Traveling without young children is a guarantee of tranquility? This is the opinion of several tourism stakeholders. Like adults-only hotels, more and more airlines fit spaces in their aircraft where the youngest are not welcome. This is the case with the Dutch division of the Turkish company Corendon Airlines.
Corendon Airlines is testing child-free zones on long-haul flights for a fee, giving passengers a privileged place away from child nuisances.
Passengers traveling on the 10-hour flights between Amsterdam and the Caribbean Island of Curaçao can now opt for a child-free area on the airline. To avail of this facility, passengers must pay an additional €45 for a standard seat and up to €100 for an XL seat. This will give them a seat in the 'Adults Only' area. The airline has announced this new feature for passengers' comfort and convenience. The aircraft flying on this route will feature the Airbus A350-900 model with 93 standard seats and nine extra-large seats. These extra-large seats are exclusively reserved for passengers 16 years or older and will be located in a separate aircraft area. This area will be divided from the rest of the plane by walls and curtains.
The airline has designated a specific area on the aircraft for passengers traveling without children and business travelers who need a quiet environment to work. According to the airline, this area would also benefit parents traveling with young children, as they can avoid worrying about disturbing other passengers.
Quiet zones are already available on Asian airlines
Corendon Airlines has become the first European carrier to introduce designated areas on flights where young children are not allowed. This follows the example of several Asian airlines. AirAsia introduced a "quiet zone" in most of its A330s in 2013, where only children aged 13 and above are permitted. Since 2021, Japan Airlines has also started displaying a map of the aircraft during the booking process. This map indicates which seats will be occupied by children under two. This allows passengers who prefer a quieter environment to choose a seat away from these designated areas. However, this feature only applies to children under the age of two and does not include children two years and one day old. These children can be just as noisy as younger children, as all parents know.