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Airline bars kids from `elite’ seats, draws DGCA ire
If you are flying IndiGo with children under 12 years of age, then the extra leg room seats are out of bounds for you. The low cost carrier has termed seats in rows 1-4 and 11-14 as “quiet zones” and passengers travelling with young children, or unaccompanied minors, cannot pre-book them by paying extra for these premium seats.’
The quiet zone move -adopted by a handful of airlines globally to save their premium flyers from crying children -has left passengers seething as leg space, armrests and seat cushioning are shrinking at an alarming pace across all airlines globally. The concept of premium seating, was introduced so that people can pay more to get access to a slightly better seat in terms of less cramped seats.
A senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said: “Won’t premium row passengers be distributed by children crying in rear rows? We will examine this policy of IndiGo.”
In a statement, IndiGo said it “endeavors to extend courteous and hassle free experience to all passengers (that includes both leisure and corporate travellers) who wish to fly with the airline. Keeping in mind the comfort of all passengers row number 1to 4 and 11to 14 are allocated as `quiet zone’on IndiGo flights. Creating `quiet zone’ for passengers on board is an international practice, in both full service and low cost airlines and IndiGo’s said policy is in-line with the global practice.”
The `quiet zone’ policy is transparently laid on the company website under `conditions of carriage’ section, IndiGo added. But many flyers are upset at this move. Aman Varma, a Karol Bagh-based frequent flyer, who lives in a joint family said: “Now there is no escaping the cattle class when I travel with young children.” This is the first time than an Indian carrier has introduced the concept of quiet zones. C.J. Anderson Jersey
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