Airline says it's testing a booking tool that lets women select seats away from men

• Indian budget airline IndiGo says it's letting some female travelers avoid sitting next to men.
• An online tool color-codes some of the seats, the airline's CEO, Pieter Elbers, said.

The CEO of Indian budget airline IndiGo says a booking tool test that lets women avoid sitting next to men on flights is getting some positive responses on social media.

In an interview with CNBC, IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers said the test has "resounded very, very well" — though the airline is still looking into whether it has increased female travel.

According to CNBC, the test kicked off in May across all IndiGo flights to make female passengers feel more comfortable.

To book a ticket, customers first select a gender. On a subsequent seat selection page, female travelers see pink seats to designate where other females are seated, according to CNBC.

The visuals are not available to male passengers, according to the outlet.

The tool did not appear when Business Insider tried to make a booking. IndiGo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Elbers told CNBC that the test embodies the philosophy of 18-year-old IndiGo — which just launched business class service for the first time — to be a "courteous and hassle-free service."

However, some social media users on X jeered the test for promoting a "culture of segregation." Others wondered how it would apply to passengers with different gender identities.

"I know this seemed bizarre to the western folks," one Redditor wrote, "but I think people in this country would at least understand why this provision exists."

Female solo travelers face unique safety concerns. In a travel advisory, the US State Department urges all travelers not to go to India alone, "particularly if you are a woman."

IndiGo says it's the largest airline in India, with 2,000 daily flights that connect more than 110 destinations. The company said it pulled in $8.2 billion in revenue in 2023.