Once the epitome of the modern dream, flying for many has now become a teeth-gritting nightmare. Sure, air travel gets you there faster, but it's about as pleasant as root canal. The food isn't what it used to be. Sardines have more breathing room, and to top it off some baby starts wailing, expressing the existential anguish that mirrors your own.
Most elements that suck the pleasure out of air travel are beyond our control, except the latter. Some airlines are now offering kiddie-free sections, so you can pretty much guarantee if not a quiet journey then at least one without the sounds of babies. Of course, silence comes at a premium.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, one of Singapore Airlines' subsidiaries, Scoot Airlines allows passengers who pay an extra $14 to sit in a “child-free zone." They've cleverly called the section, which effectively bans children under the age of 12, the “ScootinSilence.” The area only spans a few rows, though there is the bonus of a few more inches of legroom.
Scoot isn't the first to offer the child-free zone. Already Air Asia X has a “quiet zone,” primarily aimed at business people. The premium isn't a sure thing. After all, that baby may still be wailing, but at least it will be doing so a few rows down... And some adults make for equally annoying travel mates.
Is it fair to ban kids from certain sections of a plane, thereby limiting the seats available to families?
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