Airline to allow women to pick seats if they don’t want to sit next to men

Who you sit beside on a plane plays a significant factor in how your flight goes, and now one airline is rolling out a new seating feature for female passengers to make them feel more comfortable.

Indian airline IndiGo is launching a new option that will let women flying with the airline to prebook seats allowing them to sit next to other female passengers.

According to an IndiGo press release, the aim is to make female passengers feel more at ease during flights.

The feature will use Passenger Name Records to identify female travellers who are flying alone or with family. When checking in, they will be able to view what seats other women on the flight have reserved and can pick where they would like to sit accordingly.

“This has been introduced as basis market research, and it’s currently in pilot mode aligning with our #GirlPower ethos,” stated the airline.

“We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all of our passengers and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking to achieving that goal.”

The new feature was noted by one X user on May 27.

“Not sure if it’s good / bad, safe / unsafe but suddenly noticed this on IndiGo seat selection. Calling out “Occupied by Female” for some seats,” they said.

The feature was met with mixed reviews from others on social media.

Some felt it was an “innovative” move.

One X user expressed concern about the security of the feature and if men could be able to access it.

While another said it “stereotyped” men.

Other airlines have been implementing different comfort options for their passengers.

Last fall, Turkish-Dutch airline Corendon Airlines started testing an “adult-only zone” on its flights. The airline said this zone is meant for passengers without children and business travellers who want to “work in a quiet environment.”

What do you think about IndiGo’s new feature for female passengers? Let us know in the comments.

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