Infants In Premium Cabins

[love_the_life]

Once had a baby screamer on a BA Europe flight in J - boy did he let rip. No one seemed to do anything much except the mother who was clearly unhappy as well. We suffered through that but luckily it was only a couple of hours. OT a little, I know of a family with 12, no I think 13 now, children who travel in Y back to Europe every year or so. Now that would be fun....

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

It's not going to matter where the kid is seated if it is unwell and feeling miserable - F, J or Y. Sure if you pay to be seated in a premium cabin, you do expect it to be better than Y, but you are paying for the little extras, which unfortunately, does not include the right to dictate who can or cannot be seated in the same cabin as you.

Some kids are little monsters, and often the parents don't give a toss that they are kicking the seat in front, running amok etc, and others are well behaved younger travellers who are polite and no trouble at all.

Yes it most definitely is a right royal PITA when some tyke starts howling at the top of its lungs, but I've also been stuck with some utter boorish adults who should know better.

Regardless of the cabin, if you can afford to pay for the privilege, there really is nothing that can be done - (after all, if we insist on "Child-Free" zones, may I also request "Snorer-free", "BO Free", "Drunkard Free" and "Outright Tosser-Free" zones as well? )

Parents should be responsible when travelling with their children - the rest of the plane (including the cabin crew) are not there to entertain your offspring. They are yours by choice - don't palm them off onto everyone else, just because you need some sleep - because guess what, so does everyone else on the flight.

Babies cry - it's what they do and 9/10 they will drift off, but incessant seat kickers whose parents can't be bothered to reprimand them, are requested politely request to keep their kids under control. And if that doesn't work - I call an FA to request they deal with the inconsiderate oafs, which usually gets the message across.

What you are proposing is simply decent manners....almost politically incorrect in this Australian Utopia now where anyone can do anything anytime they want without any regard for anyone else.

Kids cry, decent parents try and minimise the impact on others. i agree 100% with you

 

[Archphoto]

What you are proposing is simply decent manners....almost politically incorrect in this Australian Utopia now where anyone can do anything anytime they want without any regard for anyone else.

Kids cry, decent parents try and minimise the impact on others. i agree 100% with you

And that is why society is full of people expecting everything to revolve around "ME" - forget the Y Generation, these days, its the "ME" Generation. (And boorishness is found in all cabin classes, not just Y. . . . funny that. )

 

[Simo]

Little Miss Simo has flown in premium cabins before and will do it again.

At the end of the day I don't care if she has a cry as this generally means there is an issue and I will fix it ASAP. I will be the first one up to see what is wrong as I respect the people around us regardless of the class we are flying in.

Little Miss Simo has been into Flounges and she has had a babycino and if any of you know me on FB this is here drink of pleasure, she ordered 2 in flounge.

I have been on flights where kids have cried the entire 3 or 4 hour flight and the parent has done nothing.

I have so wanted to slap the mother.

 

[UP4014]

I'd respect the other people and slum it in Y+ or Y

i don't mind if you want to head back there next time I have miss 2 yo.

 

[VA777]

after all, if we insist on "Child-Free" zones, may I also request "Snorer-free", "BO Free", "Drunkard Free" and "Outright Tosser-Free" zones as well?

Recently a client down graded me from a J class to Y class on a different airline as they didn't book in time and the fares went north. Agreed, but only on the basis that it was day time flights (SYD-KUL) and exit row / bulk head which I got (bulk head). This meant I was sharing with families and infants. I found I was still able to get lots of work on the way up. On the return a family was split, and another older couple in bulk head seats were willing to move around, I ended up with the older male sitting next to me who coughed the entire 8 hours, I ended up sick and have had to cancel an long awaited trip and conference in SIN this week.

Happy to have an infant any day compared to an ill passenger who shouldn't have travelled.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I think there is confusion over children in premium cabins, and parents who shouldn't have had said children in the first place. The latter is what causes most problems IME.

 

[daturtle]

I think there is confusion over children in premium cabins, and parents who shouldn't have had said children in the first place. The latter is what causes most problems IME.

Some people should be banned from breeding

I have a higher tolerance for a baby who is scared/uncomfortable/noisy than for an adult who is being vulgar or noisy or a nuisance. Or people who decide they have a legitimate claim for their seat plus half of mine like a gentleman on a Q400 flight I had Isa-TSV one day.

 

[GCC]

Travel is a part of our lives due to my work, and we have family in the UK and interstate.

Little Miss G has just turned 3, and has done 4 long haul rtn trips to Europe in J or Y+, a rtn to South Africa in J, plus trips to Fiji,Vanuatu NZ etc and 6 -8 domestic flights (mostly in Y). Baby G just turned 6 months - has done 1 rtn SYD - GLA in J with mum, NZ return and 3 domestic flights and is heading back to GLA again in few months.

Little Miss g has always been a good traveler - she loves planes and enjoys the experience. So far so good for baby. I don't there is anything special about my girls, it is a "nature vs nurture" thing & if they travel frequently as small children they are used to the experience and better behaved.

We prefer to fly in J wherever possible with the children. Both pax and staff are more relaxed, so ironically people are generally more tolerant of the kids having a little cry or needing a sleep. I would never expect a flight attendant or another pax to look after my child, but they frequently ask to because it is actually quite nice to cuddle a baby on a long flight. We've generally been very lucky with seating in the J cabin so once Miss G was too big for a bassinet have been able to put her in her own skybed.

I'm also very aware of what its like to be a paying customer on business and do everything we possibly can to minimise noise and disruptions. Although I once took Miss G back through the curtain into Y on a 744 and she started crying.

I personally wouldn't take the children in F, as the cabin is small and pax have paid big $$$ for quiet. No matter how good the little G's are, they have to have a cry or grizzle at some point and you cannot guarantee there will not be a meltdown. I fly F to enjoy it - and I just wouldn't enjoy it with the children so would rather save my points or money.

 

[Ricardo]

I have two boys, one 6 and the other 16 months. Both have been on short flights to NZ/Fiji at various ages from 6 months to 18 months for my older son. Both were pretty good except for one flght from Fiji when my oldest boy was about 2. We think had a double ear infection on the flight and was unsettled and cried most of the 4 hour trip. The Virgin crew were good and moved my wife and son to the very rear of the plane. As a parent I was on edge for most of that flight concerned about annoying other pax. I personally won't take my boys on long flights in any class until they are old enough to be good pax for say a 10-12 hour journey, I find it demanding enough as a parent to orgainse young boys during the daily routine let alone 8-10 hours in a confined aircraft space on a flight. So I guess they wont be coming with me to the Rugby World cup in 2015, maybe 2019 in Japan they could make the trip....

 

[Red Roo]

Due to the cute factor the crew also were happy to have a cuddle whilst I went to the loo - guys and gals. It was these flights on QF that brought me back to QFi.

We understand the challenges of travelling with a young family. Glad to know our crew were able to make your journey more comfortable and relaxing, and that boygr enjoyed his Qcuddles.

 

[CaviAck]

We understand the challenges of travelling with a young family. Glad to know our crew were able to make your journey more comfortable and relaxing, and that boygr enjoyed his Qcuddles.

Did not know cuddles from the crew had a product name, does this mean they're an advertised product now? If so are they available for the big kids too? ;P

 

[Hvr]

Infants shouldn't be allowed in J or F

Disagree. People who misbehave shouldn't be allowed on the plane. That should be the only criteria for judging whether people fly.

If children misbehave then their parents need to be held accountable as per standard behavioural expectations.

 

[drron]

I dont blame the kids.The parents can annoy me though.On our trip last year there were a couple that really gave me the .......They got the complimentary upgrade at the gate(it was domestic AA F) they proceeded to demand anything and everything and their just teenage kids continually came into the F cabin blocking the aisle,talking loudly and just being obnoxious.
I did congratulate the FAs when deplaning on keeping their cool under pressure.

 

[burrco]

There's two inventions that may come in handy:

(1) Birth control - this is for the parents who happily sit and watch the inflight entertainment etc, while their precious, unique, perfect progeny scream/cry/run amock.
(2) Noise cancelling headphones

Besides, it won't be long before mobile phones will be allowed in flight and we will long for the comparative quiet of a crying baby.

 

[under the radar]

yup I don't want babies/infants in premium cabins either. Drive me nuts. yes I am selfish.

and i dont want disruptive adult (i use this term loosely) DYKWIAs disrupting my premium cabin experience either!!! Drives me nuts. yes I am selfish!! being a disruptive DYKWIA isn't age restrictive!! :shock: and of course WE ALL CONVENIENTLY FORGET THAT WE WERE ALL ONCE INFANTS...and i hazzard to guess not all 'little angels'!! at the end of the day...it's still PUBLIC TRANSPORT..things may not go to plan..(your plan) .... if you want EXCLUSIVITY..FLY PRIVATE!!

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

We understand the challenges of travelling with a young family. Glad to know our crew were able to make your journey more comfortable and relaxing, and that boygr enjoyed his Qcuddles.

I can see it now: CuddleOnQ. Where do I sign up?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

and i dont want disruptive adult (i use this term loosely) DYKWIAs disrupting my premium cabin experience either!!! Drives me nuts. yes I am selfish!! being a disruptive DYKWIA isn't age restrictive!! :shock: and of course WE ALL CONVENIENTLY FORGET THAT WE WERE ALL ONCE INFANTS...and i hazzard to guess not all 'little angels'!!

I recently asked the FA to politely ask Sir Bob Geldof to raise his privacy divider as he and his travelling companion were disturbing my A380 F suite experience

It went like this : "I know they're rock stars, but..."

The FA was actually brilliant in her execution, I wish I got her name.

 

[GCC]

I can see it now: CuddleOnQ. Where do I sign up?

I would like my baby to be cuddledOnQ by Alan Joyce, & I'll take the Miranda Kerr cuddle.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I would like my baby to be cuddledOnQ by Alan Joyce, & I'll take the Miranda Kerr cuddle.

Haha, I don't have children, but if I did, I sure wouldn't let Alan Joyce anywhere near them