Want to Avoid Babies on Flights? Japan Airlines Offers a Seating Map

Mr. Ahmed said he traveled often for work and valued sleep on flights. “Looking at how many hours I’ve spent in the last six months alone flying, it’s been 183 hours inside a plane,” he said.

Japan Airlines’ seating feature won’t be visible to all travelers. The child icons will not be displayed in a number of situations, including when seats are booked as part of a tour or through award tickets, or when seats are selected through other travel websites, the site said.

Child icons may also not be accurately displayed if there is a change in aircraft, the site added.

Japan Airlines, which was created in 1951 and flies to 66 countries all over the world, has a fleet of 235 aircraft and makes 853 domestic flights a day and 146 international flights a day, according to its website.

Other airlines don’t appear to be following their Japanese counterpart’s lead.

Brian Parrish, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines, said the company had no plans for a similar feature. “We do not offer seat maps during the booking process, as Southwest has an open seating policy which allows customers to select any seat once onboard our aircraft,” he said.

Asked about American Airlines’ accommodations for parents of young children or for those annoyed by young children, a spokesman said simply, “We are happy to transport adults, children and infants.”

On social media, travelers offered nuanced responses to the Japan Airlines feature.

“I used to feel and say exactly what you have just said — but after having my own son, I am very sympathetic” to parents traveling with children, one person said on Twitter in response to Mr. Ahmed.

One person offered a more diplomatic approach: “We need to learn tolerance or will soon start needing a map of seat locations for mouth breathers, droolers, farters, drunks, and perhaps a lot more things in life.”



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