For travelers who want to avoid babies and kids, one airline will test an adults-only section

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. fidget / ˈfɪdʒ ɪt / (v.) – to make a lot of small continuous movements, usually because of boredom, discomfort, or nervousness
    Example:

    My daughter can’t stop herself from fidgeting during a long, boring class.


  2. legroom / ˈlɛgˌrum / (n.) – the space a person has for his/her legs when sitting down
    Example:

    There wasn’t enough legroom for me on the plane. It felt very uncomfortable during the flight.


  3. separate / ˈsɛp əˌreɪt / (v.) – to cause two or more people or things to stop being connected
    Example:

    The architect decided to put a wall that separates the kitchen from the living room.


  4. wail / weɪl / (v.) – to make a long, loud crying sound, usually because of pain or sadness
    Example:

    The sisters wailed when they found out that their pet dog died.


  5. infant / ˈɪn fənt / (n.) – a very young child, particularly under one year of age
    Example:

    Sarah is taking care of her infant. That’s why she’s always so tired.


Article

Read the text below.

One airline plans to find out if solitude-seeking travelers will pay a hefty extra charge to avoid sitting near babies and little kids.


Corendon Airlines says that it will sell an adults-only zone — no one under 16 — on flights between Amsterdam and Curacao starting in November. The Turkish carrier says people traveling without children will get quiet surroundings, and parents won’t have to worry that their crying or fidgeting kids will annoy fellow passengers.


Corendon announced in August that it would set aside 93 regular seats and nine extra-legroom seats in the adult zone in the front of its Airbus A350 jets, which have 432 seats in all. A wall or curtain will separate the section from the wailing masses farther back.


The airline said on its website that it will charge passengers an extra reservation fee of 45 euros ($49) for the no-kids zone, rising to 100 euros ($109) for one of the extra-legroom seats.


A flight from Amsterdam to Curacao usually takes about 10 hours.


Brett Snyder, who runs a travel agency and writes the Cranky Flier blog, said that there could be demand for adult seats. “For a heavy leisure airline like Corendon, which is probably full of families with little kids, I can see the appeal for someone traveling without kids to pay extra to be away from them to have more peace and quiet,” Snyder said.


Then again, he added, people in the back of the adult zone might still hear crying, “so it’s like the old days when you were in the last row of the non-smoking section but could still taste that smoke.”


Scoot, a low-cost airline based in Singapore, sells a section where passengers must be at least 12 years old.


Back in 2012, Malaysia Airlines announced it would not allow anyone under 12 in a 70-seat economy section on the upper deck of its Airbus A380 jets. The airline later retreated, saying that if there were too many families with children and infants to fit in the lower deck, it would find room for them in the adult economy section upstairs.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Do you think it’s fair for airlines to offer adults-only zones on flights, or does it discriminate against families with children? Discuss.
  • What are the potential benefits and disadvantages of separating passengers based on their preferences for child-free environments? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • How would you describe a perfect, comfortable flight? What factors would affect your flight experience (ex. wide legroom, good food)? Discuss.
  • What do you think about companies that are charging more for a better service or product? Is this just their way to make more money out of their customers or is it a reasonable and fair practice? Why? Discuss.