Indian Airline IndiGo Introduces New Feature for Female Passengers

IndiGo Air (Source)

IndiGo has introduced a new feature that allows female passengers to know in advance if they will be seated next to another female. During the online check-in process, the seat map will indicate which seats are occupied by female passengers when a female is included in the booking.

This feature is only available during online check-in, which starts 48 hours before the flight, to prevent misuse by male passengers trying to sit next to a female. The indicator will be visible as long as there is at least one female in the reservation, even if the itinerary includes both male and female travelers.

The airline aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for female passengers, citing market research and aligning with their "girl power ethos." IndiGo is the largest airline to implement such a feature, although Vistara in India has a similar concept called Vistara WomanFlyer.

Crew at IndiGo (Source)

While this may seem like a thoughtful change, there are potential issues. Last-minute seat or itinerary changes could result in a passenger not ending up next to a female as expected. Additionally, a determined male passenger could theoretically book a fake female ticket just to see the seat map.

In the context of India, where there are significant concerns about female passengers' comfort and safety when seated next to certain male passengers, this feature could be appreciated. Similar issues occur in other countries, including the United States, where passengers sometimes face unwanted advances.

While such a feature might not be adopted in the United States, it reflects a culturally acceptable practice in India to make special accommodations for females, considering the behavior of some male passengers.

Bottom Line

IndiGo, India's largest airline, has introduced a feature allowing female passengers to see at check-in which seats are reserved by other female travelers. While not the first to do so in India, IndiGo is the biggest airline to implement this feature.

This article was first published on onemileatatime.com