Newsstand - Japanese Airline Introduces Women Only Section On Flights

Japanese carrier Skymark Airlines is introducing women only seats on some of its planes as some female passengers say it's too stressful sitting next to men.

Women who fly with Skymark will now be able to request the seats for flights between Tokyo and ***uoka in the south of the country.
http://news.airwise.com/stories/2001/04/987666581.html

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Wow! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Women are often groped in Japanese subways. This predisposition by some males may have something to do with these accomodations.

I agree. This fantastic marketing idea should be embraced by all major US Airlines. Personally, I'm not at all stressed sitting by Japanese women because they usually don't take up 150% of their seat and flap their newspapers over into my face. I do get stressed out in and out of ATL when I get 'big momma' in the aisle seat of a CRJ so I'm squashed like a PlayDoh character into the window. But if I stress either of them out, God Bless, please make the airlines give your your own section. I'd gladly pay a surcharge for THAT.

Seriously, what goes through my head mostly in trying to get seats is not the position of the seat in the plane, it's the type of seatmate I'm likely to encounter. That's why I value the frontmost rows on US so highly, as you have to fly a lot to be able to book them.

But so I don't just complain, here's some constructive suggestions. As a 12-year flyer in and out of MYR, I'd like to propose that they don't stop with gender. Today's marketing is all about precise segmentation. They could also personalize the messages on the GTE airfones that scroll endlessly! Here's some ideas: For the Drunken-Golfers-Only Section: "Shut up, you've had too much to drink already, and you'll make your durn tee time unless you're too hung over!" For the Crabby-Retiree Section (growing bigger every year): "Shut up about how you used to do it back up North unless you want deported back on the next flight to New Jersey." For the Spoiled-Rich-Brat section: "We don't care if your daddy did have 25,000 miles and a Credit Card to give you, you will take your assigned seat or repeat an entire semester. And stop slouching." For the "Generally-Ill-Mannered-Jerk" section (also growing bigger every year): "If you had to get to MYR first on this 50 minute flight so bad that you elbowed your way on this plane ahead of any people in wheelchairs or parents with babies, the flight crew has been notified and your seat will eject you from the plane after passing through 10,000 feet."

Surfrider,

As a past passenger in and out of MYR, I'm laughing out loud at your characterizations. Add to the list a "Relax, your clubs will be fine" message for the "Golf is My Life"-er, who stands every ten minutes and asks the F/A if she's "absolutely sure" his clubs made it on and that they're "not too cold" during the flight. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Surfrider-

ROTFL!

MisterNice