Should J & F be AO? (Kids we dont want you in Business class!)

[Katie]

What bossreggie said.
I'll be reminding Little Miss next week about aeroplane behaviour and hoping she behaves well. As long as she has plenty to do/watch these days, she's pretty good.
But I will be saying silent prayers that she'll behave, we won't be near any other pax giving off "get your snot-nosed brat away from me" vibes, and that I'll get a chance to read or watch a movie.
Should kids be banned from F or J? No. No more than children should be banned from nice restaurants. We don't want to end up at the local tavern offering sausage rolls and spag bog for kids meals as the only place we can go as a family. I want Little Miss to be bale to eat, and behave well, in the local Thai or cafe, as well as the occasional semi-posh restaurant (e.g. Cha Cha Char or similar in Brisbane).

 

[tracman]

I think that everyone who flys (particularly long haul) has a right to a bit of peace and quiet! REGARDLESS OF CATEGORY.

Having just endured a flight from LA to Australia, and from London to Singapore (within 2 months) on both flights in the nearby proximity of screaming toddlers ALL of the way on the London flight and for the last 6 HOURS of the LA flight - without exaggeration! The key issue I noticed was that although the parents did their best, the main problem seemed that because these children were under 2, parents did not have to purchase a seat. Consequently these young children (just under 2) simply did not want to sit on their parents lap - did not have their own space and were going to let everyone else know through their constant high pitched screaming - the LA child even continued through customs!

My observations are that very small children, and slightly older children are generally well behaved - babies sleep, older children are well entertained by the flight. However toddlers are in between and need their own space, parents cut costs by not buying them a seat, consequently they have no space and everyone else has to put up with their tantrums and screams as they are forced to sit on someone’s lap.

In my opinion, airlines need to make seats mandatory for children once they can sit - generally around 10mths on long haul flights, and instead of seating them throughout the plane, parents with very young children need to be in their own section of the plane.

I don't have a problem with kids flying, or even a bit of noise, but it doesn't have to be the flight from hell for everyone else, airlines need to address the problem and a good start is a seat for toddlers.

BTW - some screams aren't cancelled by good quality noise cancelling headphones - I know this for a fact!

 

[LiamR]

instead of seating them throughout the plane, parents with very young children need to be in their own section of the plane.

+1 I have had this disussion with people before. And I know it can't always be done, but airlines should make an effort for infants and children to be put towards the rear of the aircraft.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I think l may have posted this before.

Always Flyin, FT November 2010

Don't Bother Listening to Flight Attendants--It Doesn't Really Matter if you Don't


A colleague and I flew Tel Aviv to LHR this past weekend in paid F on a 777.

School break was ending and there was a very large group of adults with even more kids and young teens with them.

Two infants were in F with their parents. No problem. There were four other parents in F, but their kids were not. There were three or four empty seats in F so those parents made a conscious decision not to have their kids fly in F with them.

Once the fasten seat belt sign went off, the aisles into the F-cabin became the in-flight equivalent of the approach path into Heathrow. Non-stop. The kids thought nothing of coming into and out of the cabin, sitting with their parents, playing, laughing, talking loudly, digging things out of their parents' carry-bags, and using the lav.

After about 15-minutes of this nonsense, my colleague called over one of the flight attendants and complained. The flight attendant went up to the parents, told them my colleague had complained, and that the kids could not come up to the F cabin.

Nothing changed. Non-stop kids back and forth into the F cabin. I went up to the galley, told the flight attendant that I didn't appreciate him making my colleague the bad guy, and that nothing had changed and the kids were still non-stop into and out of the cabin.

Now the purser gets involved. Tells the parents the kids have to stay out of the cabin. The parents nod yes, but nothing changes. Five more times the parents are told, but nothing changes. Totally ignored what they were told.

The earlier flight attendant takes me aside, tells me how sorry they are, but I should see how bad it is in the Club cabin. I finally go back to look and it is an out of control day camp. The cabin looks like a war had taken place, there was ice cream smeared on the carpet all down the aisles, and kids everywhere (other than in their seats).

The parents ignored everything they were told and got away with it. The crew gave me a bottle of champagne to take away for my troubles but said there really wasn't much else they could have done. I disagree.

Irritated is an understatement.

For those who will no doubt ask, they were all British since I saw them all in the EU immigration queue at LHR with their British passports.

 

[anat0l]

I think l may have posted this before.

When kids are involved, everyone wants to play the, "They're just kids" trump card, or "Don't you dare tell me how to raise my kids" card.

I wonder what so many kids are doing in Club anyway. Perhaps the fact the flight is TLV-LHR is a signal. Obviously the nannies who accompanied them on the flight didn't feel they were on duty.

In the end, we can argue for forever and a day for a multitude of valid reasons as to who should've been the active agent(s), what they should do and who shouldn't bother doing anything.

 

[concorde71]

My 14 Year old refuses to travel economy
If Im not in Business class Im not going he says. My 3 Kids have flown J since they were babies really, and we have never had a problem, now as they are a bit older (Youngest 7) they just plug in and they are away with the fairies watching movies / playing Ipod games etc. I dont see any problems with it, however, as previously stated on here, correct behaviour is expected.

 

[simongr]

In my opinion, airlines need to make seats mandatory for children once they can sit - generally around 10mths on long haul flights, and instead of seating them throughout the plane, parents with very young children need to be in their own section of the plane.

+1 I have had this disussion with people before. And I know it can't always be done, but airlines should make an effort for infants and children to be put towards the rear of the aircraft.

So if I have paid the same price for my ticket to travel with my boy why do I have to get stuck down the back of the aircraft - the same argument can be levelled at fat people, talkative people, smelly people, frequent urinaters, IFE users in the middle of the night and on and on.

 

[BadgerBoi]

My 14 Year old refuses to travel economy
If Im not in Business class Im not going he says.

It's a good child who makes the rules clear from the start. He obviously understands that his parents need definite boundaries so that they are not left aimless and wondering what to do.

The temptation for me would be to say "fine, we're off for a week in Tahiti, you stay home and forage".

 

[BadgerBoi]

... years later you will purchase your seat per kg.

How I yearn for the day that happens...

 

[dfcatch]

How I yearn for the day that happens...

+1 !!

But let's not get into the issue of "seat encroaching"

 

[BadgerBoi]

+1 !!

But let's not get into the issue of "seat encroaching"

Oh please can we? I love those threads, especially if it's an obese encroacher with a lap child and a seat-belt extender who has poached an exit row seat in Y and deposited their oversized carry-on in the J overheads.

I'm sure I've forgotten something here, someone please help me out?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Oh please can we? I love those threads, especially if it's an obese encroacher with a lap child and a seat-belt extender who has poached an exit row seat in Y and deposited their oversized carry-on in the J overheads.

I'm sure I've forgotten something here, someone please help me out?

Well BadgerBoi, as the saying goes "if you're skating on thin ice you may as well dance"!

Good luck.

 

[equus]

I'm sure I've forgotten something here, someone please help me out?

You have forgotten that they are wearing stubbies, singlet and thongs (and were in the QP), and overindulged in excercise before boarding without making use of the showers...

 

[BadgerBoi]

Well BadgerBoi, as the saying goes "if you're skating on thin ice you may as well dance"!

Good luck.

OK then, I really just would settle for a stroppy seat poacher. Poacher threads are my favourites, the others are really just icing on the cake.

 

[BadgerBoi]

You have forgotten that they are wearing stubbies, singlet and thongs (and were in the QP), and overindulged in excercise before boarding without making use of the showers...

This is clearly why you have achieved AFF "Member" status, and I am still a lowly "Junior Member". I defer to your superior expertise.

I am curious, however: is said stubby wearer going commando? That could add an extra dimension perhaps.

 

[QF WP]

Well, I'll be taking my 2 kids (and my wife ) over to London in J on QF Dom, QF Intl and CX; then returning in BA J, QF Intl F and Dom J.

We are firm believers of bossreggie's mantra and will be applying it firmly - particularly if they want to fly at the pointy end again!

Katie, how did your daughter go?


Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

 

[dfcatch]

Oh please can we? I love those threads, especially if it's an obese encroacher with a lap child and a seat-belt extender who has poached an exit row seat in Y and deposited their oversized carry-on in the J overheads.

I'm sure I've forgotten something here, someone please help me out?

Yes - the other benefit of charging per kg (pax kg that is).

Instead of nickel and diming me for my extra sports bag (or SWMBO's extra shopping bag), charge per TOTAL kg for pax and bags. The lighter the pax - the more baggage you are allowed to check.

I genuinely do subscribe to the argument of why should I have to pay extra kg charges on my luggage when the total weight of my bags, my travel buddy and me is still less than the passenger in the B seat next to me (who is also enjoying half the A and C seats).

That should compete the picture



Lindsay - good approach and I do love the Bossreggie way.......

Kids' behaviour is a reflection of the parents.

 

[docjames]

Oh please can we? I love those threads, especially if it's an obese encroacher with a lap child and a seat-belt extender who has poached an exit row seat in Y and deposited their oversized carry-on in the J overheads.

I'm sure I've forgotten something here, someone please help me out?

You forGot unnecessarily reclining and body odour.

 

[BadgerBoi]

You forGot unnecessarily reclining and body odour.

omg, what could I have been thinking of?

 

[LiamR]

I genuinely do subscribe to the argument of why should I have to pay extra kg charges on my luggage when the total weight of my bags, my travel buddy and me is still less than the passenger in the B seat next to me (who is also enjoying half the A and C seats).

I am considered, very, very light for my height & age, and since I rarely check in baggage. I think that it would be fair that I receive bonus Status Credits and or Points Per KG. I'm thinking 1sc and 100 points per kg less of baggage used, and below average weight.... Thoughts? RedRoo, I'm more than happy to work with you to implement this idea. Just feel free to let me know.

All this flying on Virgin is making me develop a sense of humour.