JAL Introduces Child Icon on Seat map

[Max Samuels]

I get those who hate travelling anywhere near kids might like this idea, but it's also creeping me out a tiny bit, given that the marker includes children up to the age of 12, not just (potentially) "screaming babies".

The likelihood of abuse by a stranger is very, very small (compared to a person known to the family/child), but I can see a minority of situations where someone creepy could deliberately choose to sit near a child.

I am 100% happy for that family to take that risk for me

 

[Max Samuels]

1. On a SYD-MEL trip I was asked to move to alternate aisle seat so the unaccompanied minor would not have to sit next to a male passenger and
2. On a MEL-SYD trip i was asked if I would take the middle seat so an unaccompanied minor could sit on the aisle and not next to a male passenger.

Make of that what you will.

Yeah that has always interested me how Qantas, the airline of "tolerance", with its rainbow this and rainbow that and with a gay CEO, and apparently soooo forward thinking, that this very airline has such a stupid and sexist policy based on zero data. A few years ago (maybe 10 - someone google it) BA had a similar situation, yet the poor male customer they decided to call out as a child molester (by deciding he couldn't sit near a kid because he didn't have the correct genitals) didn't let them get away with it - he sued them and it went to the EU human rights commission or something.. anyway, from what I recall, when quizzed on the policy, BA could provide no data or evidence or anything at all to justify their absurd position. The guy was paid some $$ and BA looked like a pack of d***heads. Anyway, the up shot I think was that now QF have a policy where they will NEVER be in a situation like that - through a combination of seat blocking and knowing the gender of every passenger (which in itself is completely strange, when you think about it - aren't we beyond gender?) the last 1 or 2 rows of Y are always blocked and only women can choose seats there (if anyone can at all). I know for an absolute certainty that QF would prefer to upgrade a male PAX than make him move to a different Y seat... because no one will question an upgrade, but if you get re-assigned a Y seat to a coughpier seat because "we can't let you sit next to (and therefore molest) an innocent child" doesn't go down too well....

And, what is the policy with trans?????????? How dare they assume to know one's gender? I would pay money to watch in the interaction when an airline approaches a "male" to move, and he/she screams at them for getting it wrong....

Anyway that's a very long-winded way of saying that their bizarre and discriminatory policy actually works in our (men) favour!

#BelieveAllMen

 

[prozac]

Why the assumption that a kid is going to scream and cry?

Biggest disturbance on a flight Ive ever seen, which had FAs running from both front and rear, was 2 adults, both over 60yrs.

You're right. It's not the child that's the problem, it's their parent.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

It’s not always that simple. Our Miss is fine on take off but sometimes during decent, feeding her isn’t sufficient to stop her from crying in pain. Sometimes a dummy works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you just have to ride it out, it’s only for a few minutes. Doesn’t make me a poor parent, it’s just life.

I wasn't referring to the occasions when the best efforts of a parent fail to calm a child.
I was referring to situations in which a parent does not make their best - or any - effort to calm a child or address either their comfort or their behaviour.
I have seen parents essentially toss their infant into a bassinet and sit down to relax with a drink, leaving the baby howling.
I have three children, and I once flew PER-BKK-LGW-DUB return with a 1 yo and a 2 yo.
I am not insensitive to the difficulties.

 

[wendlle]

I was just on a LA to Sydney flight on Sunday. There were AT LEAST 20 kids on the flight and 15 of them were babies (under 1) including one of my own.
Not a single child made a noise the entire flight, but the very large full grown Man sitting behind me snored the entire flight and also made it known to everyone within a 10 row radius that he was denied entry to the USA and was being sent back to Australia, he went on an on at length very loudly about it while all the children sat quietly or slept.
Maybe we can have an icon for that? Or for people who smell, or eat stinky food, or like to use your seat as a way to lever themself off their seat?
I think this icon is a joke.
A plane is public transport.
Don't like it? Don't use it and fly on a private plane instead.

 

[Snowant]

I used to fly JAL from Canberra to YVR via Narita, and I love them. Now I love JAL even more. My first business flight in QF was ruined by a woman with a lap baby that managed to cry almost non-stop from Sydney to LAX. Business is full of BEDS. People wear PYJAMAS. I deduce from this that sleep is an important component of Business. Why are babies allowed there? Babies cry.

It's not fair and I felt really sorry for people who'd paid the asking price for their ticket (I was on a points upgrade). Even through earplugs, I woke repeatedly whenever the baby started up (it was on the other side of the cabin).

 

[KevinR]

So JAL will for flights booked directly with them indicate on the seat map where a child is sitting to allow those without kids to potentially avoid sitting next to a screaming baby or toddler.

Hate crying babies on flights? Japan Airlines introduce child icon to seatmaps to help passengers identify children on planes

Hate sitting next to kids on flights?

www.traveller.com.au

Love it if they include an obnoxious passenger icon too!

 

[MooTime]

I used to fly JAL from Canberra to YVR via Narita, and I love them. Now I love JAL even more. My first business flight in QF was ruined by a woman with a lap baby that managed to cry almost non-stop from Sydney to LAX. Business is full of BEDS. People wear PYJAMAS. I deduce from this that sleep is an important component of Business. Why are babies allowed there? Babies cry.

It's not fair and I felt really sorry for people who'd paid the asking price for their ticket (I was on a points upgrade). Even through earplugs, I woke repeatedly whenever the baby started up (it was on the other side of the cabin).

Wife & I flying BNE-HNL Business with a 11month yo in a few months. If we can afford it (2 of us as baby no cost) why shouldn't we be travel in Biz, I don't see a "No babies" sign on boarding.
I've never had many more issues with other babies on flights than other annoying adults. People just seem to remember crying babies for some reason, people love to whinge.

Also you expect people who have $$$ to travel in comfort occasionally have to travel in Y for your sake? C'mon.

Pity concrete's too heavy for FA's to serve as the complimentry drink to some onboard.

 

[samh004]

Been following along and I think it's a great idea, but one thing I haven't seen mentioned are what are the privacy implications for revealing that a seat has a baby? Is the airline allowed to release this information to everyone else on the plane? If so, what else can they reveal about you to others? Perhaps the next icon will be a wine bottle to indicate a frequent flyer who often drinks too much and snores loudly! Don't want to sit next to them either, after all

 

[blackcat20]

I used to fly JAL from Canberra to YVR via Narita, and I love them. Now I love JAL even more. My first business flight in QF was ruined by a woman with a lap baby that managed to cry almost non-stop from Sydney to LAX. Business is full of BEDS. People wear PYJAMAS. I deduce from this that sleep is an important component of Business. Why are babies allowed there? Babies cry.

It's not fair and I felt really sorry for people who'd paid the asking price for their ticket (I was on a points upgrade). Even through earplugs, I woke repeatedly whenever the baby started up (it was on the other side of the cabin).

Sleep is important for parents too babies are allowed in J (and F) if their parents pay for a ticket.

 

[JFi]

This is not new and has been around for many years. I guess if you don’t fly JAL often then you might not find out. Am surprised though it’s taken this long for some reporter to stumble upon it…or report on it.

I’ve been on planes with crying babies but also loud talking / snoring adults. If you want to ensure quiet, just invest in some good ANC headphones. I use the Sony wh-1000xm3 and it’s amazing. I sleep with the headphones. I guess I’ve had practice at home given the construction next door and the tradies come at 8am on the weekends…