Airlines Adding ‘Flying Nannies’ And Lactation Stations

United Arab Emirates' Etihad Airways has been training hundreds of attendants to be "Flying Nannies."

United Arab Emirates’ Etihad Airways has been training hundreds of attendants to be “Flying Nannies.”

Rather than banishing kids to a create a child-free zone on its planes or removing an entire family from the aircraft because of an upset youngster, one airline has decided to train its cabin crew as “onboard nannies,” while another carrier is carving out a small section for traveling moms who need a few moments of privacy.

Jaunted reports that Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways will be training 500 staffers on how to deal with young travelers — entertaining them, filling milk bottles, calming them down so they’ll hopefully stop screaming at the top of their little lungs.

Not all flight attendants on Etihad’s planes will be trained with these skills, but passengers will be able to spot the inflight nannies by their orange aprons.

Another hot-button topic among air travelers is breastfeeding mothers, who some airline staff apparently can’t deal with properly.

Thus, Japan Airlines has removed four seats from its economy cabin on flights between Tokyo and Honolulu to make room for a section where a mother can nurse her child in private (or just use a breast pump, as that also raises the hackles of some flight attendants).

And rather than create child-free flights, JAL will be recommending certain kid-friendly flights to parents. These flights will come complete with kids’ books and toys to keep the youngsters occupied.

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