TORONTO — Babies on a plane are an unavoidable part of travel. Or are they?

Japan Airlines has announced a new element to its website that essentially flags where babies are seated on its planes. This, of course, will allow other passengers to book their seats far, far away from a baby’s inevitable cries.

On the JAL website, a statement reads: “Passengers travelling 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. This lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there.”

Already, travellers are divided on the issue, with some praising the airline for being ahead of the times and others calling the tool a modern-day Scarlet Letter for parents.

Evans Mwangi Edd writes on Facebook: “Wait! Were we all not toddlers at one time? This is age discrimination and airlines need to reconsider this decision!”

On the other hand, Julie Tidey is all for it, writing: “This is a great idea! While I have the greatest respect for parents travelling with small children it is still nice to be able to choose whether or not to sit close by or not.”

Others are even suggesting JAL take it one step further so that an icon appears for all kinds of travellers.

“Now if they could do it for men who snore, that would be great,” says Mary Toscano, while Berkia Banda adds, “We should have an icon for grumpy adults to avoid.”

So what do you think? Has Japan Airlines come up with a game-changing tool, or has it missed the mark on this one?