While well-intentioned, JetBlue's FlyBabies promotion and advertisement did not inspire me or warm my heart toward flying with babies. It actually made me feel sad and a little bit disturbed.
As I watched the online ad on YouTube that showcased moms traveling with babies and the struggles they face, it seemed like we were getting off to a good start. But seeing people clap and smile when they heard a baby cry felt awkward and uncomfortable.
Honestly, as a mother of two children, I don't know that it would make me feel any better to hear applause because my fellow passengers were racking up discounts due to my baby's discomfort.
The FlyBabies promotion took place on an April 15 flight from New York City's JFK airport to Long Beach, Calif. It awarded passengers 25 percent off of a flight every time a baby cried. There were five babies onboard the plane and, after four cries, all of the passengers onboard received a free ticket on another JetBlue flight.
The advertisement is part of a series of ads that has been developed by advertising agency MullenLowe. The ads are supposed to be designed to evoke compassion from among fliers, said JetBlue spokesperson Morgan Johnston to the Boston Globe.
"We're hoping to inspire that conversation and know that while it may be tough for you to sit next to a crying kid, we hope you can think about the stress that parent is going through," he said. "And maybe we can be a little bit more supportive of moms."
According to Johnston, there was some concern about the ad among JetBlue staffers who wondered if passengers would have more mean-spirited reactions. But he noted that the response was positive and that fliers engaged with the parents on the plane in a friendly way.
While I'm glad that passengers reacted positively to receiving free airfare for the nuisance of having to fly with babies, it seems to me that this isn't really going to change the conversation around flying with babies. Ultimately what I find the ad says is that people who fly with babies are so much of a pain in the butt to their fellow travelers that an airline is willing to take the risk of giving everyone a free flight just so that passengers will be nice to them.
While I'm sure the mothers felt better knowing that the other passengers were not going to be unhappy that their flight was ruined, they still have to deal with the discomfort of flying with a small child - and the added bonus that, now, people are actually happy when their baby cries, which I can only imagine is a strange sensation.
Maybe there is a better way to resolve these types of issues - like regulating seat sizes so passengers aren't so squished on airplanes or not burdening everyone with excessive fees for everything from baggage to mid-flight snacks. If we could return back to an age when flying was a little less cumbersome and a little more spacious - and gracious - maybe passengers wouldn't feel so stressed out when they boarded a plane and, in turn, would be nicer to everyone onboard.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
