No more crying babies on the plane. Revolutionary measure will allow everyone to travel in peace
I'm crying, I mean, I'm
Travelling with children is stressful for virtually everyone involved. And if the means of transport is an airplane from which there is "no escape", you are in for trouble. Not infrequently, children take space restrictions badly and resent the disruption to their routine, parents despair that their offspring is bothering other passengers...and they grab their heads as soon as they notice a small child in the seats near them. But unfortunately, when push comes to shove and the little kid is wracked with hysterical crying, there's usually no one to resolve the situation (not to mention the desperate cabin crew). To make life easier for everyone, Japan Airlines has decided to allow all passengers to find out where their children are sitting on the plane and effectively avoid them (ideally, sit somewhere else)...
"Passengers travelling with our airlines who are accompanied by children aged eight days to two years old will be marked with a child icon in our booking system," the company's website says. This will allow others to be "alerted" where there is a risk of increased child screaming, as well as perhaps unpleasant seat kicking.
Comfort for everyone
With this new measure, the airline has decided to accommodate everyone who would like to spend their flight in peace and quiet. On the other hand, parents and children are of course also in mind, so the airline offers a range of services to make their already complicated journey easier. This is why it already allows stroller rental at the airport, as well as accepting the child's own stroller as free luggage. Priority boarding for all those with children under two years of age is also standard, as is a special service on board, including hot water for preparing children's meals or a baby changing area.
Everything has its pitfalls
While this is obviously a rather revolutionary measure, it is unfortunately not without its flaws. The system of displaying children on the plane only works if the tickets are purchased directly through the carrier's website (not through an intermediary), and complications can arise if, for example, the type of plane is changed, etc. Nevertheless, the possibility to minimise the proximity of children is a welcome innovation for many passengers.
Who needs a lesson in tolerance?
Although the new system has only been in place for a short time, the first enthusiastic reactions to the new way of travelling are already appearing online. "Thank you for warning me exactly where small children will cry for 13 hours during my flight," says one satisfied passenger, for example, who believes the system should be mandatory for all global carriers.
However, there are also those who do not like the labelling of children on the plane at all. "After all, they are children, just like we used to be. We need to learn tolerance, or we will soon need a seat map for those who breathe through their mouths, drool, are farmers or drink alcohol," said a user who was outraged by the measure. He has probably never flown 13 hours next to a child who was brimming with energy like a Duracell bunny...
