How would you feel about taking a flight that had a “no kids” policy? For families that travel together, it’s almost entirely unthinkable, but for many other adult fliers, it sounds like a dream come true.
A Turkish-Dutch airline recently announced the launch of its unusual new policy on a specific route to the Caribbean: a firm no kids zone on the long-haul route.
Corendon Airlines flies between Amsterdam and the island of Curacao; on this 10-hour journey, passengers must be at least 16 years old to sit in the front of the aircraft. Though the announcement was made in recent weeks, the policy will go into effect on November 3, 2023.
The “no kids” section of the plane will consist of nine seats that have extra legroom, and 93 standard economy seats. Curtains and walls will separate it from the “family zone” located at the rear of the aircraft. Larger seats in the child-free area will cost €100 (about $108) extra each way, while the standard economy seats in the same section will cost an extra €45 (about $48) each way.
This might be a controversial policy, especially since it’s generally understood that young babies and infants don’t intend to disrupt other travelers with their noises, cries, or other issues. However, child-free travelers often cite the inability to sleep, misbehavior by children (such as kicking the back of the seat), and other disturbances as pain points when flying – especially long-haul.
Corendon Airlines believes that keeping these travelers separate might bring peace of mind and reduced stress levels to both groups.
“This can have a positive effect on parents traveling with small children. They can enjoy the flight without worrying if their children make more noise,” Corendon founder Atilay Uslu said in a statement.
In fact, Corendon isn’t actually the first airline to test out a no-kids seating arrangement. Singapore-based low-cost carrier Scootin has a section for passengers 12 years and older on its Boeing 787 aircraft, while Malaysia-based low-cost airline AirAsia X offers the same age cutoff in a section on its Airbus A330 aircraft when it’s flying long-haul routes.
