AirAsia X Begins Kid-Free Zone Program on Flights
Children under age 12 will be banned from the first seven rows of airplanes making long flights to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Nepal beginning this week. The area, called “Quiet Zone,” is supposed to protect passengers’ peace of mind from the intrusions that noisy or fussy children can bring to an airline flight. More from CNN:
The child-free area, called the “Quiet Zone,” has softer lighting and is sectioned off from the rest of the plane by toilets and bulkheads, the theory being you won’t be able to hear the kids who are toward the back of the plane.
Still, anyone who’s been within 100 meters of a screaming child will know that their cries won’t be stifled by a few partition curtains.
Just as cigarette smoke could waft into the non-smoking areas before it was banned, so too will noise, said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, speaking to NBC news when AirAsia X’s new option was announced last year.
“If you were just one row away from the smoking section, you still got the smoke,” he said. “And you’ll still hear the screams … if a child has strong lungs.”
Last year, Malaysia Airlines banned children under age 2 from its first-class cabins, and restricted children’s access to other areas of their planes.
Image: Toddler looking at airplanes, via Shutterstock