By Kathleen Guthrie Woods
A second airline has added a childfree “Quiet Zone” and the debate continues! Read the news here.
Asia Air has announced this new service, available for a fee in 2013, and I learned of it in a “mommy” column in my city’s newspaper’s online site. Normally I wouldn’t read anything with “mommy” in it, and I almost never read the comments (usually so snarky), but I couldn’t resist seeing how this cause was faring. And guess what? It’s getting more support!
What do you think? How much extra would you pay for a seat in the Quiet Zone?
Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a Northern California–based freelance writer. She is mostly at peace with her childfree status.
How much is it worth to me, one way? Fifty bucks a ticket per domestic flight if it was a childfree plane, and a hundred for overseas for the same (or at least a truly childfree business class or first class cabin). The ‘Quiet Zone’ only works if it actually is a quiet zone and not just ‘well you’re further away from the screaming kid’.
I’d consider it if it came with guarantee that the back of my seat would be kick-free.
The crying doesn’t bother me as much as the parents who board a plane with infants and NO diapers. I once sat on a plane from NJ to Texas behind a 2 year old with a loaded diaper the entire way. He screamed and smelled for 5 hours because mom didn’t bring a single diaper with her. Personally, I think airlines should have diapers on hand to deal with stupid people like that — not just seat them in their own area.
I haven’t read the article yet, but does the Quiet Zone apply to everyone, & not just kids?? I would LOVE to see the introduction of Quiet Zones on our commuter train.Sometimes the ringing cellphones & totally inane chatter between passengers drives me nuts. :p
I would absolutely pay extra. To give you some background, Air Asia is a budget airline, and so would definitely attract lots of families that might not travel otherwise. It’s a pretty basic airline (you have to pay for EVERYTHING on board), and so they will have seen this as an opportunity to make more money.
I’d definitely pay extra for a child free flight.