European airline introduces kid-free zone on flights. Is Canada next? – National | 24CA News
Passengers flying with Corendon Airlines will quickly have entry to a child-free part of some flights — for a value — however specialists say to not count on the identical in Canada any time quickly.
The Turkish-Dutch leisure airline introduced that it’s going to launch an “Only Adult” zone for company aged 16 and older on its routes between Amsterdam and Curaçao beginning Nov. 3.
The zone is meant for adults with out kids, “and for business travelers who want to work in a quiet environment,” the airline mentioned in a news launch Aug. 23.
It might be separated from different travellers “by means of walls and curtains,” it says. The zone consists of 102 seats on the entrance part of the plane, every costing 45 euros per journey or roughly $66 Canadian. A seat with further legroom prices 100 euros, or about $147 Canadian.
The airline says it believes the “Only Adult” zone can even enable dad and mom to journey peacefully with out worrying about how their kids could disrupt passengers, however aviation specialists are skeptical.
John Gradek, college lecturer and coordinator of the aviation administration program at McGill University, mentioned the airline could not have the ability to operationally ship what it’s promising passengers.
“People would try it once, maybe twice (and then) find out there’s a bunch of operational issues with keeping the cabin secure from kids,” Gradek advised Global News.
“It’s a very difficult concept to deliver. I don’t think the people designing these products really understand how complex it can be.”
Gradek mentioned the airline is probably going doing what it may well to draw business in a really busy market.
“I think they’re trying to get some traction in the marketplace, but it’s not a phenomenon that — especially with the prices they want to charge — is going to be very acceptable,” he mentioned.
Corendon is the primary European airline to supply child-free seating, however different price range carriers all over the world have already adopted variations.
U.S. low-fare airline Breeze Airways carried out a complimentary household seating coverage final yr. Families with younger kids are in a position to choose seats collectively in a devoted “family section” of the plane, at no added value.
Singapore-based Scoot carried out a quiet part of its planes known as “Scoot-in-Silence” in 2013. The economic system cabin quiet zone is reserved for passengers aged 12 or older, and affords further legroom and adjustable headrests.
AirAsia X affords a “quiet zone” for passengers 10 years and older. India’s IndiGo additionally introduced a child-free zone in 2016, geared towards business vacationers.
Will kid-free zones come to Canada?
For these hoping to have the ability to e book one thing comparable on a Canadian airline, Gradek mentioned to not maintain your breath.
“I think the airline industry in Canada understands that it’s a level of complexity and marketing strategy that has no long-term value,” he mentioned.
Gradek defined that by blockading a piece of a flight, there will not be sufficient seats to fulfill a full fare demand. Passengers could not get on their flight of alternative as a result of a piece of the plane is reserved for households. In the long term, if fewer seats are stuffed, airways threat dropping cash.
“That’s something (Canadian) airlines understand,” Gradek mentioned. “They understand that there are some downsides to offering children sections on board airplanes that are blocking off a certain number of seats.”
Robert Kokonis, president and managing director of aviation consulting agency Air Travel Inc., echoed Gadek’s sentiments, calling Corendone’s child-free zone “a bit of a policy ploy.”
“I don’t see this catching on in Canada whatsoever,” Kokonis advised Global News.
“What if I close off five kids on board who might actually be well-behaved, but I’ve got somebody sitting one row behind me that talks incessantly the whole flight? Where do you draw the line? On that basis alone I don’t expect to see much take up … or other airlines following suit,” he mentioned.
Kokonis mentioned having kids on board any public vessel is “a fact of life.”
“Everybody has a right to travel,” he mentioned.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
