This Airline Tells Where Babies Are On Your Flight, So You Can Book A Seat Far Away

Not many people actually enjoy flying when they have to get somewhere, it's just something you do.

And if you're stuck in a metal tube for a few hours, it can be rough getting onto a flight and realising you're next to a wailing baby for the conceivable future.

Now Japan Airlines is making an attempt to let passengers avoid that fate. The airline has a new tool on its website that lets you skirt possibly annoying children on your flight. When you make a booking online and move to the seat selection menu, it show an adorable baby icon on each seat that has a child between the ages of eight days to two years old. That way, if you want to avoid the hassle, you can pick a seat far away.

There are some limitations of course. For one thing, you have to be booking through the Japan Airlines website; it doesn't work with third-party vendors of course. Additionally, any infants or children booked onto the flight through other portals won't show up either. And of course, there's no guarantee a parent with a tiny kid won't book the seat right next to you after you're done.

This is more of a convenience for passengers with a low tolerance threshold. Anyone can get annoyed at a spoiled child that won't behave themselves on a flight or throw tantrums, and they'd be justified for being mad. With babies though, the poor things don't know any better, and their needs are certainly greater than the adult looking for some peace and quiet on board.

Thank you, @JAL_Official_jp for warnings me about where babies plan to scream and yell during a 13 hour trip. This really ought to be mandatory across the board.
Please take note, @qatarairways: I had 3 screaming babies next to me on my JFK-DOH flight two weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/kQYQFIqqCD

¡ª Rahat Ahmed (@dequinix) September 24, 2019

Infant parents, and mothers in particular, have it hard enough when trying to fly with a baby. They can't get away from the wailing, and most of the time they have to deal with stinkeye looks from other passengers too, and that's just not fair.

At the very least, JAL is also offering additional comforts to parents travelling with babies. They'll be provided with rental strollers at the airport, so they're not carrying the kids all the time, as well as hot water bottles and diaper changing facilities on board.

And if the noise is really that much of a problem for the rest of you, just buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.