The most embarrassing moment of my life? That’s easy.
Our son, Aren, had just turned one and we were flying from New York to London on an airline whose name I’ve promised never to mention.
We’d managed to score an upgrade — seats 1A and 1B — and to ensure Aren had a pleasant trip, we offered him a nip of Benadryl. Most kids fall asleep when they’re given an antihistamine.
Not mine.
The medication had the exact opposite effect: Aren turned hyper, tearing down the aisle of the first class cabin, shrieking and bumping other passengers. He woke up the person sitting next to us and drooled on the passenger behind us.
All of which bring me to this week’s topic: Kids in first class. Should we or shouldn’t we? And if so, when?
Allow me to state my completely unbiased opinion right up front. No. We should not. At least not mine. I downgraded myself on the flight home, that’s how badly I felt for the other London-bound passengers that day.
What was I thinking, trying to bring a toddler into first class?
I’m not alone.
· An overwhelming majority of air travelers to a recent survey by Skytrax — 9 in 10 respondents — said families with children should be seated in a separate section on flights, presumably not in first class.
· Another poll by corporate travel agency Carlson Wagonlit found that business travelers, who are most frequently found in the business- and first-class cabins, believe crying babies are the second-most annoying aspect of air travel. The first? Air travelers who carry too much luggage on board.
· Several years ago, a United Airlines flight attendant just came out and said it: no children in first class. A passenger disagreed, sued the airline — and lost.
Last week in this column, we argued about whether kids belong on planes, and resolved that although many of us would like to keep the little ones from flying, it’s just not practical. This week, as promised, we’re having a more nuanced and civil discussion about children in the good seats.
Well, sort of. I asked some of my readers for their opinions of kids in first and got an earful.
“No, no, no, no, no,” says Mona Palmer, an administrative assistant from Friendswood, Tex. “First class tickets are too expensive to have the investment destroyed by an unruly kid whose parents think they’ve paid for the privilege of ignoring their kids’ rotten behavior.”
The other side of this argument is equally vehement.
“Give me a break,” says Jennifer Thomas, who describes herself as the owner of a public relations firm and mom. “These questions about kids and flying are frankly disrespectful. Let’s see, kids in first class or terrorists allowed to fly on planes? Or how about just plain rude adults who take to the friendly skies? I would take a child any day over previously mentioned. Why not ask questions about those two audiences?”
Kids! Kids! Can’t we just get along?
Instead of spending the rest of this story fighting (as entertaining as that might be to some of you, dear readers) let’s instead focus on three solutions to this problem.
No children in first class
One of the most persuasive arguments for limiting first class to adults is that the premium cabin is essentially an adult product. Which is to say, it’s difficult for a youngster to appreciate a wine list or a gourmet meal. It’s just no place for kids. Plus, it’s pricey — even if you’re using miles to upgrade. Rosanne Skopp, a grandmother who says she “really loves kids,” puts it this way: “If I’m going to be sitting next to a screaming baby, at least let me feel good that I haven’t paid for a first class ticket, only to be tortured.” No airline that I’m aware of has banned children from first class or business class, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say any of them have opened their arms wide to their junior passengers, either. Like a five-star restaurant or a luxury resort, the first class cabin is not particularly welcoming to young fliers. Or, for that matter, their parents.
Age limit for premium seats
Here’s another suggestion: If we can’t ban minors, then let’s at least prevent the littlest passengers from sitting “up front.” Babies and toddlers are too disruptive to the other passengers, who are paying a premium for their seats. “No one under 12 should be in first class,” says Richard French, an anesthesiologist from Christchurch, New Zealand, who by way of full disclosure, is himself a father. “I pick that age because kids are essentially self-caring by that age and that is the age that airlines start charging an adult fare. It is really depressing when you have treated yourself to a very expensive fare, to have a three-year-old running up and down the aisle.” I can’t argue with that. During my research for this story, I heard whispers that several international airlines had informal age-limit policies for first-class passengers, but they were difficult to confirm.
Let the kids fly
The overwhelming number of travelers I spoke with said kids should be able to fly in first class if their parents could afford to pay the freight. But they were quick to add that they expected the children to behave. “Of course children should be allowed in business- or first class,” says Frank Nowicki, a retiree from Winter Haven, Fla. “As long as the parents have raised their children properly — as far as behavior goes — there should never be a problem on a flight.” Still, Nowicki admits that’s not always possible, and has seen “many occasions” when parents have allowed their offspring to run wild on a flight. “Don’t blame the children,” he says. “Blame the adults for their permissive ways and their lack of parenting skills.” But how do you mandate good parenting on a plane? A multiple-choice quiz? Social references? Even peer pressure —dirty looks and all — isn’t always enough to stop these indulgent parents from boarding a flight, or buying an upgrade for their brood.
I’m afraid this is one of those instances when new rules and regulations, even with the best of intentions, would not end the problem of disruptive kids in first class. This is ultimately a parent’s decision that the entire first-class cabin must live with.
But before buying a premium ticket, here are a few useful questions to answer: Can my child behave like a first-class passenger? If not, do I have the parenting skills to contain a meltdown? Is it really worth the hassle — not to mention the money?
I’ve already answered those questions. My son Aren, who today is a reasonably well-mannered first grader, now has two siblings: a four-year-old brother with a penchant for practical jokes and a slightly hyperactive two-year-old sister. Even if I could, I would never inflict them on another first class passenger. Ever.
But if you think your kids can do better, I have just four words for you: Welcome to first class!
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{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Allow me to preface my opinion with, a) I am a flight attendant, and b) I am the mother of a 10 month old. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY anyone under 12 should be allowed in first class. Forgive me for sounding discriminatory, but the people who can afford to purchase a first class seat for their kid are typically the ones who hire au pairs and governesses to raise their children. Their hands-off approach to child rearing doesn’t fly with me. If they don’t have the child wrangling skills on solid ground, they surely ain’t gonna find any five miles up.
Please. Who really flies in First Class? Sophisticated folks? The Royal Family? No. Generally businessMEN who fly a lot and mostly those who “scored” an upgrade. Having kids fly First Class isn’t going to ruffle the social order or lead to the fall on the Monarchy. If they got the tickets, kids should fly whereever they want.
I can’t believe that this issue is getting so much attention. SElf-indulgent business class travelers ( of which I am one) think that they can exclude people from the common space because it suits them.
Here’s a thought. Take responsibility for your own comfort, invest $500 in a pair of Bose Noise Cancelling headphones and an iPod.
A 6 month old baby is going to cry no matter where the baby is on the plane, and you’ll hear the crying all the way up in cushy first class. There are plenty of adults that are loud, boisterous, obnoxious and inconsiderate who fly who are definitely a lot worse to sit next to in first class than a well-behaved child. My mother is one of them. That said, there aren’t that many well-behaved children, especially in the US. Parents are too lenient and I agree, they think parenting responsibilities go out the window on a plane, or really in any public situation. I am on my 3 year olds back about his behavior all the time, especially when we’re sitting for 3 hours in a sardine can with recycled air and grumpy travelers. I don’t think you can say NO KIDS in first class because frankly if I’ve got the $ or the miles and I want to spend them on a ticket for my kid, that’s my right and the airlines allow it. So just suck it up.
“expecting the children to behave” – that statement right there is really pushing it.
Much like we judge our driving to be better than average, we judge children’s behavior, or our control over our children as better than average when many times it is not.
Keep the kids out of first class. I like the age limit rule personally. Maybe 6-7 yrs would be a good place to start.
I just flew to Myrtle Beach from Newark in first class on a plane with lots of kids and even two kids, one preschooler and one of primary school age up front near me. (Only 8 seats in FC.) The kids were angels, but there were two noisy adults (looked old enough to be grandparents) that I would have liked booted. The husband even made a call to their daughter while we were headed to the runway.
My husband and I are flying 1st Class to Italy w/our 5-year old daughter on June 30th. We’re exceptionally diligent with our parenting and demand exceptional manners from our daughter whether airborne or on the ground. And no, we don’t have an Au Pair or Nanny, thank you for that stereo-typical prejudice statement, we are hands on parents. I’ve noticed that typically, there are many children on any given flight with only one or two obnoxious, flight spoilers who give the rest of the Wee Crowd a terrible name. Look around next time and take note of the well behaved children that you don’t notice. We often get the NASTIEST looks from childless passengers and flight crew when boarding the plane – when our daughter is doing nothing but quietly walking to her seat – just because she’s under 4 feet tall. In my opinion, the Flight Crew needs to immediately intervene in cases where parents are phoning in their parental responsibilities. It is the Flight Crew’s responsibility to ensure a safe and comfortable (if possible) flight for all passengers. The Flight Crew needs to step up and admonish the parents who fail to wrangle in their children. Perhaps airlines should designate a “time out” zone for nasty parents with irritating children. There need to be repercussions for obnoxious children sitting in whatever Class. That having been said, everyone needs to settle down and be a little less judgmental and a little more patient and understanding. It’s not the kids’ or parents’ fault that you left late for your plane; the security line was obnoxiously long; the airline charged you a $50 baggage check fee; the airline added another row of seats to the plane to cram in more passengers and now the person in front of you has reclined their seat so their head is resting in your lap and the adult sitting behind you is kicking your seat.
As a parent and grandparent, I vote for keeping First Class for adults only. When I fly Economy, I expect to hear crying babies and to see ill-behaved children. When I pay full freight, I want peace–much more than free drinks and airline “cuisine”. In fact, the principal reason I fly Business or First is to sleep in relative silence, and a screaming and kicking toddler won’t allow that, even when I wear earplugs and a mask.
This whole discussion seems to me a misguided attempt to create a no-child zone. I’m not particularly a fan of that idea, but I don’t understand why that zone should be first class. Since when is first class about avoiding children? There’s only one reason most people buy, or upgrade to, first class seats: way more shoulder and leg room. If you think it’s a good idea to have a no-child zone, fine, but making first class that zone makes little sense for two reasons: (1) It unnecessarily excludes parents traveling with children from first class, when we could, instead, sequester the unreasonable minority of people who can’t stand to be within eye or earshot of children; and (2) It unnecessarily excludes from the no-child zone adults who cannot afford first class.
Which leads me to a second point: if we do think we need an area without children, is having a “family section” really the answer? I suspect that only a very small percentage of people actually mind sitting near a child. I know I don’t (and I’m not a parent). How about charging a small extra fee for those who don’t want to sit near children, and let them sit in the back row, like we used to do for smokers. No children in the back two rows. Then we’ll see how much all those anti-child whiners mind sitting near kids. My guess is that they’ll jump at the opportunity to avoid the far worse fate of sitting near the bathroom and not being able to recline your seat.
I have read your columns and the attached comments about children and pets on planes with amusement mixed with consternation. When I think back to my “worst” air travel experiences, about half of them include kids screaming, kids crying, or my favorite, kids kicking the back of my seat. I don’t suppose you can keep them off, but I sure wish they were kept away from me!
As far as pets on a plane, my experience has been the opposite. I take my dogs occasionally. They are small enough to fit (1 at a time) under the seat in a “Sherpa” bag. Of course, I get charged handsomely for this privilege. I cannot count the number of times a flight attendant was shocked when I disembarked with the bag – “I didn’t know there was a dog in the cabin”! This happens on trans-continental flights! I don’t remember a bad experience with anybody’s pet. Maybe the airlines have it backwards. They should charge a stiff “kid” fee and let the pets fly free.
I am self indulgent because I fly first class? Excuse me but I have earned every first class upgrade that I am thankful to be given. Hundreds of thousands of miles in an airline seat to get to that level –NOT fun..but a requirement of my job. It is usually the only calm, quiet place I get to enjoy to and from a trip and yes, I do wear a Bose headset on every flight. Children do not ever belong in first class. Honest to God..let them grow up and earn it like the rest of us.
Sorry– but it is the PARENTS responsibiltiy to keep their children in line on any flight _ NOT the Flight attendant. And have to disagree– if a child is crying back in coach, unless they are on the bulkhead, First class DOES provide some insulation.
Just arrived in Kuala Lumpur this morning after getting very little sleep due to a child and an infant with their parents in business class. But nothing beats the flight 2 weeks ago with 4 infants in a 12 seat business class cabin on an almost 10 hour flight. The memory of that one almost made me glad there was only one infant on today’s flight.
I simply don’t understand some people, and in this case I don’t understand Jennifer Thomas.
How does terrorism have anything to do with this subject? How is it even remotely comparable? Allowing children to fly vs. allowing terrorists to fly? This argument ultimately weakens your standpoint as it is such a weird comparison.
As for the adults, yes, but it’s also a bit strange as the discussion is about age limits as we have limits to drinking, driving, and other such rights gained with age. In many parts of Europe the drinking age is 16 and I know plenty of 17 year olds that are more mature with this right than 23 year olds in other parts of the world. Still, we stick with the age definition as it’s solid and easy to apply.
Instead of instituting an Age Limit, how about fines and such for the parents that can’t cotnrol their kids? If you have a drunk unrulely passenger, TSA is waiting for them when they land. How about something similar for parents that can’t control their kids running up and down the isles?
Don’t get me wrong, I have a 1 year-old(turns 1 on Weds.) and we flew with him to the Cayman Islands and back a few months ago. On the flight there, we were in the seats directly behind First Class and some of the looks we got when we boarded were classic. But once we landed, everyone of those people who gave us terrible looks turned around and told us how well-behaved our infant was. No drugs were used, just good old fashioned bring stuff to entertain your child. On the flight home, there were 4 infants on the plane and you would not have known it until the 15 minute decent went all of their ears started bothering them. Luckily, the pacifier that was in our childs mouth helped him get through it, but for a 5 hour flight, 15 minutes of muted crying isn’t bad.
As a general rule, the children on the plane are not the issue. MOST children, with halfway decent parents, are fine on a plane and you’d never know the difference. Personally, I think there needs to be a breathalizer given to everyone getting on the plane and if you are above the legal limit, you don’t get on. I also think that larger people need to have the curtiousy of buying a second seat. Both of those are far more annoying then Children on a plane.
I think some airlines solve the problem by not allowing under-12’s to UPGRADE to First, but opening their arms if they pay their fare. Let’s face it, the airlines need every paying passenger they can get into their premium cabins whether they’re corporate accounts or the tykes of the people with those corporate accounts.
Whilst we’re isolating the kids, can we also isolate the fatties too? I’m sick of sharing my personal space. Actually, I’d prefer to be sealed in a comfortable container with a tv, dvd player and bed and loaded into the cargo hold. That way I won’t have to interact with a single soul onboard the aircraft.
Adults-only resorts, why not an adults-only airline? It would definitely get my support and business.
Just a comment about dosing babies and kids with Benadryl – parents should try it on their offspring a few days before flying to see if it makes them drowsy or hyper. If it makes them hyper, then the parents have time to try dosing them with something else that will make them sleepy.
It’s not a hard ban on children that should be implemented in first class, it’s a hard ban on misbehaving people that we would all relish, not matter what class we’re flying. Two years ago I upgraded my daughter and I to first class on a flight to Florida, just to avoid an obnoxious toddler. She was seven at the time and the flight attendant was not pleased, to say the least. My daughter travels with a backpack full of quiet activities and not once did she speak at anything but a whisper. We received compliments from everyone around us and the flight attendant was especially pleased with her behavior, stopping by twice to praise her. Why should we ban a child like this from any seat? Never once has she misbehaved, partially because of strict expectations of appropriate behavior and partially because of careful planning.
I don’t like to be stuck next to terrible kids any more then you. I paid a lot of money to avoid that nasty toddler,after all. But I also don’t like to be stuck near inconsiderate adults. That first class flight to Florida? There was a woman behind me who repeatedly kicked my seat hard enough that it spilled my soda. Even the flight attendant couldn’t get her to stop. I sure would like to ban her to a corner of an airplane until she could learn some consideration.
I don’t think an outright ban on kids in either first or biz class is the answer; after all, there are lots of kids out there who DO behave, and they shouldn’t be punished unnecessarily. I like Kevin’s idea – if parents won’t control their kids from making a ruckus, fine them, or better yet, automatically downgrade their tickets on the return journey back to economy. But I wouldn’t stop with parents with unruly kids; do the same to obnoxious adults who misbehave.
And Carver – the earplugs and iPod only work if the problem is noise. Half the time, with unruly kids, the real problem is either running up and down the aisle, kicking the seat in front of them, spilling food or drinks on neighboring passengers, etc.
A VOICE FROM THE OTHER SIDE:
In a San Francisco restaurant favored by the moneyed class I happened to be seated next to a mother and daughter who were obviously regular customers. The child was approximately nine or ten. At one point in their conversation about travel the kid, in a voice dripping with a sense of entitlement, said, “Those bonus point people are absolutely RUINING first class.”
Surprised your entitled person even bothers to fly commercial. Lots of rich folks, CEOs and politicians have private jets. I like that Virgin Atlantic renamed their First Class as Upper Class. But frankly, they are just seats. And you sit in them only a few hours out of the 8000 hours in a year. Take advantage of the free cocktails in First Class and lighten up about the kids. If you hate kids, you probably have issues with old folks, foreigners and minorities so who cares what you think.
I’m sure someone’s considering that, though it depends how much demand there actually is for it.
Try doing a 16 hour flight from Dubai to Atlanta with a screaming child. Four hours into the flight, the flight attendent moved the family back to coach. Thank God for someone in the industry that knows what they’re doing.
I agree to the proposal of a seperate section in the back of the plane. We used to have the smoking section in the rear of the plane, why not bring it back for the families?
Put them in the “back of the plane?” Sounds an awful lot like put them in the “back of the bus”., or “separate but equal.” It scares me that we have such thinking in the 21st Century.
We flew from the East Coast to Hawaii with a squirmy 14 month old in First class on TWA in the mid 90’s on a 747 and had the first 2 seats which were 1 seat in the row with an area in front and to the sides where we set up a play area and our son was great. It was an ordeal for the parents which goes without question, but it worked out fine. NO screaming, no crying, no tantrum. Given that it was the front row on the main cabin level with the old style sleeper seats there as no one to kick and no flight crew – just a wall and a bag storage on the side.
The WORST part of the trip was an old battleaxe low-seniority number flight attendant who was rude and clearly had the attitude that no child should be in First Class. She rudely told us not to let the child past our row of seats and where we set the boundaries was where the child could go and rudely said that the space between the seats was ‘her’ space and to never let the kid into that area.
I looked at her about 2 hours into the flight in the middle of one of her rants and told her that she must be a very unhappy person and that if she bid other trips she would not have to worry about spending a long time with small children, and that if there was another lower seniority flight attendant on the aircraft who actually liked children that we would be happy to change flight attendants.
That really got her snippy to the point that other passengers were apologizing for the flight attendants – and the people in the row right behind us were mortified [their words] at her actions and when we landed told us how well-behaved our son was, sleeping for 5 of the 10 hour flight.
The flight back to STL every one slept the whole way and the FA was much kinder and actually tried to help – depends on the diversity of people I guess.
@ Jane & @ Elliott…Giving kids Medications to make them sleep is very irresponsible in my opinion. Just because these drugs are “Over the Counter” does not make them any less harmful or free of side effects. Would you just give a child antibiotics because you had a “Few extras lying around” and don’t want to waste them? So why does drugging a kid sound like the responsible thing to do to obtain “Peace and Quiet”? Personally, if parents cannot control their children, know they are sick, or unable to fly, then adult decisions need to be made. This includes NOT taking a child onto the plain, leaving a sick kid with a babysitter, or simply postponing one’s plans. Yes, I know it’s inconvenient to do so. Yet, no one said being a parent would be a walk in the park, either. At the end of the day, the child is yours and sometimes he or she will ruin a few things. It’s all part of them growing up. Sorry if I sound like a prude. There are plenty of other people who paid good money not to listen to a screaming child, have their seat kicked, or endure several hours of torture at the behest of lax parenting. Simply put, if bringing toys or other such objects along won’t keep your kid busy, then he or she isn’t up to flying yet.
Justin
@Justin- YES. I made this comment in the other flying-kids post to a mother who seemed delighted that she could just give each of her kids a nip of Bernadryl and then they’d sleep the whole flight. Kids get bored, they get restless but to simply medicate this out of the system whenever they may have to fly strikes me as crazy.
Personally, I crush up a few ambien into my nephew’s breakfast cereal whenever I’m just feeling a little stressed you know? Gives me a few hours of peace and quiet. Also I slip them into their popcorn at the movies so they don’t disturb the other audience members and I can watch the movie quite happily. Saves me a bundle on snacks.
At any rate, if kids are drugged every time they fly they will eventually build an immunity to that medication and it won’t work. Do you find another strategy or up the dose?
I am in the position of considering whether or not to purchase a seat in first class for my 2yr., old toddler. This would not be his first flight, but would be his first flight in First Class. Normally, we fly as a family, but this will be the first trip where my wife and son will be fling without me. The flight will be from Detroit to Los Angeles and it would be significantly easier on her to be able to get through the airport and on to the plane with the FC perks, as well as the wider seats for usage of his car seat and her comfort.
“Forgive me for sounding discriminatory, but the people who can afford to purchase a first class seat for their kid are typically the ones who hire au pairs and governesses to raise their children. Their hands-off approach to child rearing doesn’t fly with me.”
We do not have nannies, and have raised our son by ourselves. He is a very good child and is not prone to long bouts of fussiness, tantrums, or unruley behavior. We are very hands-on.
“A 6 month old baby is going to cry no matter where the baby is on the plane… , That said, there aren’t that many well-behaved children, especially in the US. Parents are too lenient and I agree, they think parenting responsibilities go out the window on a plane, or really in any public situation.”
Our son has been flying since he was 5 mo. old. He has flown to California 5-6 times, Hawaii and Mexico. He has NEVER cried on an airplane (including the landings), with the exception of the return flight from Mexico when another child’s screaming woke him up from his nap. He has NEVER been in the aisle unless we are taking him with out to the bathroom for a changing. In fact, he is better behaved on planes than many older children I have observed.
“Children do not ever belong in first class. Honest to God..let them grow up and earn it like the rest of us.”
While he hasn’t yet “earned” this first class flight, he has a frequent flyer account as well and is on his was to having enough miles for a FC upgrade. So, if it were his miles rather than mine, that would make it acceptable.
The bottom line is that all children should not be painted with the same brush. There are very well-behaved children just as there are unruley monsters. And, there are well-behaved and considerate adults, just as there are loud, obnoxious ones.
Hey, if parents had au pairs – the kids and the au pair are back in Coach. Don’t believe me – ask any flight attendant,
If you had to buy 6 first class seats to, say Orlando, [and actually find an airplane with first class on it] given what the airlines charge for those tickets you could charter a jet. Which I think it is why we are seeing fewer au pairs flying . .
@ Ian – I am glad someone is sensible enough to agree with me that this practice is not only irresponsible, but dangerous. Somewhere along the line, parents figured it was easier to “Make their kid sleep”, than be assertive. Granted, kids are kids and WILL misbehave. It’s just going to happen at some points. I fully am aware that children have their moments. Yet, a parent who chooses to live up to their duties knows how to diffuse the situation or mitigate it (Take child to the rest room on plane as not to disturb others). We all know planes are cramped, and only so much can be done. As a result, I think the words I said before are best. Sick kid? Don’t take them. Child can’t sit still and get’s fussy? Hire a babysitter and go without. Have a little hellian? Leave him or her home or travel when said child is capable of doing so. At the end of the day, people choose to have kids. Just because they are under “2″ and fly free, or you CAN take older ones on a plane, does not mean you should do so. If they can’t behave, there’s a plane full of passengers who spent good money not to listen to your offspring. Somehow, they just aren’t as cute to everyone else when they are running up and down the aisles, yelling, or kicking seats. Maybe it’s just me but Responsibility people!. Medication isn’t the way to own up to it, teach your child a lesson, and let them know who is the parent. A safe bet where many of these problems originate from. It’s called forgetting you are the parent and not their friend. I’ve seen this scenario far too many times myself.
Why is it more acceptable for a child to be disruptive in coach than in first class?
Children are entitled to sit where their tickets indicate. If there are age restrictions, the airlines may not offer those tickets to minors. If there aren’t age restrictions, there aren’t age restrictions.
Instead of writing an article disecting this superficial argument, why not cover the real story: the complete lack of passion for this next generation. Society used to look upon children with pride and with eyes glistening as they considered the potential yet to be uncovered. Our children used to be our most prized possesion. They were our inheritance. Now children are nearly the enemy for some self-centered adults who will not choose to appreciate what they have in children. Yes, they are messy. They are loud. They have energy. So did we all once. All this talk about not flying with children, not taking kids to restuarants or the theater… should we just lock them in a closet and let them fend for themselves? Then one day, after they turn 18, we can appreciate the joy these little ones have to offer. It is just plain crazy to me that we carry on these pointless arguments all for the sake of our self-centered convenience. We love our first class peace and quiet more than the hope and promise of our children.
Jen, with all due respect, I think you’re missing the point of what at least some in this discussion are saying. All I’m asking for is for parents to do their jobs and teach their kids to be responsible, respectful members of society. Does a child have a right to kick the back of my seat for 9 hours because he has “energy”? Does he have the right to spill water and Coke on my head because he’s “messy”? Frankly, I’m tired of hearing people say that this is just “kids being kids” and that they “have the right to express themselves”. Yes, I was a messy, noisy kid at home, but I always behaved myself in front of others or outside the house, because my parents taught me to be respectful and to mind my manners.
@Jen
I have no idea what you are talking about. It seems as if these are two unrelated topics. The hope and promise of children has nothing to do with being well behaved. If anything, being well behaved increases the hope and promise of children as opposed to being self centered and ill mannered.
A stiff “kid fee”. Classic. Umm… Airlines charge a full adult fare for kids. That’s about as stiff a “kid fee” as you’re going to find, especially considering that the 350-lb. guy swallowing your left armrest didn’t pay a nickel more for his seat.
I am a father of a fairly well-behaved three-year old, and a million-miler business traveller. Upgrades are awesome, and I love the first class experience, so much so that I’ve come to loathe those flights where I’m stuck in coach because I didn’t “score my upgrade”.
For international flights, I find myself wanting to agree with those who suggest an age restriction in First Class, simply because of the length of the flight; but for domestic flights, I’m thinking this is no big deal, people. I’ve been in first class with plenty of WILDLY annoying individuals, none of whom have been kids. It’s almost like people think their first class seat gives them the right to be whatever kind of jerk they want. Sure, that cell phone rule doesn’t apply to ME. Neither does that seat-belt sign. Whatever.
Let’s not forget that in many cases, people don’t have any CHOICE but first class. I’m getting ready to book a cross-country trip for my family using miles, and the ONLY award tickets being offered to me are the expensive 50,000-mile tickets, which also happen to be in first class. There are no 25,000-mile awards, no award seats available in coach. Believe me, I’ve tried; I even called the airline. I have no choice for the cheap seats, and if I’m paying the 50,000 miles, I’m taking the first class, toddler and all. My wife and I do a great job of “handling” our son, and if he gets unruly, we can always breeze through the curtain and inflict him upon the coach passengers.
Here’s a tip for anyone who can’t stand children on airplanes: next time you’re on a plane and you have the opportunity to be stuck next to a mother and her child (this is especially cool if her child is between the ages of 1-3), try to INTERACT with them. You might even have fun, and in the process, you might cause that child a little bit less stress, and help to ensure the enjoyment of not only yourself and the kid, but the rest of the plane as well.
We all need to stop being so whiny about kids. People need to remember that when WE were all kids, NOBODY flew as much as we do today; I was 15 before I ever SAW an airplane up close. Now every kid in the country has been on an airplane at least once, some of them have more frequent flyer miles than me.
Was on a Continental flight last week and a middle aged business man fainted during boarding, perhaps due to Diabetes. Paramedics were called and the guy revived. They informed him that once paramedics are called he had to exit the plan even if he was feeling better. Instead he held up the flight and 150 people while he insisted on staying aboard. Threatening to call the cops convinced him to leave and we were able to take off 30 minutes late. Not sure a kid would be that annoying.
Here’s a fine example as to why there should be a mandatory family section on planes, especially on long overseas flights:
A very expensively dressed, extravagantly bejeweled 30 something mother boards an overseas flight with her 5 children – the oldest, a boy age 9, the youngest, a girl approximately 18 months. Mother has a first-class seat. 5 children have tourist class seats scattered throughout the cabin, none of the seats together. 9 year old is seated next to me.
Mother has already downed several drinks while waiting to board. 9 year old is charged with taking care of his 4 siblings including changing the diapers of the 18 month old. All but the 9 year old are crying and frightened.
Before takeoff, the cabin attendants ask passengers to change seats so that the 5 children can be seated together – everyone agrees except for Mother who insists the children remain in their originally ticketed seats; claiming they will be less trouble if separated. Children continue to cry while the 9 year old runs up and down the aisle trying to comfort and quiet them.
Plane takes off. All 5 children are now in the aisles or climbing over seats as the 9 year old and the cabin attendants try in vain to gain some control with no assistance from Mother in first-class who is complaining about the quality of the champagne.
Cabin attendants attempt to serve drinks and lunch to the rest of us while crying children run rampant. After the 4 year old climbs over the seat in from of mine, landing on my lap, for the 3rd time, I lift the child back over the seat, clip him into his seat belt, tighten it as tightly as possible without restricting his breathing and tell him if he moves again there will be dire consequences. Another passenger somewhere forward follows suit and cinches 2 more children into their seats. At that point, a cabin attendant takes the 18 month old’s seat and holds her.
I go forward and retrieve the 9 year old and put him back into the seat next to mine, serve him his lunch, and tell him to take a break. The poor 9 year old was incredibly intelligent and we had quite interesting conversations for the remainder of the flight. Seems only 2 of the 5 children had the same father – Mother marries well and divorces even better. Multiple nannies had quit, the 9 year old had been caring for his step siblings with no help from Mother for several weeks.
All these hours Mother remains in first-class having a wonderful time with a naive businessman, nary a thought as to the welfare of her children back in tourist-class, more interested in the financial status of her seatmate.
Talk about a plane load of people and cabin stewards who had one of the worst flights of their lives……that was us. We were all turned into babysitters, diaper changers, and children’s entertainers, and had to pay the airline for the privilege. One disgusting mother and 5 scared, neglected, abused children held an entire plane hostage.
Why in the heck an airline would sell a mother with 5 small children one first-class ticket and 5 deliberately selected, separate seats in tourist-class is beyond me. When we mercifully deplaned at our destination, the complaint line that quickly formed stretched half-way across the terminal.
There are two easy ways to have no “undesirables” (kids, drunks, whatever) on the plane: charter flights and private jets.
Don’t have that kind of money? Well, tough luck. The world doesn’t owe you a kid-free flight. It’s not like all those kids fly for free, either.
Well, don’t you all see – everything boils down not to children, but to parents and other adults who have an attitude!!! Yes, there are many people who just lack parenting skills, but there are way more people that have them (just read the other comments).
We traveled with our daughter since she was 6 – she was alsways very good. My friend travels often with the 2.5 year-old son. She usually travels transatlantic. Guess what – the kid sleeps or she plays with him and reads to him. Another thing – many mothers breastfeed their kids. Pediatricians highly encourage this. Breastfed kids just eat and calm down and sleep. Therefore, for a mother it is way more convenient to have a seat in the business class cabin – more room, and much more privacy. Why not – they are paying for some privacy too!
Also – what do you mean “the kids have to earn their upgrades” – in my world (may be I am wrong) they have earned it by virtue of birth!
I agree with one of the post – we all became so self-absorbed and proad of what we earned. People who buy buisness class for them and their kids have earned their money too. On the other hand – why FC passangers can not be bothered, while economy passangers can? Second class, eh? What a shame!
I’m a 23 year old non-parent, and while I don’t fly as frequently as I suspect many here do, I’ve rarely had problems with children while flying. I am as irritated as the next person by the sound of a crying baby, but realistically? I think the majority of parents do their best, and most people can no more stop a baby from crying than they can stop the plane in midair.
I had an experience on a plane not long ago where I was flying in a different row from my three friends. I sat next to a mother and her 2 or 3 year old daughter. The little girl was squirmy, and curious, and needed a variety of things to keep her occupied, but honestly, who could expect more of such a young child? Yes, she did babble a lot, as kids that age are wont to do, and for about fifteen minutes at the end, she repeated “bye bye plane” over and over, but for the most part, she behaved as well as I could expect such a young child to behave. The flight was only a few hours, and while I would have preferred to sit next to a quiet, well behaved adult, I was thankful that her mother brought along activities and acted responsibly.
While the occasional horror story happens, I think perhaps we could all benefit from a little patience! :)
Way back in 1992, my husband accepted a job in New Jersey. I followed shortly after. I was flying across country alone with our two week old infant. I remember I was somehow “upgraded” to first class, as there were many empty seats. My infant was able to sleep in his car seat. I had enough room to nurse as he needed. He did cry, especially during take off and occasionally during the flight. I was terribly embarrassed, and yet, I know that the flight would have been much worse for everyone, if I had not had adequate space to accommodate my infant. Much of the flight, he slept in his car seat, a familiar space.
I am truly grateful for the caring flight attendant who recognized our needs and accommodated us. I apologize to any other first class passengers who may have felt their trip was compromised by our presence. We made the move safely, for this I am grateful.