Turkish airline Corendon has split opinion after outlining plans to launch an adults-only section on its flights, barring children from cordoned-off areas and locking them up behind curtains and walls.
For an extra £38-£105, adult passengers will have the option to make their journey in the child-free zones and enjoy a ‘calm and relaxed flight’, according to Corendon.
From November 3 this year, the airline will offer the option to sit in ‘Only Adult’ zones on its A350 flights between Amsterdam and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.
The child-free section of the aircraft will consist of 102 seats, of which 93 are standard seats and another nine ‘XL’ with extra legroom, which will be separated ‘by means of walls and curtains’, according to Corendon.
The airline has argued that the ‘Only Adult’ zone will create ‘a shielded environment’ for passengers ‘contributing to a peaceful and relaxing flight’.
The ‘Only Adult’ area will be available on Corendon’s A350 flights between Amsterdam and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, which will be launched from November 3 this year
The Turkish airline said the adults-only zones will allow travelers to enjoy a “calm and relaxed flight”
A seat reservation in the adult zone is for people over 16 years old and costs 45 euros (£38/$48) in the standard section and 100 euros (£85/$107) in the XL zone.
The Turkish airline explains: ‘This zone in the plane is intended for passengers traveling without children and for business travelers who want to work in a quiet environment.
‘At the same time, the introduction of the Only Adult zone also has a positive effect for parents with children.
“They don’t have to worry as much about possible reactions from fellow passengers if their child is busier or crying.”
Atilay Uslu, founder of Corendon, said: ‘On board our flights, we always strive to respond to the different needs of our customers.
‘We are also the first Dutch airline to introduce the Only Adult zone, as we serve travelers looking for a little extra peace of mind during their flight.
“We also believe this can have a positive effect on parents traveling with small children. They can enjoy the flight without worry if their children make more noise.’
Airline Corendon is launching a zone (above) where children are prohibited
Twitter users said they would be willing to pay more for peace and quiet while flying
Social media users said adult-only flights shouldn’t be a problem given other child-free areas
Twitter users wondered to what extent it is possible to create a child-free zone
Flyers quickly gave their opinion on Corendon’s plans, because some travelers said they were willing to pay extra for an adults-only flight.
“Honestly, I would pay extra to fly adult-only flights,” said Twitter user Sullysweg.
Another user said that the idea makes sense since the world is now adult only, resorts, parties and weddings.
“They have adult-only resorts, parties and weddings, so flights shouldn’t be a problem,” Ms December said.
Meanwhile, others on social media questioned the extent to which it would be possible to actually have a quiet portion of a flight.
“There can’t be a section on the plane. One screaming baby can be heard all over that plane,” said Bentleyboo2023.
Corendon is not the first airline to help passengers who want to keep their distance from young people.
Scoot, a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines launched in 2012, offers passengers the option of sitting in a ‘ScootinSilence’ seat at the front of the aircraft, where children under the age of 12 are prohibited.
And Japan Airlines has a function in its booking system that indicates which seats on the plane will be occupied by babies up to two years old.