If it always seems like you get stuck next to a crying baby whenever you fly, there might soon be a way to avoid that. Japan Airlines is pioneering a new feature in its flight booking system, which identifies where children are sitting with a “child” icon. This will make it possible to avoid children when choosing your seat. The tool isn’t a 100 percent guarantee, however, as seats can always be changed at the last minute and the icon may not appear if the ticket was booked through a third party.
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This Airline Is Adding a Seat Booking Tool That Allows You to Avoid Crying Babies
Many are welcoming the new feature, including venture capitalist Rahat Ahmed, who tweeted, “This really ought to be mandatory across the board. I had three screaming babies next to me on my flight two weeks ago.”
It’s worth noting that the tool in no way punishes parents traveling with children, but merely gives travelers the option of increasing their chances of a quieter flight. Hopefully, this will also mean a less stressful situation for parents, who don’t have to deal with the ire of aggravated seatmates.
As with all new innovations, however, not everyone is on board. Twitter user G Sundar said, “We need to learn tolerance or will soon start needing a map of seat locations for mouth breathers, droolers, farters, drunks, and perhaps a lot more things in life.” Another user, Jene Johnson, said, “Wow…get some noise-canceling headphones and go about your day.” 