An airline has divided opinion after it proposed introducing ‘child-free’ zones on its aircraft.
Corendon, a Dutch airline, announced plans to introduce an ‘Only Adult’ area where little ones are banned, but it hasn’t been to everyone’s liking.
While sitting next to a crying baby for hours isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, most people accept that families need to travel together like the rest of us, and generally do what they can to make the journey as noise-free as possible.
Taking to social media to share the Corendon announcement, one person wrote: “So apparently airlines are considering making “child free zones” on planes, & I can’t decide if this is a dystopian shift or not, but generally it’s really sad how little tolerance people have for children & babies—even acting like they shouldn’t be in public.”
The post has been seen by over 17,400 people and over 120 users chimed in with their opinions.
One person wrote: “I’ve noticed people seem more annoyed with kids in public than I’ve ever seen before. Usually people see little kids and babies and smile or whatever but that’s seeming to slowly change. It’s weird and sad.”
Others added “I will not tolerate a screaming baby next to me on a four hour flight” and “It’s a great idea”.
Another blames parents for their loud children, saying: “I think some of it is driven by changes in parenting. Like when I was a teen, a lot of kids seemed pretty well-behaved.
“But I see more and more young kids that are incredibly rambunctious and loud and the parents just sit their scrolling on their phones”.
One mother is even worried that policies like this will put people off having children: “Having kids is already an isolating experience, before I had kids I never cared about other kids in restaurants or on airplanes.
“But if they want people to reproduce isolation for moms is not a good look”.
Some people were undecided on the debate, with someone writing “I am on both sides on this one… If you have been on a plane with a toddler that the parents haven’t prepped ear equalizing items for them, you might understand”
Someone else called the idea “nonsensical” because “if a baby is crying right next to the child free zone, he/she will still be noisy enough for everyone to hear”, adding that they would prefer an alcohol free-zone instead.
Explaining it’s reasoning for the adults only zone, Dutch carrier Correndon said: “This zone in the aircraft is intended for passengers travelling without children and for business travellers who want to work in a quiet environment.
“At the same time, the introduction of the Only Adult zone also has a positive effect for parents with children.
“They don’t have to worry as much about possible reactions from fellow passengers if their child is a bit busier or cries.”
Atilay Uslu, founder of Corendon, added: “On board our flights, we always strive to respond to the different needs of our customers.
“We are also the first Dutch airline to introduce the Only Adult zone, because we cater to travellers looking for some extra peace of mind during their flight.
“We also believe this can have a positive effect on parents travelling with small children. They can enjoy the flight without worrying if their children make more noise.”
