Airline divides opinion as it launches adults-only section with babies and kids banned

An airline has split opinion by launching ‘adults-only’ sections on its flights – with children banned from entering cordoned off zones.

Turkish airline Corendon is offering grown uppassengers the chance to pay an extra £38 to £105 to enjoy a 'calm and relaxed flight' in kid-free areas. The carrier plans to offer seats in the ‘Only Adult’ zone on its A350 flights between Amsterdam and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao from 3 November.

Corendon announced it will set aside 93 regular seats and nine ‘XL’ extra-legroom seats in the adult zone of its A350 jets, which have 432 seats in all. A wall or curtain will separate the section from the child friendly areas farther back.

A seat in the adult zone is for passengers over the age of 16 and costs 45 euros (£38) in the standard area and 100 euros (£85) in the XL zone. In a statement, the Turkish airline said: “This zone in the aircraft is intended for passengers travelling without children and for business travellers 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 a bit busier or cries.”

Atilay Uslu, founder of Corendon, added: “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, because we cater to travellers looking for some extra peace of mind during their flight.

“We also believe this can have a positive effect on parents travelling with small children. They can enjoy the flight without worrying if their children make more noise.”

Travellers were quick to give their verdict on the plans – with some keen to pay for over 16 sections, while others suggested that some adults were actually the problem.

One Twitter user said: “I would honestly pay extra to be on adult-only flights.” Another said: “LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS IDEA.”

Another suggested that the plans did not go far enough. “Needs to be kid free planes,” they said. A fourth wrote: “The kids will still be on the plane and if they are the noisy kind, they'll still be in the closed space where sound carries every which way.”

Others were not so keen on the idea. One wrote: “I sat next to a thirteen-year-old boy on a recent flight… he was one of the most pleasant & polite kids I ever met. It’s the adults who need to learn some manners on planes. Can I sit separate from them?”

Another said: “Isn't that discrimination and illegal?” A third simply described the Adult Only section as ‘The Karen Zone’.

Corendon is not the first airline to offer child free zones. Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, offers passengers the opportunity to sit in a 'ScootinSilence' seat towards the front of the plane, where no under-12s are allowed.

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