AIBU to never want to use this airline?

[Honeybee85]

www.bbc.com/news/business-49836599

I appreciate that sitting next to a stranger’s baby or toddler on a long flight is not something most people would choose. But what about all the adults causing nuisance on a plane, drunk people, rude people, smelly people? I have experienced more middle aged men then babies being a source of annoyance during flights.

Also, as a mum of a young baby I would be afraid this kind of information might attract the wrong kind of people with bad intentions deliberately booking a seat next to my child.

When I used to travel alone (woman) I always specifically asked not to sit near women with babies, as I'd usually be placed near them. I'd rather sit next to a bloke, and that's saying something!

Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. No one wants to sit next to or even near a screaming infant, not even the parents.

I think it's a great idea. I hope other airlines adopt the policy.
I used to fly solo often to and from the Middle East with mine when they were babies.....and shock horror, I used to leave them alone while I went to the loo.
Strangely, they were still where I left them when I returned.

Most babies end up by the bulkhead of wide bodied aircraft. We book the back on every flight, so we’re near the toilets.
I’ve travelled to the UK and back from Oz on my own with dds not quite 3 and 13mo (not walking), I asked the cabin crew politely to keep an eye on dds so I could go to the toilet.
As for the drunk people, the ground staff shouldn’t be letting them on at all.

OP once you have a baby you literally never go to the loo alone so don’t worry about your baby being left on the seat while you aren’t there.

It seems to be the very definition of PFB parenting when you get offended because people on a plane don't want to sit next to your little miracle.

I think its a great idea.

I'd choose to sit next to a parent and baby because I like distractions on a flight, and I'm less likely to be sat next to a man spreader.

I'll watch baby when you go to the loo too if it helps.

As a very frequent flyer who is a middle aged woman flying on my own, I get put next to small children a lot as well as unaccompanied minors. It is, frankly, a PITA so I welcome this.

Yep, YABU. JAL is the best airline I've flown with, so I'm not surprised that they're the ones implementing this strategy. Clearly it isn't foolproof (as parent + baby could buy seats beside you after you've booked) but I'd definitely use it if it were rolled out on other airlines. On the plus side, OP, Twitter is full of people saying that it's an outrageous infringement of child rights and that they'd purposefully book a seat next to a baby in order to provide additional parenting services, so this might be a blessing in disguise!

I think it’s a good idea, I personally would pay more for my seat to be sat away from children. Less change of seat being kicked 🤷‍♀️. However it would be excellent if they also introduced one that indicated if the person snored, planned to get drunk or like to befriend the person next to them.

@Watermelondoesntbelonginasalad Oh the idea of some kind of seat-matching by chattiness! I love it.

I’m off to Japan in a couple of weeks to watch a rugby match, I used the booking tool to avoid young children, being on a long flight with my own four year old!

yeah - im sure JAL will care if you never fly with them again. :)

OP - babies who cry non stop are a PITA - i say this as a mother of 2 young children, i regularly fly 14 hours non-stop with them, sometimes 8 hours. My older is old enough to be distracted but my younger isn't, and even i get annoyed when he fusses. Yes, people are tolerant sometimes, but you get people who get angry, annoyed, who just want to sleep. When i had no kids - and was travelling for work, more than a handful of times kids in flights kept me up, rendering me too tired to participate in morning meetings (often london-ny flights) and that was shit.

So don't. Unless you were regularly flying back and forwards to Japan, first class, with your 26 kids, I doubt they'll give two hoots.

It's a 12 hour flight from London to Japan. Not fun if you're stuck next to a fractious baby.

I'd happily sit next to a child.

I'm happy distracting myself playing with a youngster. I once played games with a child sat next to me whose Mums time was fully taken up by a baby and whose dad sat across the aisle studiously ignoring both kids (and his wife) for most of the 4 hour flight. I would have also happily held the baby for loo trips but this was when I found out the dad was just a couple of feet away.
Also you know that there isn't going to be anyone spreading into your space - though they may invade it at times.
I wouldn't however book the seat in front of a child as I have seen, and felt too many kids repeatedly kicking the seat in front, which to me is far more annoying than a child crying.

We were recently in a circle of 5 toddlers and babies on an 11 hour flight. I could hear them screaming even with noise cancelling headphones on.

I would happily use this airline and pay more to be seated away from small children!!

YABU. As a regular air passenger I think it’s fantastic that JAL are doing this and hope all other airlines follow their example, which I’m sure they will. Nothing worse than a screaming baby on a long flight, at least loud people can be told to shut up, there is no reasoning with a baby having a meltdown.

100PercentThatBitch Do you fly to Japan regularly OP?

PatricksRum Howling

OP: I live in Asia

That put down didn't go to plan did it?

Perfect.

Its a great idea, and even better if they could put up a sound proof screen!!! .....yeah yeah I know ill get flamed for that one

I think it’s a great idea, I hope it rolls out to all airlines. I’ve had far too many sleepless flights due to crying kids.

@AdobeWanKenobi well I live in UK and have never flown BA🤷. Not so good put down imho

I would love this! I would also happily pay bit extra for adult only flight if it's a long one.

Firstly, I think it is great, if travelling with children I would then get loads of space around me as nobody will want to sit next to my loud wriggly children! I love that look of abject fear as you get on the plane and someone realises they are sitting next to you and your child (then generally at the end they seem relieved that actually children aren't actually all a nightmare on flight).

Stop taking it as a personal slight OP.

Turn this on its head and you might find that birds of a feather will stick together - i.e. you will get people with kids choosing to sit near each other in empathy/practical support!

But for the majority of the world who don't believe that noisy, fidgety children are the perfect complement to long haul flight in economy, it gives them a semblance of choice.

My husband mentioned this to me yesterday and I said "ooh will there be something for people who are too big for one seat and for manspreaders" too?

Let's face it, everybody on a plane apart from yourself is bloody annoying. Even hearing other people laugh or talk loudly makes me want to scream. The sooner they invent instant teleportation the better Yes!