I remember a time before I had children. It wasn’t all that long ago. I’d board a plane, realise I was sitting next or near to a small child and inwardly groan. Babies crying at the top of their lungs and toddlers kicking the back of the seat or peeking through the headrest, staring you out – all made for an uncomfortable experience.
Then I had my own children and was confronted with the reality that those parents had been navigating. A constant knot in my stomach, never knowing what my loud and rambunctious child was going to do next. A sigh of relief when the person she’s hassling says they have children themselves and they don’t mind her chatting to them in gibberish.
The worst was when I was flying solo with my then two-year-old daughter on my lap in a middle seat, in the middle aisle, next to a pregnant woman. My child had fallen asleep after an hour of mayhem at the back of the plane, where she was running wild (while I chatted to equally haggard parents who had also brought their little ones to the back in desperation), only for her to wake up red-faced and start projectile vomiting all over me. At this point we were a little less than an hour away from Manchester Airport, where I was headed to see my parents, and the regurgitation didn’t stop until we’d reached home, about a 90-minute drive from the airport.
I had carried her, two bags and the pram as she continued to throw up over my fresh Emirates pyjamas they’d kindly given me on board, as I passed quickly through customs (thank you, family lane!), grabbed our luggage at baggage control, then emerged into a heaving airport frazzled and covered in sick.
As I left the plane, I turned to the woman next to me, warning her never to travel without a companion again. She, being nice, but with fear in her eyes, said the experience had been educational.
The 10 or so other plane journeys I’ve taken with my daughter have not been as dramatic, but they certainly weren’t plain sailing. She’s highly energetic, until she gets overtired and screams for a while before crashing out. I can categorically say if you’re a passenger who does not like sitting near kids on a plane, and happen to sit near my child, you won’t be happy.
That’s why I believe child-free zones are the answer.
Corendon, a Turkey-owned airline, is the latest to introduce them, becoming the first in Europe to do so. Before them, Malaysia’s AirAsia X and Singapore’s low-cost carrier Scoot made similar moves, although Corendon has an age limit of 16-plus in its so-called Adult Zone, while the other two set it at 12.
Sure, some people have derided the decision, saying it’s exclusionary and only exacerbates what they perceive as growing anti-child sentiment. That may be true, but, to me, the mother of the unruly, sitting in a child-friendly zone, away from the judgmental eyes of onboard kid-haters, sounds far less stressful.
I don’t have to worry that the people around me will complain, since ideally the ones who truly hate it will have paid that extra fee (Corendon is charging $48 for one way) to sit away from us. If they haven’t, then more fool them. They’re at the front, too, so also come with the perk of you being able to disembark first.
While other international airlines such as Dutch carrier KLM and Britain’s Tui Airways reportedly have no plans to introduce such zones, one study proved they might be missing a trick. A survey conducted on behalf of Newsweek by Redfield and Wilton Strategies found that out of 1,500 American adults, 59 per cent agreed child-free zones on planes and trains would be a positive thing, while only 27 per cent disagreed and 14 per cent were unsure.
The reality is, we parents don’t like disturbing our fellow passengers, but we don’t have much choice. Children have minds of their own and, if yours is anything like mine, then if you get in the way of that, the unruliness only escalates. So, instead, we try to stay calm (at least outwardly), while they get their energy out, hoping against hope they’ll soon fall asleep for the rest of the flight.
So, if you’re someone who likes the sound of a child-free zone, then please book it, lest you get caught in the crossfire of upchuck.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
DC%20League%20of%20Super-Pets
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Stan%20Lee
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
