Infants in premium cabins

[Mr_Orange]

After flying with my daughter on that many flights - she is QF Gold after all - I personally would avoid night flights for the medium sector.

Out of interest, how young can you sign a baby/infant up to QFF?

 

[medhead]

Out of interest, how young can you sign a baby/infant up to QFF?

Any age. My youngest was a few months old. But infants not in a seat won't earn anyway.

 

[RAM]

Out of interest, how young can you sign a baby/infant up to QFF?

Woolworths with take anyone for EDR...

 

[fairhsa]

Some interesting comments. As a very frequent flyer (luckily mostly short haul these days) I have come across my share of children on flights. I have no problem with the quiet, well behaved ones... I probably did not notice them. But boy have there been some horrors. In Economy, the kid who sat behind me kicking the back of my seat for the whole flight while his parent/nanny did nothing. (Travelling from Hong Kong, a nanny or helper is just as likely as a parent!). Many times parents whose babies screamed for hours on end.. one of these was in J (a seat I paid for, not my company)... this baby just cried all night. For those of you who say "ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones"... seriously? Have you ever actually TRIED to block out the noise of a screaming baby using earplugs or noise cancelling headphones? I have, they have almost no effect at all. I was pretty upset about that. It does make a difference when you pay 10's of thousands of dollars for something out of your own money and some inconsiderate person brings their kid on board and disrupts sleep for everyone.

So - on balance, I'm in the category of ban babies and small children from J and F. Ideally, I'd ban them from all flights; or for the airlines to have special "kid-free" flights for those who are prepared to pay extra for some peace and quiet. And/or some special "kids" flights where there is some extra area for kids to play with each other while parents sit/eat and people like me who don't like them can avoid them! I don't think the airlines do enough to solve this problem and with a bit of imagination could probably make travel easier for both parents and other people.

My other beef is that parents seem to assume that everyone else loves their children - which is just not true! I was in the front row of economy on a flight (luckily a short one) near the bassinet and the mother of this kid asked me to hold it for a while. I'm not a parent - out of choice - and I really think that asking stranger sitting next to you to hold your kid is unacceptable. The post by the lady who enjoyed pampering the baby on her flight was touching... but please recognise that not all women are maternal and some of us have no interest AT ALL in playing with other people's kids!

And I liked the post by the person who pointed out that having children is a choice and may result in you having to change your behaviour. My parents went on holiday every year, but left my sister and I behind until we were about 10 and old enough to behave on flights, in restaurants and hotels etc. It was their belief that overseas holidays were something adults did as an escape from their domestic duties for a week or two an would not have inflicted their children on any class of flight! Mind you, that was 40+ years ago when attitudes were different and taking more care about others feelings seemed more important. I think we lost something along the way.

 

[Philosiphier]

My goodness, what a bunch of whiners!

If you have the money, buy your ticket and the one for your child in whichever class you please.
If I had the choice of travelling first class with a baby or economy, I know which one I'd choose!
To hell with everyone else. This is YOUR choice and the choice of extra comfort for you and your child.
To the whinging others, who 'don't have children by choice' I say go hide under a rock and you will safely avoid all contact with them for the rest of your life. Don't think that you are special or 'deserve' a seat on an aeroplane, or bus, or in a cinema or restaurant away from children simply because you don't like them. Stop being so precious and get real.

I hope you have a wonderful trip in first class - enjoy every moment! Life is too short and too precious to worry about what other people think. It's a few hours at most out of their lives which might result in some loss of sleep if your toddler has a bad time - they will get over it.

 

[juddles]

My goodness, what a bunch of whiners!....

Have kids. Have travelled with them in premium. I agree with the attitude of parents being important.

But I also acknowledge the feeling that some have dared to express, which is that they pay big dollars for a special experience.

I would understand the disappointment if a couple paid tens of thousands of dollars for their honeymoon trip to be special, in J, and the entire flight was a nightmare of a screaming baby.

As I have said, I am a parent, I have spent long nights with uptight kids where it was hard enough to love them as their parent. To force others to share that experience is very trying.

This is a difficult debate. I love taking my kids "up front", and they are well behaved. But if I thought my baby was going to cry throughout a flight, I would not feel comfortable inflicting that on others. In Y it is bad enough. To willingly destroy the extra special experience others have paid an absolute premium for "up front", I personally couldn't do that.

 

[amaroo]

Get'm travelling young and often - in the best cabin you can afford!

We've taken our kids all over the place, in all cabins since they were babies - never been a problem.

 

[sparoz]

Some interesting comments. As a very frequent flyer (luckily mostly short haul these days) I have come across my share of children on flights. I have no problem with the quiet, well behaved ones... I probably did not notice them. But boy have there been some horrors. In Economy, the kid who sat behind me kicking the back of my seat for the whole flight while his parent/nanny did nothing. (Travelling from Hong Kong, a nanny or helper is just as likely as a parent!). Many times parents whose babies screamed for hours on end.. one of these was in J (a seat I paid for, not my company)... this baby just cried all night. For those of you who say "ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones"... seriously? Have you ever actually TRIED to block out the noise of a screaming baby using earplugs or noise cancelling headphones? I have, they have almost no effect at all. I was pretty upset about that. It does make a difference when you pay 10's of thousands of dollars for something out of your own money and some inconsiderate person brings their kid on board and disrupts sleep for everyone.

So - on balance, I'm in the category of ban babies and small children from J and F. Ideally, I'd ban them from all flights; or for the airlines to have special "kid-free" flights for those who are prepared to pay extra for some peace and quiet. And/or some special "kids" flights where there is some extra area for kids to play with each other while parents sit/eat and people like me who don't like them can avoid them! I don't think the airlines do enough to solve this problem and with a bit of imagination could probably make travel easier for both parents and other people.

My other beef is that parents seem to assume that everyone else loves their children - which is just not true! I was in the front row of economy on a flight (luckily a short one) near the bassinet and the mother of this kid asked me to hold it for a while. I'm not a parent - out of choice - and I really think that asking stranger sitting next to you to hold your kid is unacceptable. The post by the lady who enjoyed pampering the baby on her flight was touching... but please recognise that not all women are maternal and some of us have no interest AT ALL in playing with other people's kids!

And I liked the post by the person who pointed out that having children is a choice and may result in you having to change your behaviour. My parents went on holiday every year, but left my sister and I behind until we were about 10 and old enough to behave on flights, in restaurants and hotels etc. It was their belief that overseas holidays were something adults did as an escape from their domestic duties for a week or two an would not have inflicted their children on any class of flight! Mind you, that was 40+ years ago when attitudes were different and taking more care about others feelings seemed more important. I think we lost something along the way.

There is already a very special product on the market for people like you who like to guarantee there's no infant/toddler/children on board. It is called the private jet.

 

[juddles]

There is already a very special product on the market for people like you who like to guarantee there's no infant/toddler/children on board. It is called the private jet.

This is simplistic and silly.

A restaurant is a "public place". If a couple want to have a romantic, peaceful dinner together, should they have to buy a restaurant? Some people don't want their special trip trashed by the uncontrollable behavior of children. Is that so wrong??

I dislike that anyone in this thread who dares to suggest that crying children could negatively impact their premium travel experience get instantly labelled as bad people.

 

[thomastse]

Hi there

Just want to find out about the general feeling towards infants in premium cabins.

We are planning a trip to LHR and JHB later in the year and want to make the right cabin choice with our then 18 month old

Rapid

Any particular objection to giving infant a bit of anti-histamine before flight ? after checking with your doctor, of course.

 

[sparoz]

This is simplistic and silly.

A restaurant is a "public place". If a couple want to have a romantic, peaceful dinner together, should they have to buy a restaurant? Some people don't want their special trip trashed by the uncontrollable behavior of children. Is that so wrong??

I dislike that anyone in this thread who dares to suggest that crying children could negatively impact their premium travel experience get instantly labelled as bad people.

It is a matter of human rights for kids and people have kids. It is more ridiculous to suggest that families should take private jets. May be the airlines should create a premium product in J and Y for kids which are kids free especially on the A380. Kids free is a luxury and not a right, whilst family should be able to enjoy everything that is a common product.

 

[medhead]

Some interesting comments. As a very frequent flyer (luckily mostly short haul these days) I have come across my share of children on flights. I have no problem with the quiet, well behaved ones... I probably did not notice them. But boy have there been some horrors. In Economy, the kid who sat behind me kicking the back of my seat for the whole flight while his parent/nanny did nothing. (Travelling from Hong Kong, a nanny or helper is just as likely as a parent!). Many times parents whose babies screamed for hours on end.. one of these was in J (a seat I paid for, not my company)... this baby just cried all night. For those of you who say "ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones"... seriously? Have you ever actually TRIED to block out the noise of a screaming baby using earplugs or noise cancelling headphones? I have, they have almost no effect at all. I was pretty upset about that. It does make a difference when you pay 10's of thousands of dollars for something out of your own money and some inconsiderate person brings their kid on board and disrupts sleep for everyone.

So - on balance, I'm in the category of ban babies and small children from J and F. Ideally, I'd ban them from all flights; or for the airlines to have special "kid-free" flights for those who are prepared to pay extra for some peace and quiet. And/or some special "kids" flights where there is some extra area for kids to play with each other while parents sit/eat and people like me who don't like them can avoid them! I don't think the airlines do enough to solve this problem and with a bit of imagination could probably make travel easier for both parents and other people.

My other beef is that parents seem to assume that everyone else loves their children - which is just not true! I was in the front row of economy on a flight (luckily a short one) near the bassinet and the mother of this kid asked me to hold it for a while. I'm not a parent - out of choice - and I really think that asking stranger sitting next to you to hold your kid is unacceptable. The post by the lady who enjoyed pampering the baby on her flight was touching... but please recognise that not all women are maternal and some of us have no interest AT ALL in playing with other people's kids!

And I liked the post by the person who pointed out that having children is a choice and may result in you having to change your behaviour. My parents went on holiday every year, but left my sister and I behind until we were about 10 and old enough to behave on flights, in restaurants and hotels etc. It was their belief that overseas holidays were something adults did as an escape from their domestic duties for a week or two an would not have inflicted their children on any class of flight! Mind you, that was 40+ years ago when attitudes were different and taking more care about others feelings seemed more important. I think we lost something along the way.

I feel sorry for you and your childhood. Just goes to prove that some people should be banned from having children.

I'll certainly put my children's behaviour at 3 and 6 against numerous adults I've seen

I'll now ponder the logic of banning children from first because your seat was kicked in economy.

 

[sparoz]

Any particular objection to giving infant a bit of anti-histamine before flight ? after checking with your doctor, of course.

Children under 2yo are no longer recommended to use antihistamine as there is a link with SIDS. There is also the paradoxical reaction where they become hyperactive - which usually happens with young children. My wife and I believe using antihistamine on kids are chemical restraint, but that's a personal decision. I have a friend who's an intensivist who anaesthetise his four children on their long flights.

 

[rhjames]

Or perhaps a shot of Bundy?

 

[Muriel]

You know your child best. If they are generally well behaved then unless they get sore ears etc (which can happen even to adults) there seems no reason to believe that the child would be anything other than well behaved. If the child is a problem at home - it will possibly be worse on a flight. My granddaughter made her first flight with her mum and grandfather when she was only months old. They were upgraded to business or first - no problems. In fact passengers have always complimented my daughter on the children's good behaviour. However having said that, when we see someone coming on with kids, we usually say to each other - hope they're not near us. Totally wrong of course as its only our perception that the child might scream for much of the journey (which has happened in economy) We were on one business class flight where there was an infant that cried a bit but we were in the screened of section of business class on a Virgin Flight so were not affected. The infant would be more sheltered from the noise a - and bugs, that often come with economy. If the child is normally well behaved - go for it and choose seats that are more suited to having a child with you. Have a great trip.

 

[medhead]

This is simplistic and silly.

A restaurant is a "public place". If a couple want to have a romantic, peaceful dinner together, should they have to buy a restaurant? Some people don't want their special trip trashed by the uncontrollable behavior of children. Is that so wrong??

I dislike that anyone in this thread who dares to suggest that crying children could negatively impact their premium travel experience get instantly labelled as bad people.

Can I label them intolerant, inconsiderate, lacking empathy and judgemental?

Let's relay a little story from my older child when she was about 4. She wanted to go into the backyard at the grandparents house in the dead of a cold winter's night. Her aunt tried to nicely dissuade her of this action by suggesting that the daughter might get cold. Daughter replied "don't you worry about me, just you worry about yourself".

Some people who apply blanket judgements to children could benefit from that advice.

 

[RAM]

Some interesting comments. As a very frequent flyer (luckily mostly short haul these days) I have come across my share of children on flights. I have no problem with the quiet, well behaved ones... I probably did not notice them. But boy have there been some horrors. In Economy, the kid who sat behind me kicking the back of my seat for the whole flight while his parent/nanny did nothing. (Travelling from Hong Kong, a nanny or helper is just as likely as a parent!). Many times parents whose babies screamed for hours on end.. one of these was in J (a seat I paid for, not my company)... this baby just cried all night. For those of you who say "ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones"... seriously? Have you ever actually TRIED to block out the noise of a screaming baby using earplugs or noise cancelling headphones? I have, they have almost no effect at all. I was pretty upset about that. It does make a difference when you pay 10's of thousands of dollars for something out of your own money and some inconsiderate person brings their kid on board and disrupts sleep for everyone.

So - on balance, I'm in the category of ban babies and small children from J and F. Ideally, I'd ban them from all flights; or for the airlines to have special "kid-free" flights for those who are prepared to pay extra for some peace and quiet. And/or some special "kids" flights where there is some extra area for kids to play with each other while parents sit/eat and people like me who don't like them can avoid them! I don't think the airlines do enough to solve this problem and with a bit of imagination could probably make travel easier for both parents and other people.

My other beef is that parents seem to assume that everyone else loves their children - which is just not true! I was in the front row of economy on a flight (luckily a short one) near the bassinet and the mother of this kid asked me to hold it for a while. I'm not a parent - out of choice - and I really think that asking stranger sitting next to you to hold your kid is unacceptable. The post by the lady who enjoyed pampering the baby on her flight was touching... but please recognise that not all women are maternal and some of us have no interest AT ALL in playing with other people's kids!

And I liked the post by the person who pointed out that having children is a choice and may result in you having to change your behaviour. My parents went on holiday every year, but left my sister and I behind until we were about 10 and old enough to behave on flights, in restaurants and hotels etc. It was their belief that overseas holidays were something adults did as an escape from their domestic duties for a week or two an would not have inflicted their children on any class of flight! Mind you, that was 40+ years ago when attitudes were different and taking more care about others feelings seemed more important. I think we lost something along the way.

Gee, you and your siblings must have been slow learners - we've been able to take our children on planes, to restaurants etc since they were 3 to 4 years old with not one incident.

They all understood from not long after they could talk that no meant no and fun times only happened when they behaved well. The threat of no TV or outing to the swings and slides was always sufficient to curb their desire to act up. "If you don't stop then you will miss out on going to the park," and they did while their brother/sisters got to go for a purposely extended visit while one of us stayed at home and did some house work.

I must admit they also learnt how to sweep up the dust with a dustpan & brush when they decided not to co-operate. Picking up someone else's clothes etc also works wonders for attitude from an early age.

 

[Natalie_B]

A wordif caution regarding night flights - my 21 month old is a fabulous night sleeper, at home. A quick kiss and cuddle, put him down, turn the lights off and walk away. We recently flew SYDN-HNL departing at 10.25pm. He tried to slee, but the fact that the lights were on, people were moving about and he wasn't in his comfort zone, meant he didn't fall asleep until 12.45am. Much later than his 7.30pm bedtime. He wasn't terrible, but he was miserable.

He has travelled in both J and Y and is a good flyer generally. Just pack lots of new and interesting things to keep their attention. Pack what you think you need, then add more. Best to have things that aren't used than run out of distractions with more flying still to do. We also downloaded his favourite shows onto our iPads (both incase the batteries died) and bought him his own headphones.

Also, make sure you purchase your child a seat. At 18 months they can still fly on your lap, but no one will enjoy that flight, I promise.

Good luck and enjoy your trips. Traveling is great fun and even better when you can share the experience.

 

[Ausbt]

I'm ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE .

...who SHOUTS when flying J? J, after all, is written with a capital - maybe you are onto something here. But either way, whether I've forked out cash or points for my upgrade, I'd probably get a bit SHOUTY as well.

 

[auspal]

I got as far as reading "If you pay, you can behave any 'ol way you like.

Then decided not to read any further.