We already had hotels in which only adults are welcome, but soon Corendon will also introduce ‘Adult only’ zones on the plane. A first for the Benelux, according to the tour operator.
From November 3, there will be an ‘Adult only’ zone on board Corendon flights between Amsterdam and Curaçao, a place for travelers without children or business travelers who want to do their work in a quiet environment. “At the same time, such a zone also has a positive effect on parents with children,” says Corendon founder Atilay Uslu. “They don’t have to worry as much about the reactions of their fellow passengers if their child is a bit busier or cries.”
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‘Adult only’ is certainly not new in the travel sector. TUI and Corendon, among others, have been offering overnight stays in hotels where (young) children are not welcome. And now it also exists on the plane. “I think this decision partly stems from the changes we are seeing in our society,” says tourism expert Bart Neuts (KU Leuven). “There are more and more couples who choose to have children at a later age or even deliberately remain childless. A travel group certainly no longer consists of a traditional family, which also entails different expectations of a tourist product. Not only the child-friendly aspect counts.”
The childless zone will be located in the front part of the aircraft at Corendon, will consist of nine extra spacious XL seats and 93 standard seats and will be physically separated from the rest of the aircraft with walls and curtains. “That is important,” says Neuts. “Travellers are usually willing to pay a little more in exchange for comfort, but of course there has to be a real difference. Compare it with the difference between business and economy class. On a long, intercontinental flight, business class is often really physically separated from the cheaper seats, while on a European flight it’s often just the first four or five rows of the plane. With at best twenty centimeters more legroom. In my view, such a childless zone is only useful if it really concerns a closed, soundproof space. And if the surcharge is not too high, of course.”
