Don't Want to Fly Next to a Baby? This Airline's Seat Maps Warn You Where They're Seated

If you’re one of those travelers who simply cannot imagine taking a long-haul flight seated next to a teeny, tiny baby we’ve got good news for you. One airline is updating its seat map to include where each baby is seated on upcoming flights.

Japan Airlines recently revealed a new icon to its seat map denoting a baby or toddler will be onboard. This way, passengers can decide if they want to be seated near the child or not.

"Passengers traveling with children between 8 days and 2 years old who select their seats on the JAL website will have a child icon displayed on their seats on the seat selection screen," Japan’s Airline's website reads. "This lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there."

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Frequent flyers couldn’t be more pleased with the new airline map. Rahat Ahmed took to Twitter to express his gratitude saying, “Thank you, @JAL_Official_jp for warning me about where babies plan to scream and yell during a 13-hour trip. This really ought to be mandatory across the board.” He added, “Please take note, @qatarairways: I had three screaming babies next to me on my JFK-DOH flight two weeks ago.”

Though some people replied to his tweet calling for more tolerance for passengers with children, Ahmed clarified what he meant in his tweet in an interview with The New York Times saying the tool is “incredibly helpful if you’re planning your travels.”

“I think when people travel a lot, they have quite a few things that they look into,” he added. “Whether it’s aisle seats, they want to know if they’re in the back of the plane, in the front of the plane.”

He noted, personally he travels a lot, so values the ability to get a good night’s sleep on a flight.

“Looking at how many hours I’ve spent in the last six months alone flying, it’s been 183 hours inside a plane,” he said.

Those who are looking to take advantage of the map should be warned that (so far) it only works for Japan Airlines flights. And even then, the airline said on its site, it doesn’t display in every situation.

But don’t worry parents — the airline offers plenty of perks for you as well. As CNN noted, Japan Airlines offers parents strollers for rent in participating airports, and will even let you check your own stroller for free. And, like all airlines, parents traveling with small children can take advantage of priority boarding. As for the new map, think of it this way: You won’t have to sit next to a cranky adult on a long-haul flight either.