[Cloud-9]

It appears that the crying baby stayed in its seat and flew to LAX

So did the infant

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a8564904/arielle-charnas-delta-first-class-crying-baby/

[canucklad]

You could turn this whole incident on it’s head……..

Forgetting the disgraceful point about DL enforcing a class structure and moving a bawling baby into pleb class, for their ears to endure ,so to speak.

You could argue that women and father for that matter, are terrible parents. If this child was in such distress, as she seems to be inferring than surely the responsible parent would ask to be off loaded rather than subjecting the poor child to % more hours of distress

Just a thought !!

And I wonder if these same parents will book an Amtrak service back to NY, or will they put their precious baby through more pain and distress returning to the Big Apple

[FCTraveller]

[quote quote=784523]Yes. They did bump them off !! http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/33724426

[/quote]
First of all, let’s stick to facts here. The title is completely misleading. Nobody was bumped off the flight nor were they asked to leave the plane. In fact, as reported in the press “Arielle refused to move from her seat and, after crying herself out, Ruby slept for the rest of the flight”. What the flight attendant did is ask the parent to move to the back of the plane, which in my opinion was wrong. That would be simply shifting the problem and affecting more people, who in some cases could have paid more money for a last minute Y seat than someone who bought a promotional F fare. I too travel first class and find it incredibly annoying when this happens. I don’t have any children and this is by choice. I roll my eyes, I curse under my breath, etc. But we all need to remember a few things: 1) everyone has the right to travel and 2) when this happens to me, I try and think one thing … I as a 1 year old child must have done the same thing on a few occasions, we all did. However frustrating, you just have to grin and bear it. Children under 2 cannot be turned off like a “boom box”. And this is not a matter of parents not being able to control their child, they can only do their best to alleviate the situation. The only situation where I think an airline is justified to offload a passenger with a crying baby is if they have cause to believe that the child is in serious distress or there is a possible medical issue. Excluding children under 2 from First Class will never happen only because the airlines will not want to suffer the bad publicity and ensuing boycotts. In the end, passengers just need to grow up or take a private jet if it bothers them that much.

Having said all that, there is also the issue of misbehaving children in situations where any reasonable parent should be able to control their child aged 3 or older. If they are not able to do that, whether this is because the child is throwing a persistent tantrum or generally misbehaving and where the parent is either unable or unwilling to keep it under control, then the airline should offload them.

[DavidSmith2]

I know I will get some stick and I do accept there are other issues involved, but for me the purpose of paying for business or first class, is to get a better level of service and a better flying experience. Babies and very small children, whether or not their parents are acting responsibly, are not conducive to a good flying experience. Children over the age of 4 or 5 can be fine, provided they are properly supervised by their parents or another responsible adult.

No one wants to be in close proximity to a crying infant – including the parents – but if anyone has to be, then it should be those in economy class who have not paid for the ‘privilege’ of a less stressful flight.

For me – no infants in business or first. No children under 5 in first. And all parents to be responsible for their children that they do not scream and cry, do not kick the seat in front of them, and do not run up and down the aisle.

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve have four children and when the kids nanny travelled with us they would go in economy, but if not they would travel in the premium section with us, even as babies. Not once did they cry as they were rested and well fed.

When they needed feeding Mrs. LP would go to the bathroom. She would never even consider feeding them in public unless with a bottle, and even then she preferred to do that discreetly so as to avoid disturbing passengers (and more importantly me?) in the middle of the night.

As they grew older they were not allowed to run around and create havoc in either the lounge or the cabin and we certainly were not parents who felt entitled because we had children with us. We’re not the only parents who act this way and the majority are the same, it’s just unfortunate that a minority of parents are in my opinion arrogant and fail to discipline their children thus spoiling things for the majority. They need to learn to say “stop” or “no”!

[MartynSinclair]

From what I have observed over the past year or so, if parents put down their phones/tablets and catered for the needs of their children, in most cases, the issues would be avoided. This is relevant in the lounges and aircraft.

Whilst a crying baby on landing / take off is annoying, especially when sat in close proximity, in most cases, with a parent caring for the baby, the baby becomes settled, when the aircraft becomes “settled”..

[LuganoPirate]

Fully agree Martyn. Well said.

[Cashsuds]

LuganoPirate

Well said. That’s what I would expect – civility. But it appears that with modern travel and so called “political correctness” what you are proposing appears too difficult!!!

[canucklad]

This is an interesting one, whilst David Smith2 eloquently puts forward the view that paying a premium price should ensure a child free space and thus a peaceful stress-free environment, I’d suggest that someone who can afford to fly in 1st could possibly afford a little bit more and avail of a private jet company thus avoiding public transport altogether.

Where I’m at odds with David’s assertion that “Y” passengers pay less and so should be more accepting of infant disturbance is my own experience years ago.
I paid BA near on 1K to fly ED-OZ return in Y .My ears were subjected to what seemed like almost continuous wailing from LHR to BGK. In reality the wee baby sat next me. Had sporadic crying spells interlaced with bouts of welcome silence as the poor thing slept.
Getting back to my point……At the time ,1K to me was an absolute fortune. Whereas I’m sure passengers who’d probably paid 5 times the amount , quite probably would happily chuck 3K away on flash bottles of champagne at a Stringfellows Saturday night!!. It’s all relative.

Simply put, regardless of the class of travel, parents need to be more pro-active.

Having said that, my crying neighbour was well loved, and I’m sure the parents were quite embarrassed by the quite impressive noise coming out of such a small body.

[Cashsuds]

Canucklad
My sympathies lie with you and appreciate your virtue of patience.
My point is – rather than to put the poor miserable bundle of joy to such torture, amounting to torture and to other passengers why can’t we have a ruling that all babies under 2 will not be allowed on board ??

[Ahmad]

[quote quote=786119]Canucklad
My sympathies lie with you and appreciate your virtue of patience.
My point is – rather than to put the poor miserable bundle of joy to such torture, amounting to torture and to other passengers why can’t we have a ruling that all babies under 2 will not be allowed on board ??

[/quote]

And how do you propose the poor dears travel when necessary — by horse-drawn carriage?

[AlanOrton1]

Not allowing babies under 2 on a plane – while I enjoy the often diverse opinion on this forum, this one seems beyond daft.

[GivingupBA]

Cashsuds, you said “why can’t we have a ruling that all babies under 2 will not be allowed on board ??”

Leaving holidays aside, endless families with babies under 2 have to take intercontinental journeys for (for example) reassignment, emigration, and funerals. How do you suggest they travel if they’re not allowed to fly?

[Cashsuds]

GivingupBA – There are many other forms of transport, private jet, by sea, train, horse drawn, camel drawn. Etc etc,
And does baby need to attend funerals?

We have rules for transportation of beloved animals or pets. I consider them part of my family but they cannot travel in any class by air except in the hold. So why not rules for under twos?

[Ahmad]

I’ve never practised nor condone irresponsible parenting. However, one thing is clear as daylight to me — we are well past the Victorian Age in most parts of this Planet.

[Author]

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