TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan Airlines has introduced a new tool that enables passengers to avoid booking seats near infants on its flights.
'Passengers traveling with children between 8 days and 2 years old who select their seats on the JAL website will have a child icon displayed on their seats on the seat selection screen. This lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there,' Japan Airlines or JAL said on its website.
The airline is offering this facility as part of its 'Smile Support' travel service for passengers traveling with infants.
JAL's feature was praised by a Twitter user, who noticed a kid icon on the seating chart for his thirteen-hour long flight.
'Thank you, @JAL_Official_jp for warnings me about where babies plan to scream and yell during a 13 hour trip. This really ought to be mandatory across the board. Please take note, @qatarairways: I had 3 screaming babies next to me on my JFK-DOH flight two weeks ago,' Rahat Ahmed tweeted.
Ahmed's comments lit up the Internet, with several people expressing support for and against the move.
'Totally agree. This torture on other passengers has to stop. Parents of screaming babies are immune to it but the rest are not,' one user tweeted.
However, not all Twitter users agreed.
'We were all babies once. Crying babies is all part of life. A little tolerance and respect would not go amiss,' read another tweet.
'Japan Airlines seat map helps avoid screaming babies. Why not just have noise cancelling headphones?!', added another.
Ahmed later said on Twitter that he had arrived in New York after his JAL flight.
'Ironically chose to sat next to several babies on my two flights: Some great, some loud. It happens. Some adults were worse,' he tweeted.
Meanwhile, JAL said on its website that the child icons will not be displayed during seat selection if the seats are booked as part of a tour or using award tickets, and if the seats are selected through means other than the airline's own website.
As part of its Baby Travel Support Service, Japan Airline also provides strollers for rent inside the airport and will accept passengers' own baby strollers as checked baggage for free.
In addition, the airline offers priority boarding to passengers traveling with infants and also provides diaper-changing tables in restrooms. Diapers will be furnished upon request.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX