Soon, female travelers on a major airline will have the option to choose the gender of the person seated next to them.
The airline apparently asked female travelers in a poll what would make their travels more comfortable, and that's how the idea for the policy originated. The FBI recently said that it looked into 96 incidents of sexual assault that occurred in airplanes last year. Online responses to the new regulations, however, have been conflicting.
The leading low-cost airline in India, IndiGo, recently announced that it will allow female passengers to pre-check the gender of their seat partner to choose their preferred seat during a flight.
In this new feature, women will be able to view their flight’s seating plan during online check-in where seats occupied by other female passengers will be marked in pink to help them decide where to sit. However, male passengers will not be shown the gender of their seat partners, and will continue to choose their seats based on what’s available. This landmark change, is expected to commence starting August 2024 on all IndiGo flights. The airline’s new feature is the first of its kind, and it’s being met with mixed reactions online.
I would be lying if i said this change was met with only positive responses. One response from a traveler expresses concern as "IndiGo Airlines is trialing a feature where women can specifically choose seats next to other women when they book a flight. It’s a good option for women, but I wonder how the airline will manage the inevitable men who say they’re women?"
Another user called for a ‘boycott,’ and described the new measure as ‘discriminatory and disrespectful.’ Others are having a more positive reaction with one user sharing: “It’s great that they are offering us choices.”