Most of the time, once you’re through security, bag drop, the never-ending wait at the terminal with one eye on departures, and you’ve finally nudged your way to your seat, it’s time to relax and enjoy the flight. Unless of course there’s a teething toddler or an excitable school group on the same plane. Deep breaths, guys.
It seems that the sinking feeling of overhearing a parent struggle to settle their kids is felt by many of us when we’re flying, and one European airline has caught on.
Corendon, a Turkish aviation company, is introducing ‘child-free zones’ on its route between Amsterdam and Curaçao in the Caribbean, and it’s the first European airline to do so.
Up to 93 passengers will be able to take advantage of this new service, and the assigned seats will be located at the front of the plane, separated by walls and curtains.
The hope is that the adults-only zone will not only give those keen to snooze on the long-haul flight some peace of mind before boarding, but it’ll also take the pressure off parents who are anxious about ensuring their children don’t disturb other flyers. It’s thought that the idea of 'child-free zones' will be particularly popular with business travellers.
So, if the thought of being allocated a seat near children on a flight sounds like the ultimate test of your patience, this is pretty good news for you. However, there is a price to pay for in-air peace. A ticket for Corendon’s ‘child-free zone’ will set you back an extra €45 (£39, $49) each way.
Corendon is following in the footsteps of other international airlines who have pioneered this service. AirAsia X has had a designated ‘quiet zone’ on some of its long-haul flights for passengers over the age of 12 since 2013, and low-cost Singaporean airline Scoot enables customers to ‘ScootinSilence', between the business and economy classes. IndiGo and Malaysia Airlines offer similar services.
According to a survey conducted for Newsweek, 1,500 American adults were surveyed about introducing adult-only zones on public transport, 60 percent of whom were in favour.
While a kid-free deck of a bus, or even paying for the silent carriage on the train might feel a bit extra to some of us, being trapped on a plane for upwards of six hours with a stranger’s kid kicking the back of your seat could be a totally different story.
Keen to book your spot in the ‘child-free zone’ with Corendon? The service will be available from November 3 2023.
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