Japan Airlines ‘baby map’ shows where babies are sitting on the plane

As stressful as it is to calm an inconsolable baby on an airplane, or find a way to keep a wriggling tot occupied on a long flight, there’s something most parents will say they dread even more while traveling with kids: getting nasty looks or comments from irritated seatmates.

Japan Airlines has introduced a system that could prevent those awkward interactions from happening altogether.

The company now has a “baby map,” which will show fliers who book through the airline website which seats have been claimed by passengers between the ages of 8 days and 2 years. An unmistakable picture of a tot will pop up, in the same way that a standard airline map will indicate which seats are in an exit row or have simply been booked.

Read more: A mom traveling with her 4-month-old baby gave passengers earplugs to keep everyone happy on a 10-hour flight

The airline map shows passengers where babies are sitting

It’s a concept that could potentially benefit everyone involved. It keeps children only near passengers who aren’t bothered by crying and other disruptions, and puts passengers who want nothing to do with a fussy baby aisles away from young families.

Getty/encrier

But it’s been met with mixed reactions online, with some fliers expressing relief that they can avoid sitting near babies and others saying that flying near a crying child is simply par for the (flight) course.

“I have no issues with babies, but if I can avoid the risk of a parent who lets their child run amuck, I’m happy to take advantage,” Rahat Ahmed, a passenger who has flown with Japan Airlines, told USA Today. “And when you have transoceanic flights, you want greater certainty.”

One particularly incensed flier noted that airlines should go even further and set age restrictions on flying.

Some people say they want babies prohibited from flying altogether

Other people noted that air travel is a form of public transportation, and that passengers simply have to figure out how to cope with some inconveniences, which come with that.

Besides the seat map feature, Japan Airlines also offers families accommodations that could make traveling with babies a little easier. The airline rents car seats free of charge, serves juice, offers warm water for heating up bottles, and has a selection of toys for children, among other items.

Other airlines have also introduced offerings that could make traveling with children more comfortable, too.

Last year, Air New Zealand announced that it would be building on its “skycouch” feature. That’s a row of three seats in the economy section, which turns into a couch, so passengers can lay down. The airline then added on a harness and belt, which would allow infants to rest next to their parents for the entirety of a flight.

“Parents can relax while their children are able to have their own space and flat area to play without interrupting other passengers,” Anita Hawthorne, Air New Zealand’s general manager of customer experience, said in a statement.

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