and the realization they can cost professional success”
An airline has created child-free zones in the latest example of baby bigotry https://t.co/8Ixbf7527B
— The Independent (@Independent) October 6, 2016
But let’s be real: Won’t the new rule — which so far seems to be just for the Indian airline — ensure that __parents get less stares and judgy looks from fellow passengers? And isn’t that a good thing?
Child free zones on airplanes.
I like it. Hopefully we won't get judgmental looks in "Child zone" now. Have a problem, go to child free zone— Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) October 12, 2016
As a mother myself, I’ll tell you that I have a relatively high tolerance when it comes to screaming kids (so high that I can sometimes completely tune it out). But if even parents have our breaking points, then it’s no wonder that the stranger sitting nearby — desperately to get a little work done or shut-eye before they land — might internally want to lose their sh*t over a screaming child, too. A child-free zone isn’t treating our kids like second-class travelers, but offering everyone on board the experience they paid for.
Of course, it goes without saying that not every child is a bad traveler. But there’s nothing wrong with giving traveler’s a little piece of mind, when flying is already a daunting task for some of us. And if this idea doesn’t catch on in the U.S., here’s one that I sure hope does: in-air spa and massage packages. (Thanks for the idea, Emirates!)