This Affordable Airline Is Giving Women Full Seat Freedom

Abstract

• IndiGo permits ladies to decide on their seats for consolation and security.
• No seat laws exist for girls on airways, however IndiGo enhances feminine passenger consolation and security.
• IndiGo’s seat choice for girls incurs no additional value, aiming to make flying extra pleasing and safer for all.

Airways supply passengers the choice of flying in cabins where passengers have to be 16 years or older or the place to take a seat in order that they’re most comfy. Most have a preference of an aisle or window seat in order that they’ve an armrest of their very own and really feel just like the area they’ve is their very own. It’s within the center seats the place passengers really feel probably the most uncomfortable — even when it is the safest spot on a plane — particularly when not flying with family and friends. It’s because a stranger on both facet generally is a little unnerving. However one reasonably priced airline is giving ladies full seat freedom in order that, even when they’re caught within the center, they’ve a clue as to who they’re sitting by.

It’s, sadly, not unusual for a feminine airline passenger to have complaints a couple of male passenger on the flight along with her. Be it sexual harassment, uncomfortable encroachment of area, and even downright assault, it may be uncomfortable for a girl flying alone on a aircraft. However due to IndiGo, ladies now have the choice to not solely choose the most comfortable seat for themselves, however know the place completely different passengers are sitting on a aircraft, in order that in the event that they select to take action, ladies can maintain male passengers at a distance and revel in their flight in peace.

IndiGo Is The First Airline Giving Ladies Full Seat Freedom

IndiGo has set the precedent to maintain ladies secure whereas flying by permitting them to decide on their seat

IndiGo is the primary airline to provide ladies the data of the place they’re sitting on an airplane. Earlier than, when making a reservation, the one info out there was whether or not the seat was taken or if there was going to be an upgrade charge for the convenience of choosing a seat. Now, when ladies go to make a reservation on IndiGo and select their seat, they are going to see way more.

The web site for IndiGo will permit all clients to decide on their seat. Nonetheless, within the case of girls, there will probably be extra details about the place each ladies and men are sitting. The seats occupied by ladies will probably be pink and people occupied by males will probably be blue.

IndiGo began a pilot program with this characteristic for restricted flights in Might 2024, in response to a statement from the airline. With this system being well-received, it was rolled out for all flights in August 2024.

“The characteristic provides visibility of seats booked by feminine passengers, solely throughout internet check-in. It’s particularly tailor-made to PNRs with ladies vacationers – solo in addition to a part of household bookings.” — IndiGo

By offering this service to ladies, not solely does it make them extra comfy when reserving their flight, however it can be mandatory from a non secular or cultural standpoint, in response to Patricia Inexperienced, Flight Attendant and Journalist for Easy Flying.

“From a cultural perspective, separate seating choices are a good suggestion, taking into account in some nations it is taboo to take a seat subsequent to a male who is not a member of the family.” — Patricia Inexperienced, Flight Attendant and Easy Flying Journalist

Inexperienced went on to say, “Additionally, in some nations, a feminine sitting subsequent to a male from one other tradition could make each passengers really feel uncomfortable. This may happen anyplace on the planet however actually within the Center East and South East Asia.”

When this happens, passengers have to be moved round to accommodate everybody. The service from IndiGo is one thing Inexperienced is on board with as it is going to “save time for crew and stress for passengers.” This could be one solution to make economy seating more comfortable for girls, too.

Why IndiGo Is Permitting Ladies Solely The Alternative Of The place They Sit

IndiGo has had a sequence of unlucky occasions the place male passengers acted inappropriately towards feminine passengers

IndiGo has had its justifiable share of males performing inappropriately in direction of ladies throughout flights. Whereas the airline didn’t say a technique or one other if permitting ladies solely to decide on their seats on their airline was in response to this, doing so goes a good distance to make sure males are higher behaved.

Moreover, IndiGo stated in its assertion that by permitting ladies to decide on their seats and really feel comfy from the get-go, they’re embracing the “#GirlPower ethos” that different corporations have additionally embraced in the present day.

“IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a brand new characteristic that goals to make the journey expertise extra comfy for our feminine passengers. This has been launched foundation market analysis and is at present in pilot mode aligning with our #GirlPower ethos.”

This can be a enormous transfer, on condition that airways don’t present any laws for girls in the event that they really feel uncomfortable sitting subsequent to a male passenger.

Seat Laws Do Not Exist For Ladies On Airways

So far, there aren’t any laws that flight attendants can level to, to assist ladies passengers choose a unique seat if they’re uncomfortable with males sitting subsequent to them. In line with Inexperienced, the one laws that exist are for unaccompanied minors.

“A male passenger just isn’t allowed to take a seat subsequent to an Unmin (unaccompanied minor) both male or feminine.” — Patricia Inexperienced

If different airways select to comply with swimsuit, your complete flight course of from reserving to the flight itself will probably be rather more pleasing for girls passengers and flight crew alike.

Costs didn’t change for aircraft tickets when IndiGo launched their program permitting ladies to see the place males are sitting on a aircraft

The choice to permit ladies to decide on their seats on a aircraft with IndiGo won’t value additional. The identical value will probably be utilized for girls as for males. Altering the way in which the airline does its reserving was not a monetary transfer. As an alternative, IndiGo merely needed to make the expertise of flying extra comfy for his or her feminine passengers.

In 2023 alone, there have been 96 sexual assault cases opened the place the victims have been passengers on airplanes. By making it in order that women and men are separated when doable, the hope is that this quantity decreases.

With this transformation to guard ladies, what’s now India’s number one budget airline and “third-largest by market value” worldwide, having stripped Southwest Airlines of the title by market value, is seeking to enhance its worth even additional.

Understanding that their pursuits are being seemed out for, ladies are going to be extra apt to ebook with IndiGo when doable than different airways. Which means that to stay aggressive, different airways are going to ultimately need to do the identical.