Travel with Children - Can't decide between AA & BA

I will be flying solo with my 17 month old from JFK to LHR. On the return we will be joined by my husband. I am having a hard time deciding between AA and BA. BA I know might be friendlier for the baby and (in my past experience) will be better in terms of service. BA is about $240 higher for all three tickets.

The sticking point for me is that on AA we can pre-select our seats and take a wing with the 2 seats outbound. On the BA 777 we can not pre-select our seats (I have no status) and we would have the 3-5-3 configuration. I thought about purchasing WT+ for the outbound but when I worked it all out it is more than I want to spend.

One other advantage to flying BA is that on the return we would all be able (hopefully) to sit together in a row which is what I would like but my main concern is ease of travel and comfort for my son so that he doesn't create too much of a fuss and distrub others around us. As a side note, I plan to use a CARES harness. Also, I like the BA terminals more.

My questions for parents that have flown either or both airlines with toddlers: Am I missing any part of the big picture here? Is the seating issue less of a problem than I am making it? Will a 17 month old even notice any of the amenities that BA has for kids?I have flown this route on both pre baby and I am comfortable on both. Any advice on how to make this choice?

Personally, I couldn't justify the difference in price. What would you be getting from BA? A few toys? Free drinks? How you're treated depends on the crew on the day. I would say, save your money!

The BA 777 is a 3-3-3 configuration so with just one child, that should work. World Traveller Plus has 2-4-2.

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/British_Airways/British_Airways_Boeing_777-200.php

The CARES harness is accepted by BA so that's not a factor.

For such a short transatlantic, I don't think it should make too much of a difference, especially for the price.

By the way, good work getting the hubby to be with you on the way back, which is longer and more difficult with kids IMHO.

I have flown internationally on US based airlines and international based airlines. It is my preference to fly international based airlines for flights across the Atlantic and Pacific. I think that international based airlines in general have better products and services. In regards to First Class and Business Class products, the international airlines are years ahead. For example, some of the US based airlines are now just installing flat-bed (180 degrees) seats. Two years ago, we flew coach on Cathay Pacific and it was far superior than coach on United.

It is a tough call for me. In a perfect world I would BA WT+ for the two of us and WT for the three of us. I agree that the international carriers are light years ahead of the domestic ones for international travel.

On the next go round (yes, I'm already planning a trip for after a trip I haven't even taken yet) I will budget for perfect world. This time, I'm going to go with AA. When my son is older and can enjoy the amenities of BA we'll go that way.

The European airlines superficially have more bells and whistles. In terms of safety, the American companies have the upper hand. We were much more controlled than our European counterparts and my European coworkers found things much more strict with an American company, i.e. more FAA inspections and little details like restricting non-safety related duties while taxiing (I see European crews up doing all sorts of things on taxi!)

Some European companies fall short on protecting the littlest travellers, like requiring dangerous double seat belts and not allowing rear-facing car seats, neither which have any safety logic. With an older child, this of course is not a factor.

I can't justify a big difference in price for very superficial amenities. With my luck, I would go for the plusher company, only to take a big delay and watch the "cheaper" flight go out on time!

My dh recently flew business to the U.S. on United, back on Lufthansa. He reported back to me that the service was much better on United. I was surprised, especially since he can't speak English.

It really is up to the crew on the day!

Have a good flight.

I can't justify a big difference in price for very superficial amenities. I can...having a choice between a seat with 165 degree recline on US Airways or a Flat Bed on BA, LH or VS...it is a no brainer for me especially on a 10-hr flight. I have no problems sleeping on a flat bed seat but is is hard for me to sleep in a 165 degree recline seat. When you have a 10-hr flight, the inflight entertainment is also important.

The European airlines superficially have more bells and whistles. In terms of safety, the American companies have the upper hand. We were much more controlled than our European counterparts and my European coworkers found things much more strict with an American company, i.e. more FAA inspections and little details like restricting non-safety related duties while taxiing (I see European crews up doing all sorts of things on taxi!)

Some European companies fall short on protecting the littlest travellers, like requiring dangerous double seat belts and not allowing rear-facing car seats, neither which have any safety logic. With an older child, this of course is not a factor.

I can't justify a big difference in price for very superficial amenities. With my luck, I would go for the plusher company, only to take a big delay and watch the "cheaper" flight go out on time!

My dh recently flew business to the U.S. on United, back on Lufthansa. He reported back to me that the service was much better on United. I was surprised, especially since he can't speak English.

It really is up to the crew on the day!

Have a good flight.

I think this is verging on jingoism and has been reported accordingly.

Safety should not be an issue when comparing BA and AA. Though I think AA was fined by the FAA recently for circumventing safety inspections?

Bells and whistles can be important when flying with a kid. Though I have a soft spot for AA and have had good experiences with them in business class - they don't provide bassinets, child meals, and only rarely early boarding and/or bulkhead seating when traveling with an infant. AA FAs also tend not to provide special consideration to parents with small kids.

I also tend to find Brits more forgiving (polite) when it comes to parents with small children (though this is clearly very subjective).

In the end - the differences will not be huge and your attitude and how your kid behaves will be determine whether the flight will be bearable. I do feel I would rather give my business to a kid friendly (mostly non-US) airline.

I can...having a choice between a seat with 165 degree recline on US Airways or a Flat Bed on BA, LH or VS...it is a no brainer for me especially on a 10-hr flight. I have no problems sleeping on a flat bed seat but is is hard for me to sleep in a 165 degree recline seat. When you have a 10-hr flight, the inflight entertainment is also important.

I agree - and if I were travelling solo or just with my husband there would be no choice to be made. BA all the way and I would have no qualms paying for a higher class. Somehow I don't think that baby and I would be that welcome in Business or First. Perhaps in a few years when he has had more flights under his belt and really knows how to be patient and behave.

Somehow I don't think that baby and I would be that welcome in Business or First. Perhaps in a few years when he has had more flights under his belt and really knows how to be patient and behave. My 3-YO has flown FC several times both domestic and international flights. He started to fly when he was 3 months old. He have been well behaved on his flights because of our prep work before and during the flight as well as he loves to fly. I fly for business on a regular basis and I can tell you that I will take a toddler with a responsible parent in FC over a drunken FC passenger, a FC passenger who spent a 3-hr flight trying to sell me on joining Amway, a FC passenger who shouts into his cell phone when speaking, a FC passenger who takes your seat because it is a better seat and etc.

When our son was 16 months, we went on a 'long' trip (PHX to LAX to FRA to PVG to HKG to PVG to ICN to LAX to PHX) where he had his own First Class seat on LH and Business Class seat on OZ. He went to sleep on his flat-bed seat like he was sleeping on his own bed. On OZ, they treated him and us like royalty which is very typical on an Asia based airline...they carried our carry-on luggage from the gate, down the jetway and unto the plane as well as from the plane back to the gate...the FAs came by every 15 minutes asking if there anything that our son needs.