Business class babies

[Denali]

..... maybe, just maybe when someone pays for a "premium" product, they should be entitled to a premium experience...

Coming to your J product soon.

 

[mannej]

I agree with the drunks comment, but then I think that ship has already sailed, however this thread isn't about boorish drunks or even the nice folk on AFF who dislike them.
it is about the value of a Business class seat (whether it be long or short haul) being eroded by the cries of a baby. i agree that babies cry, and thats pretty much an end to it. however I also agree that maybe, just maybe when someone pays for a "premium" product, they should be entitled to a premium experience.
well that's my 2 cents worth anyway

Where do you draw the line? All of those stereotypes I have mentioned have the same potential to negatively impact on the "Premium" experience that you are harping on about.

If the Parent/guardian isn't doing anything to help the situation I agree that isn't right, but if a Parent/Guardian wishes to purchase an airfare in the J cabin, should the fact they are traveling with an infant/child preclude them from that?

 

[Pushka]

Where do you draw the line? All of those stereotypes I have mentioned have the same potential to negatively impact on the "Premium" experience that you are harping on about.

If the Parent/guardian isn't doing anything to help the situation I agree that isn't right, but if a Parent/Guardian wishes to purchase an airfare in the J cabin, should the fact they are traveling with an infant/child preclude them from that?

And that is the $64000 question.

 

[Austman]

Considering some airlines already offer child free zones, even LCCs, it can't be so hard to do if they want to do it.

 

[JohnK]

Nothing wrong with babies in business class or first class.

 

[Melburnian1]

Considering some airlines already offer child free zones, even LCCs, it can't be so hard to do if they want to do it.

Yes, Scoot (not a favourite airline of mine) can do it and presumably make it work commercially for it in a section of Y, so others should be able to do it for J passengers.

 

[TomVexille]

Yes, Scoot (not a favourite airline of mine) can do it and presumably make it work commercially for it in a section of Y, so others should be able to do it for J passengers.

I'd be happy if you would like to pay extra to sit in a child free section at the rear of the J cabin

 

[Melburnian1]

I'd be happy if you would like to pay extra to sit in a child free section at the rear of the J cabin

But not all airlines have the J cabin split in two.

If a J cabin is only five rows, one might still hear the baby from say 5B or 5K even if the infant was in 1A or 1K.

 

[Pushka]

I'd be happy if you would like to pay extra to sit in a child free section at the rear of the J cabin

I reckon if you experienced a really bad flight with an infant then some might jump at this idea.

 

[TomVexille]

But not all airlines have the J cabin split in two.

If a J cabin is only five rows, one might still hear the baby from say 5B or 5K even if the infant was in 1A or 1K.

Maybe consider flying private then... or a $0.50 pair of earplugs

 

[Austman]

Or maybe more airlines will consider, as is reported in the media, a "growing movement towards child free zones"?

 

[daft009]

So there are Airlines who don't allow kids in premium.. Perhaps you should stick to flying them as I'll avoid them for that reason alone

 

[Deleted member]

Where do you draw the line? All of those stereotypes I have mentioned have the same potential to negatively impact on the "Premium" experience that you are harping on about.

If the Parent/guardian isn't doing anything to help the situation I agree that isn't right, but if a Parent/Guardian wishes to purchase an airfare in the J cabin, should the fact they are traveling with an infant/child preclude them from that?

Yes it is a vexed question.
I suspect that when most people fly with a baby, it isn’t a regular event. Taking a baby out for a day in the car can be a logistical nightmare, no sane parent wants to subject their child or themselves to the inconvenience that surrounds such activities.
We rarely travelled with our children, and even then only when they were over a year old.
I guess the debate will rage and no consensus will eventuate.

 

[Melburnian1]

Yes it is a vexed question....I guess the debate will rage and no consensus will eventuate.

For J and higher classes like F/R, I'd like one major legacy (not LCC) airline to announce this as a policy - it'd have to do this months in advance due to advance bookings, perhaps 353 days in advance - and see what the public reaction was.

In part, this could depend on the stance that sensationalist mainstream media took.

Alternatively, an airline with multiple flights a day (say SYD or MEL to SIN, SQ) could announce that two of its four or five daily flights were child free. Admittedly if delays/ cancellations to a flight where children/babies permitted, that might be problematic.

 

[Pushka]

So there are Airlines who don't allow kids in premium.. Perhaps you should stick to flying them as I'll avoid them for that reason alone

I guess all people with young children would need to do so. Others? Why wouldn’t you fly with them if their schedule worked for you.

 

[davidj]

To be honest a crying baby in any cabin is cringeworthy. But I can't see banning a pax who is paying $thousands for a ticket makes good business sense? Particularly when the child gets older it could result in a lost customer for life in a premium cabin.

Dedicated quiet cabins for those who need it could work, as well as baby 'training' for those parents boarding the aircraft. Some airlines already do a speal on baby seat belt attachments, but don't utter a word about managing ear pressure etc

 

[daft009]

I guess all people with young children would need to do so. Others? Why wouldn’t you fly with them if their schedule worked for you.

Before we had our child I too was young and naieve and dreaded babies on flights and .

After having our son we are avoiding air travel as much as we can but not always possible.

Had to visit my grand mother overseas who is 92 so I could introduce my son to his great grand mother at least once.

Now next year is again a trip to visit his great grand mother on my wife's side.

If he cries a bit during takeoff yes we have a dummy and bottle of milk ready.
If he cries during yes we're ready to do laps up and down the aircraft till he settles.
It's mostly boredom.

Apart from that were staying put and doing car trips till he's older

 

[JohnK]

Apart from that were staying put and doing car trips till he's older

My wife is considerate of other people. I am too but not to inconvenience myself.

I love to holiday in Thailand. Somewhere between 4-6 trips a year. I'm not going to let a baby get in the way of that travel. Plus it's good for her too as she sees her grandparents and cousin.

 

[marki]

Maybe consider flying private then... or a $0.50 pair of earplugs

I am sure noise cancelling ear phones and noise cancelling ear plugs underneath is still cheaper than private plane. Ear plugs by themselves are not totally 100%

 

[daft009]

My wife is considerate of other people. I am too but not to inconvenience myself.

I love to holiday in Thailand. Somewhere between 4-6 trips a year. I'm not going to let a baby get in the way of that travel. Plus it's good for her too as she sees her grandparents and cousin.

I'd love to do so many trips too, before he starts school but hard when both of us work full-time.