Children in Upper / First Class

[DoubleSix]

Just st parenting, that is all, nothing new I'm afraid.

Anyway, for those that missed it the answer was given by someone earlier;

Don't like sharing a plane with kids? - Hire your own, it's PUBLIC transport.

Don't like sharing a restaurant with kids? - Pick another, there's plenty that don't allow them.

'Hate' children? - Have a fking word with yourself.


As an aside, a little story to share, I went to an open air production in Regents Park the other day (To Kill a Mocking Bird - Fantastic!) and surprise, surprise half the auditorium was filled with kids from inner city schools in large excitable groups speaking in some form of modern tongue I could just about understand.

Me and my companion shot glances at each other, took a deep breath and settled in our seats. However, the tweed clad old duffer in the row in front of us took great exception to having to share the same space as these youths and made sure all around him knew as much; "should of booked the evening showing" etc etc

Ironically as the story did it's work and the actors weaved their spell a hush befell all and the chattering kids became absorbed, as did we.... despite the hacking smokers cough the old boy desperately tried and failed to stifle every few minutes.

If you go into public spaces expect the public.

[Kermit power]

Crossflow Kid said:

So easy to spot the parents versus non-parents

Not always. I'm a parent, but I'm also in the camp that says it's incredibly selfish to take babies and small children on long haul flights.

Before I had kids, I used to regularly fly on business to the Middle East, South Africa and the US, generally on overnight flights. On a typical flight to Dubai, for example, my employer would be paying over £2k for my ticket so that I could walk off the flight and straight into a business meeting via the nearest shower.

One crying baby nearby would be enough to ensure little or no sleep and leave me fked for the rest of the day! Why on earth should everyone else, paying through the nose for their tickets, not get what they've paid for just because someone wants to fly darling little Rupert and Jacasta to see their grandparents?

Since I've had my own kids, I have become no more tolerant of it. I don't inflict my kids on other people on long haul flights, and I don't want other people to inflict theirs on me. It's not my fault if someone chose to move to the other side of the world. If you want your kids to talk to their grandparents, use Skype or fly the grandparents over.

[toon10]

I upgraded last month on a trip to the States on the dreamliner. The family in front of me had a toddler who spent the whole flight spilling choclate on my partner, kicking the seat in front and generally behaving badly including severla full on screaming sessions. Her mother looked like something from a Jeremy Kyle show and kept handing her over to the gran whenver the beahviour got on her nerves too much. Now these seats cost me £1300 x 3 but at the end of the day, as annoying as the experience was, they're just as entitled to upgrade as I am.

Oh and some big bloke from the cheap seats kept sneaking past the curtain and using our loo!

[thehawk]

Kermit power said:

One crying baby nearby would be enough to ensure little or no sleep and leave me fked for the rest of the day! Why on earth should everyone else, paying through the nose for their tickets, not get what they've paid for just because someone wants to fly darling little Rupert and Jacasta to see their grandparents?

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

[DoubleSix]

Kermit power said:

Not always. I'm a parent, but I'm also in the camp that says it's incredibly selfish to take babies and small children on long haul flights.

Before I had kids, I used to regularly fly on business to the Middle East, South Africa and the US, generally on overnight flights. On a typical flight to Dubai, for example, my employer would be paying over £2k for my ticket so that I could walk off the flight and straight into a business meeting via the nearest shower.

One crying baby nearby would be enough to ensure little or no sleep and leave me fked for the rest of the day! Why on earth should everyone else, paying through the nose for their tickets, not get what they've paid for just because someone wants to fly darling little Rupert and Jacasta to see their grandparents?

Since I've had my own kids, I have become no more tolerant of it. I don't inflict my kids on other people on long haul flights, and I don't want other people to inflict theirs on me. It's not my fault if someone chose to move to the other side of the world. If you want your kids to talk to their grandparents, use Skype or fly the grandparents over.

Whilst I sympathise I don't recall the conditions of the "over £2k" ticket stating you are guaranteed sleep and are paying to negate the possibility of being disturbed by children, so I fail to see why you aren't "getting what you paid for". Now if you paid however many thousands for private charter and the pilot popped his head round the door and said "don't mind if little Johnny beds down next to you do you?" then I can understand your surprise.

Your 2k buys you; legroom, better food, better inflight entertainment and some false sense of superiority (you are definitely getting you monies worth out of that last one btw). Your 2k does not buy you complete privacy and a guarantee of silence at night. For that you might want to try one of those new 'suites' Etihad offer for around 20k a pop.

[Sheepshanks]

DoubleSix said:

Whilst I sympathise I don't recall the conditions of the "over £2k" ticket stating you are guaranteed sleep and are paying to negate the possibility of being disturbed by children, so I fail to see why you aren't "getting what you paid for".

BA's sleeper service says something about an undisturbed night's sleep.

[Zod]

thehawk said:

Kermit power said:

One crying baby nearby would be enough to ensure little or no sleep and leave me fked for the rest of the day! Why on earth should everyone else, paying through the nose for their tickets, not get what they've paid for just because someone wants to fly darling little Rupert and Jacasta to see their grandparents?

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

I have never been kept awake on a long haul flight by a crying child (my own have kept me awake by wanting food/loo/entertainment), but I have more than once been kept awake by a snoring fatty elsewhere in the cabin.

[DoubleSix]

Sheepshanks said:

BA's sleeper service says something about an undisturbed night's sleep.

Show me the guarantee and we'll talk.

[Prawnboy]

Zod said:

I have never been kept awake on a long haul flight by a crying child (my own have kept me awake by wanting food/loo/entertainment), but I have more than once been kept awake by a snoring fatty elsewhere in the cabin.

yep, more annoying inconsiderate adults on every flight than kids.

[Sheepshanks]

DoubleSix said:

Show me the guarantee and we'll talk.

It's implied in their offer of an undisturbed night.

[Kermit power]

thehawk said:

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

Lucky you. I had three in six months, all going to Dubai for some reason. Never had it going to South Africa or the US though.

[Vipers]

swerni said:

Kermit power said:

thehawk said:

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

Lucky you. I had three in six months, all going to Dubai for some reason. Never had it going to South Africa or the US though.

I'd say that someone who paid for their own ticket should have more rights than someone on a work jolly

Don't matter who pays for it, as said previously, you are travelling on public transport.

[Vipers]

swerni said:

Vipers said:

swerni said:

Kermit power said:

thehawk said:

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

Lucky you. I had three in six months, all going to Dubai for some reason. Never had it going to South Africa or the US though.

I'd say that someone who paid for their own ticket should have more rights than someone on a work jolly

Don't matter who pays for it, as said previously, you are travelling on public transport.

So he should put up or shut up?

(I'm with you, sorry Chris)

Do what he thinks is best, freedom of speech and all that, I was just reiterating what had already been pointed out.

[Kermit power]

swerni said:

Vipers said:

swerni said:

Kermit power said:

thehawk said:

But it really isn't an issue is it, if in fact you were a regular flyer you'd know that screaming kids, or crying babies, are very rare, and badly behaved kids are extremely rare on the "premium" carriers.

I do around 250,000+ miles a year, 2 long haul and 6 short haul a month, for the last 5 years and I cannot remember once having children ruin a flight. That's on a mix of Emirates, Singapore, Thai and Air NZ. So maybe the clientele are different on the cheaper airlines, or more holiday focused ones, but really I think it's just a non-existent problem.

Lucky you. I had three in six months, all going to Dubai for some reason. Never had it going to South Africa or the US though.

I'd say that someone who paid for their own ticket should have more rights than someone on a work jolly

Don't matter who pays for it, as said previously, you are travelling on public transport.

So he should put up or shut up?

(I'm with you, sorry Chris)

So long as I can extend "putting up" to putting the little fkers up in a luggage compartment at the other end of the plane, I'm all for it!

Given the appearance of the kids keeping me awake, I would be gobsmacked if they'd paid for their own tickets though.

[SlackBladder]

Kermit power said:

So long as I can extend "putting up" to putting the little fkers up in a luggage compartment at the other end of the plane, I'm all for it!

Given the appearance of the kids keeping me awake, I would be gobsmacked if they'd paid for their own tickets though.

What's appearance got to do with it?

[DoubleSix]

SlackBladder said:

Kermit power said:

So long as I can extend "putting up" to putting the little fkers up in a luggage compartment at the other end of the plane, I'm all for it!

Given the appearance of the kids keeping me awake, I would be gobsmacked if they'd paid for their own tickets though.

What's appearance got to do with it?

Not sure. But lets hope they don't make similar judgements when they see Kermit entering his vehicle upon arrival...

[oyster]

Petrus1983 said:

markiii said:

taking a 1 year old on a plane is stupid and selfish, forget what class your in

I'm taking a 7 week old baby on a transatlantic flight next week - what does that make me?

It makes you incapable of reading a post.

There's a world of difference between a 7 week old baby and a 1 year old baby.

[Kermit power]

SlackBladder said:

Kermit power said:

So long as I can extend "putting up" to putting the little fkers up in a luggage compartment at the other end of the plane, I'm all for it!

Given the appearance of the kids keeping me awake, I would be gobsmacked if they'd paid for their own tickets though.

What's appearance got to do with it?

If you can afford to spend £10k+ for five Club World tickets to Dubai for you, your wife and your three vile little darlings, I wouldn't particularly expect you to dress said little darlings at Primark. They were quite clearly being flown out there by one of their parents' employers, so no more paying out of their own pocket than I was.

[DoubleSix]

Kermit power said:

SlackBladder said:

Kermit power said:

So long as I can extend "putting up" to putting the little fkers up in a luggage compartment at the other end of the plane, I'm all for it!

Given the appearance of the kids keeping me awake, I would be gobsmacked if they'd paid for their own tickets though.

What's appearance got to do with it?

If you can afford to spend £10k+ for five Club World tickets to Dubai for you, your wife and your three vile little darlings, I wouldn't particularly expect you to dress said little darlings at Primark. They were quite clearly being flown out there by one of their parents' employers, so no more paying out of their own pocket than I was.

Wow. Do you know what you sound like?

[thehawk]

Kermit power said:

If you can afford to spend £10k+ for five Club World tickets to Dubai for you, your wife and your three vile little darlings, I wouldn't particularly expect you to dress said little darlings at Primark. They were quite clearly being flown out there by one of their parents' employers, so no more paying out of their own pocket than I was.

But they were paying 4-5x as much as you were, so really they were entitled to take their kids, noisy or not, for the extra £8k they were paying above your ticket.