Passengers boarding a Corendon flight can reserve space starting at $48 (about R900) in the adult-only zone. Picture: corendonairlines/Instagram
By Heidi Pérez-Moreno
If you've found yourself squeezing earplugs in tighter or hoping the music playing on your phone would drown out the crying baby on your flight, one airline wants to help.
Turkish carrier Corendon Airlines announced this week that it will offer child-free cabin space for an extra fee on its flights between Amsterdam and Curaçao.
The service, which will officially launch on Nov. 3, will be reserved for passengers 16 and older.
The "Only Adult" zone is meant for those travelling without children or people who just want a noise-free, peaceful flight.
Corendon founder Atilay Uslu said in a statement the change allows for an added layer of separation from those who might be easily distracted or bothered by noise on flights, and it could be a comfort to parents worried their crying children might disturb passengers around them.
Passengers boarding a Corendon flight can reserve space starting at $48 (about R900) in the adult-only zone, which will be located at the front of the plane and be separated from the rest of the cabin by a wall and curtain.
There will be 93 standard seats available to purchase, with an additional nine seats that have extra legroom at $108.
It is the first European airline to re-designate cabin space exclusively for adults.
Other international air carriers have implemented similar programmes, including AirAsia X, a low-cost carrier based in Malaysia.
Since launching in 2013, the airline has designated seven rows on all routes for guests over the age of 10 on A330 long-haul flights.
The option has continued to be popular among customers. More than 35,000 seats have been purchased in the "Quiet Zone" in the last three months, the airline said.
A few other carriers have also launched adult-free spacing on their flights, including Scoot, which operates through Singapore Airlines.
Scoot-in-Silence cabins, which also feature extra head space and leg room, became available in 2013 for guests 12 and older.
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