[Ammi]

One of India’s biggest airlines, IndiGo, has unveiled a feature that allows female passengers to avoid sitting beside men. The carrier, which operates more than 2,000 domestic and international flights per day in the country, hopes that the new option will make flights more comfortable and secure for women.
The unprecedented move is set to take effect starting August 2024, and it will allow the gender of the person sitting next to each passenger to be disclosed exclusively to female customers, allowing them to specifically request seats beside each other.

The initiative is the first of its type in the aircraft world and was made after the company conducted a survey asking female customers to express which measures would make travel more comfortable for them.
IndiGo is specifically a low-cost carrier, which means their flights come with smaller seat spaces compared to more expensive alternatives. This, coupled with the rising cost of tickets all around the world, has made the need for comfort in economy flights more important than ever, especially when it comes to women who, according to studies, are more sensitive than men to the reduction in space.

The option will be made available to all flights booked online and will take place during the check-in process. Once the identity of the buying passenger is confirmed, the feature will show both the seats available and the gender of the customers who bought them, allowing women to make an informed decision on the matter.
IndiGo expects the change will make flights safer and more comfortable for women, especially those traveling on their own and minors.
“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,” said the company in a statement to CNN.

For more than a decade, suburban trains, such as the Mumbai Metro and Delhi Metro, have offered compartments specifically designated for female passengers.
During peak hours, these services also dedicate entire carriages to female passengers. The success of these trains has inspired similar initiatives in other public transportation systems, such as buses and taxis.
Other countries have implemented similar measures, such as Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil, and the Philippines, which also offer similar gender-exclusive transportation safety protocols in an effort to protect women from being harassed or groped due to the high volume of passengers during peak hours.


https://www.boredpanda.com/major-air...-sit-next-men/

[Mystic Mock]

I suppose this was always going to have to be brought in with how some guys can't stop being touchy feely around women.

[Alf]

Or you could also say, it allows male passengers to avoid sitting besides women. Depends which way you look at it.

[UserSince2005]

I did a few indigo flights earlier this year.
Praygrab to Mumbai
and Chennai to Doha
were okay, just a level up from Ryanair really

Women in Indian airports do get special treatment, if they are searching you on the tarmac right before getting on the plane there will be a makeshift closet for women to get patted down in private.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

I did a few indigo flights earlier this year.
Praygrab to Mumbai
and Chennai to Doha
were okay, just a level up from Ryanair really

Women in Indian airports do get special treatment, if they are searching you on the tarmac right before getting on the plane there will be a makeshift closet for women to get patted down in private.

…yeah, I’m not familiar with Indigo Airline but they’re apparently the largest budget airline in India so very comparable to an airline like Ryanair …

[UserSince2005]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…yeah, I’m not familiar with Indigo Airline but they’re apparently the largest budget airline in India so very comparable to an airline like Ryanair …

I got a meal on the chennai to doha flight but i think that was because it was a Qatar airlines code share rather than that being standard for their international flights.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Alf

Or you could also say, it allows male passengers to avoid sitting besides women. Depends which way you look at it.

I would imagine it's an initiative to protect women specifically as they seem to have a huge issue with men sexually assaulting women in India

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I would imagine it's an initiative to protect women specifically as they seem to have a huge issue with men sexually assaulting women in India

…that’s it exactly…(…I think…)….the option will only be available for ‘women choice’…hence some online controversy that it’s gaining atm…

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

I got a meal on the chennai to doha flight but i think that was because it was a Qatar airlines code share rather than that being standard for their international flights.

…so yeah, definitely a little step higher than Ryanair……I don’t think that I’ve ever had a meal on a Ryanair flight…(…I haven’t actually been in many in my time…)..so I have no idea of quality, either…generally im one of those weird people that doesn’t mind flight food…

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…that’s it exactly…(…I think…)….the option will only be available for ‘women choice’…hence some online controversy that it’s gaining atm…

I don't know why considering the massive problem they have there. Maybe if they could tackle the problem they have such a step wouldn't be needed

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…so yeah, definitely a little step higher than Ryanair……I don’t think that I’ve ever had a meal on a Ryanair flight…(…I haven’t actually been in many in my time…)..so I have no idea of quality, either…generally im one of those weird people that doesn’t mind flight food…

I actually don't mind plane food either. Ryanair's food is pretty decent but you'll pay through the nose for it

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I don't know why considering the massive problem they have there. Maybe if they could tackle the problem they have such a step wouldn't be needed

….its a step and a measure, I guess…I mean it’s not going to change something that’s so problematic and inherent in a country but at least it’s acknowledging that problem for women…which is a starting point…it’s also something that is being looked at in Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines apparently…

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I actually don't mind plane food either. Ryanair's food is pretty decent but you'll pay through the nose for it

……at least it’s decent though and I guess that another persepective would be, it might lean more to being good if it has a cost attached…?…I’m actually someone who has a very small appetite generally/I don’t eat much…but on flights, if the children left any, I’d be clearing their plates…well, trays……my food tastes just seem to be in perfect alignment with flight food…

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

….its a step and a measure, I guess…I mean it’s not going to change something that’s so problematic and inherent in a country but at least it’s acknowledging that problem for women…which is a starting point…it’s also something that is being looked at in Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines apparently…

It's an absolute shame that it's even necessary

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

……at least it’s decent though and I guess that another persepective would be, it might lean more to being good if it has a cost attached…?…I’m actually someone who has a very small appetite generally/I don’t eat much…but on flights, if the children left any, I’d be clearing their plates…well, trays……my food tastes just seem to be in perfect alignment with flight food…

I always like the cracker packs they have on flights with cheese and paté or the bread sticks with hummus

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

It's an absolute shame that it's even necessary

…yeah…sad that it’s felt it’s needed and also sad that it’s causing any controversy at all because it’s only exclusively available to women…as if not feeling or being safe on a public flight is an ‘inequality that a woman wants to have to consider…’….

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I always like the cracker packs they have on flights with cheese and paté or the bread sticks with hummus

…I like the cheese as well, actually…it’s all sticky and yummy……(…yeah, weird…I know…)…

…the thing I don’t like is the pasta because it’s often hard and crunchy and not cooked at all…it’s very deflating when you get excited about having a flight meal and then it’s not a good one and you can’t enjoy it…thankfully that rarely happens…

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…yeah…sad that it’s felt it’s needed and also sad that it’s causing any controversy at all because it’s only exclusively available to women…as if not feeling or being safe on a public flight is an ‘inequality that a woman wants to have to consider…’….

Yeah, you would have to wonder about the type of people who would complain about that really

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…I like the cheese as well, actually…it’s all sticky and yummy……(…yeah, weird…I know…)…

…the thing I don’t like is the pasta because it’s often hard and crunchy and not cooked at all…it’s very deflating when you get excited about having a flight meal and then it’s not a good one and you can’t enjoy it…thankfully that rarely happens…

I'm not a massive pasta fan anyway so I'd never order that

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I'm not a massive pasta fan anyway so I'd never order that

…back in the day when airlines always gave a meal on a flight…on the home bound flights, I don’t think there was a choice for the flights we took…we could choose going out but not coming back …and pasta was a big favourite if I recall…

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…back in the day when airlines always gave a meal on a flight…on the home bound flights, I don’t think there was a choice for the flights we took…we could choose going out but not coming back …and pasta was a big favourite if I recall…

It's been a while now since I was on a long haul flight, when long enough where they'd actually give you a complimentary meal

[arista]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I would imagine it's an initiative to protect women specifically as they seem to have a huge issue with men sexually assaulting women in India

Yes very sad India
is still living in the past