[Binman62]

Summerhill…….not sure you have added anything to the debate but you certainly have some underlying issues which you really should address.

[ivornomates]

Summerhill maybe a long time since you flew KLM as they stopped with first class along long time ago. Apart from that I agree with you keep the little bratts as far away as possible from premium cabins

[MartynSinclair]

I think the only issue that Sunmerhill has is to use private jets rather than airlines.

If I see a booking I will certainly load some cuddly toys and soothers………….

[rickasia]

Dear MartyhnSinclair
I’m assuming your only “issue” is to get kids be bad educate as parents.
Always is not a problem of issues but of respect and education.

I already got on the fly discussion with parents as you and mostrly cabin crew stand on my side, since is a metter of fact that because you pay is not enought to allowed you or kids to be bad educate.

[PatJordan]

ivornomates,

if pax pay the fare for their children in premium cabins, they have as much right to be there as you or I.

Pat

[lloydah]

As I mentioned on another thread, flew LHR IAD this week. There were 5 children in F, not a sound from any of them apart from the odd “please” and “thankyou”.

[RichHI1]

Disagree. Just because you have bought a ticket does not give you the right to upset others.I have as much tolerance of parents with noisy uncrontrolled children who they ignore as I do for drunks and people playing music so loud that it is audible in the cabin.
I reserve my real disdain for those parents who take very young children on long haul flights.I understand from a Pediatrician friend that it is not helpful to take young babies onto flights particularly long haul as they are unable to balance the pressure in their ears. We should think not only about the comfort of other passengers but also the comfort of the child.

[LuganoPirate]

Trouble is, if you have to travel, air is often the best way. Otherwise its boat or car, neither of which is practical if you have to go 10,000 kms or more.

People need to travel and sometimes they need to do it with kids, it’s unavoidable. My kids are at school in S. Africa and they come back twice a year with me and my wife. They look forward to seeing their friends and grandparents in Europe and it would be wrong to deny them this. Mine are quiet, the smallest, 8, goes to sleep immediately, and the other, 11, plays with his iPAd or the IFE then sleeps.

I would suggest if you want to minimise on flying with kids, then check the school holidays of the departing and arriving countries, and avoid the periods 3 or 4 days before and after the end of term and start of term.

[PatJordan]

My (then 10 month old) grandson flew DUB-MCO: a 9.5 hour flight. He spent the majority of the flight asleep in his bassinette…enjoyed the experience judging by the smile on his face….didn’t cause the slightest bit of trouble for anybody.

Yes, some children can be a bit noisy at times, but no more so than many adults I have seen in some flights over the years.

That said, I can understand that some pax prefer to sleep undisturbed. I can’t really see any airline coming up with adult only flights, so for those who don’t want to travel in the same space as children, LuganoPirate’s excellent advice is the way to go.

Pat

[SimonRowberry]

Lugano, Pat,

Well considered, intelligent and tolerant posts. As ever.

Needless to say, I wholeheartedly agree with both of you.

It’s the adults who cause me problems in premium cabins, and given the unbridled and blinkered arrogance of one or two posters on this thread, I guess there should be no surprises there.

Simon

[Airtravel104]

Before the movie begins, there is a humorous short which reminds the audience that they are not at home watching TV. In consideration of other movie viewers, the audience is requested to turn off their sell phones, not to talk to one another, and refrain from “text-ing.”
Why can’t airlines do the same, and to add that if the cabin pressure makes the ears hurt, passenges can hold their noses tight and blow, and the eardrums will pop. Many adults don’t know that and suffer from that pain. Children can understand this and even might find it fun. Also parents do not realize that at certain ages children do not realize that they are speaking loudly. Parents often speak at the same volume as their children, thus raising the decibel. Parents who speak in a normal tone of voice usually have children who would adjust to the parents’ speech. Besides adult passengers could really learn something about allowing some quiet and peace for other passengers. Indeed when some adults talk incessantly in a typed up mode, or those who talk loudly on cellphone can be really awful. There’s got to be some consideration in all directions. It wasn’t so bad that cabin attendants used to be called air-hostesses. A hostess fields uncomfortable situations instead of shirking their responsibility when it comes to business first. Indeed no one has earned any right to bother others by paying more.
Parents who leave babies crying in the crib, or leave a child wandering around the cabin, and take sleeping pills (both), are shirking their responsibilities also. That sort of behavior would be considered criminal neglect, but somehow is condoned up in the air. Crazy.

[RichHI1]

Whilst I have a low tolerance for negligent parenting I must be lucky as I have very few examples of such bad behaviour or such bad behaviour not being stopped by the parents. On the whole my experience has been very positive though that could be because 90% of my flying is long haul. The two worst experiences were both with virtually new born babies who howled the whole flight (hence my discussion with the Pediatrician friend) in both instances the parents were going on vacation and completely ignored the child’s complaints.
So overall I compliment parents on planes as I know it must be hard.
I think it is worhty of note the BA and AA in some locations have children’s areas in their lounges. I have no tolerance at all for FF’s bringing gaggles of screaming children into the lounge and then letting them run riot. My policy would be no child area no kids under 12. Which is not to say that most parents do not try very hard to make their children behave. My biggest peeve with children in lounges though is not screaing kids but whiney adolescents who play with the PC’s downloading and infecting with impunity and monopolizing the PC area as their space preventing business users from accessing.
Last thought, if you do get stuck with loud kids I recommend Bose QC headphones or my Bratbusters as I call them.

[TiredOldHack]

“Bratbusters”. Love it.

Ultimately, I think (and this has been an interesting and long-running thread), I think the issue is not ‘obnoxious kids in business class’ but ‘obnoxious kids anywhere’.

Am I the only person here who remembers the old BOAC ‘schoolkids specials’, when the Boeing 707s and VC10s were ferrying boarding school children to or from their parents in various far-flung places? I remember we used to meet the same faces, flight after flight.

At age 11 I was accompanied by my large toy rubber crocodile called Horace (bought from London Zoo). I recall that one of the stewardesses borrowed him, and we watched down the aisle as she went through the door to the flight deck, crept up behind the pilot, and dangled Horace in front of his face. To his credit, the VC10 didn’t even twitch.

Not sure I’d have wanted to be an adult passenger or cabin crew on some of those trips, whatever class of travel 🙂

[KeaneJohn]

I have to say that I have been fortunate not to experience any really bad children in premium cabins, well in any cabin.

I have to admit boarding UC with VS in LAX bound for LHR I was horrified to see a 6 yr old sitting a few seats away with his mum and dad.

After take off, they fed him with some food brought on before his meal arrived and put him to bed. Before the cabin was dimmed, they covered his suite with a couple of blankets to make it darker for him. He slept until about 75 minutes before arriving in LHR and was occupied

On disembarking I said to his parents they should be proud of their sons behaviour and try to remark to all parents where I see kids behaving so well. I think the poor parents think OMG everybody hates us when they board the flight with kids. I think it is usually appreciated.

Whilst the IFE is pretty good nowadays with most airlines having kids audio and visual channels, my sister always makes sure her laptop has a few CBBC programmes on iplayer with good headphones, a few up to date apps on her iphone to play with and a colouring/sticker book to keep my 6 yr old nephew occupied.

[RichHI1]

Talking of IFE and kids, I think we are all used to the santizied movie edits on board BA and AA with copious warnings if the characters say anything worse than bother it. Took an Iberia to MEX via MAD when my flight went Tech a year ago and was stunned (takes a lot) wathcing one of the Spanish movies with no warning, Full Frontal Nudity and some direct if not profane langauge (not stuff I learnt at school I can tell you … ¡Hijo de p*ta!

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