Dubai: How much would you be prepared to pay to ensure there are no screaming babies, tearaway toddlers or whining tweens on your next long-haul flight? One airline is testing the water, with a large adults-only seating area on one of its key routes.
Europe’s Corendon Airlines will pilot the no-kids area on its 10-hour flights between Amsterdam and the Caribbean island of Curacao, charging passengers an additional 45 euros ($49) for a standard seat or $100 for an XL seat, for the privilege of sitting in the “Only Adult” zone.
The first 12 rows of the Airbus A350-900 flying the route will comprise 93 standard seats and nine extra-large seats, curtained off from the rest of the aircraft, with a strict over-16s rule.
“This zone in the aircraft is intended for travellers travelling without children and for business travellers who want to work in a quiet environment,” the airline said in a press release, adding that it would also benefit parents of young children who may worry less about upsetting other passengers.
Other airlines to have introduced similar initiatives in recent years include AirAsia X, which has quiet zones on its flights with entry barred to the under 10s, and Singapore carrier Scoot’s Scoot-in-Silence zones for the over 12s.
Corendon flights with the Only Adult zone start November 3.
