News

This is the world’s first airline where women can request not to sit next to men

IndiGo’s brand-new measure means women can view the gender of seats already booked, and it should be rolled out from August

Liv Kelly
Written by
Liv Kelly
Contributing Writer
IndiGo aeroplane taking off
Photograph: Shutterstock
Advertising

There are a few things that can make or break a plane journey, be it the legroom, the in-flight snacks or your proximity to a screaming child. But thankfully, one airline is about to implement a measure so that women passengers can have some autonomy over their comfort. 

IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost airline, has just announced a brand-new policy which will allow women to view the gender of the seats already booked on a flight, and opt to sit next to another woman if they prefer. 

When viewing the seating plan, the spaces already occupied by women passengers will be displayed in pink (a cliché, we know), to help the woman booking decide where to sit. Male passengers will not be granted this info. 

This policy is the first of its kind in the aviation industry, but women have been offered similar opportunities on trains and buses in India for a while. The idea to expand this to the airline actually came from an IndiGo survey which asked women what would make their travel experience more comfortable, and we’re so here for the value placed on customer feedback.  

‘IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers,’ IndiGo said in a statement, reported by CNN, ‘We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all our passengers, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal.’

Sure, the pink is cringe, but to all our women-identifying readers, doesn’t this sound like a decent proposal? 

Did you see that the world’s best international airline in 2024 has been crowned?

Plus: This is officially the world’s best country for work-life balance

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising