Japan Airlines will let you check to see if you're sat next to screaming baby
27 September 2019, 03:13
Japan Airlines has announced a new booking feature allowing passengers to see if they are sat next to a screaming child.
When booking a seat, customers can now see a "child" icon appear over any place where a youngster under the age of two has been sat.
The airline said: “Passengers travelling with children between eight days and two 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.”
However, the new measure isn't entirely foolproof just yet as bookings made by a third party or if there is any last minute changes.
Travellers have given a mixed response to their idea.
Entrepreneur Rahat Ahmed drew attention to the policy on Twitter, thanking the airline for giving him the option to check before a 13-hour flight.
Thank you, @JAL_Official_jp for warnings me about where babies plan to scream and yell during a 13 hour trip. This really ought to be mandatory across the board.
— Rahat Ahmed (@dequinix) September 24, 2019
Please take note, @qatarairways: I had 3 screaming babies next to me on my JFK-DOH flight two weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/kQYQFIqqCD
But his apparent joy at the option was met with outrage by others, called for "tolerance" for babies on flights.
David Walker replied: "As a father of 5 and having travelled with each one as a baby at one point or another, I try to do everything I can to keep them from crying. It's hard on parents too.
"And remember: it's just one day. You'll survive your flight. Chill."
Another Twitter user added: "They are babies as we all once were. We need to learn tolerance or will soon start needing a map of seat locations for mouth breathers, droolers, farters, drunks, and perhaps a lot more things in life.
"What ever happened to life's surprise."
Others pointed out that noise cancelling headphones would most likely fix his problem.
Jene Johnson said: "Wow... get some noise cancelling headphones and go about your day."
"I don't understand people that complain about babies crying on planes. I put on my headphones and I hear nothing."
