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It’s a sad reality that, when travelling alone, women often have to take extra steps to keep themselves safe. The onus shouldn’t be on women, and we wish it wasn’t this way.
But now, one airline is making it easier to calm anxieties when it comes to flying, becoming the first to allow women to request not to be seated next to a man.
A low-cost airline based in India, IndiGo, has announced a pioneering new policy allowing women to view the gender of the passengers sitting around them before booking.
They’ll be able to choose to sit next to a woman if they’d prefer, which they’ll be able to do by viewing the seat plan ahead of flying.
Where women are booked on, their seats will flash pink – yes, somewhat of a cliché but the policy itself is a watershed moment when it comes to passenger safety.
However, it’s not yet clear how or whether it plans to incorporate its non-binary customers, who don’t identify as male or female but could still be vulnerable to the threat of male violence or intimidation, into the policy.
Critically, men will not be privy to this information when booking, so they won’t be able to use it to deliberately position themselves next to a woman.
The new initiative was spurred by a survey issued to its female customers, who were asked how their travel experience could be made more comfortable.
Indeed, flying – and travelling more generally – can be nerve-wracking when going solo as a female – or even if you’re just sat away from your pals.
As such, in 2022, research from Wizz Air unveiled that over 50% of women said they felt concerned about their safety when travelling solo.
Elsewhere, there are already multiple measures in place across India’s railways to protect women, including the provision of women-only carriages (which aren’t compulsory to use, but a soothing suggestion).
‘IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers,’ IndiGo told CNN in a statement of the new policy.
‘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.’
Expert tips for solo female travellers
It’s important to make sure you do your research before heading out on your first solo trip.
‘Read the reviews of hotels or BnBs you are considering to ensure the location is safe and near amenities such as public transport,’ Wizz Air’s travel experts previously told Metro.co.uk.
‘If you are travelling on a budget, it can be easy to ignore reviews in favour of saving money, however you must ensure there are plenty of reviews available, as this will give you a better understanding of where you will be staying.’
They added that if you are a social person, staying in a shared room in a hostel is a great way to make new friends while still maintaining your solo traveller independence.
‘Many hostels offer female-only dorms, offered for the solo traveller and girl group in mind, so it is advisable to seek out places that offer this.’
Elsewhere, the experts suggested giving loved ones a rough itinerary of your plans.
‘If you intend on going with the flow and don’t have a specific plan in place, then at least let loved ones know a rough idea and where you will be staying,’ the experts added.
‘We are all guilty of not sending the necessary “I’m home” text, so avoid causing unnecessary stress and allow a trust family member to track your location.
‘There are numerous apps which allow loved ones to know your activity, offering them peace of mind that you are safe. If, in an emergency, they can’t locate you then they will be able to alert the necessary authorities.’
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