Business Class and First Class with children [Merged Threads]
#151
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
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I think that this is a topic that has had more than its share of discussion here and that there isn't much more that needs to be said unless you have specific insights you'd wish to share or discuss.
If you are interested in reading what others have had to say, you may search the archives; you shouldn't have trouble finding one of the many threads that exist.
Happy Reading!
If you are interested in reading what others have had to say, you may search the archives; you shouldn't have trouble finding one of the many threads that exist.
Happy Reading!
#152
Join Date: May 2005
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It's fun up here. Wheeee! My seat has all these cool buttons. Lots of mean old guys to annoy by kicking on seats and crying. It's funny when they stare back at me with their mean faces... what do they want?
Mommy, daddy, are we there yet?
Agrees with FlyinHawaiian
Mommy, daddy, are we there yet?
Agrees with FlyinHawaiian
#154
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Seattle
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I have flown over 100,000 miles in first class for the past nine years and never once have experienced a problem with children in first. Every first class kid on our flights has been first class. So what's the problem?
There was one occasion where a coach Mom was running her squealing three-year-old from the very front of the plane to the very back of the plane, time after time. The FA requested that she confine their exercise to their own cabin. Hurray, hurray!
That's it. No big deal for me.
There was one occasion where a coach Mom was running her squealing three-year-old from the very front of the plane to the very back of the plane, time after time. The FA requested that she confine their exercise to their own cabin. Hurray, hurray!
That's it. No big deal for me.
#155
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
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#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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There was one occasion where a coach Mom was running her squealing three-year-old from the very front of the plane to the very back of the plane, time after time. The FA requested that she confine their exercise to their own cabin. Hurray, hurray!
That's it. No big deal for me.
That's it. No big deal for me.
The truly wealthy and royal look down upon us both.
Last edited by birdstrike; Apr 4, 2007 at 11:25 pm
#157
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
75-85% of the time not an issue. 15-25% of the time can get real annoying. Crying baby for 50% of the time over a 12 hour period. Diaper changing odors. Kicking back of seat. Pulling your hair. (actually didn't mind too much because it only provided a reason to have a few more glasses of wine.) etc. etc. There have been a lot a very good children in first and some exceptional babies. Baby crying during take off and landing is understandable, especially with some unreasonable pressure changes. In those few cases where you personally experience a pressure change problem, just imagine what the baby is going through. Remember the pressure changes on the old DC-9s?
#158
Join Date: Jan 2007
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75-85% of the time not an issue. 15-25% of the time can get real annoying. Crying baby for 50% of the time over a 12 hour period. Diaper changing odors. Kicking back of seat. Pulling your hair. (actually didn't mind too much because it only provided a reason to have a few more glasses of wine.) etc. etc. There have been a lot a very good children in first and some exceptional babies.
But the same can be said about other groups of travelers.
75-85% of the time, business travelers are OK; 15-25% they get drunk and obnoxious. (and interesting ^ )
75-85% of the time, old people are OK; 15-25% they are cranky, smelly and slow.
75-85% of the time everybody is OK. The other 15-25% of the time there are procedures for dealing with it. Kids are no different.
Not trying to extend the thread; I think that BF263533 is right on target and has the right outlook. ^
#159
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I suspect, birdstrike that the truly wealthy and royal (flying in their private planes and getting no miles--it is so sad that they are out of the game) spend exactly as little time thinking about me as I spend thinking about them. Read Zero!
Praise God for membership to the entitled working class. ^
Praise God for membership to the entitled working class. ^
#160
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: OKC/DFW
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What FlyinHawaiian said. If the OP plans to take children into F, the only concern is making sure they are well-behaved. If the OP is just curious about others' opinions, search will yield plenty.
#161
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Since the OP has not provided any additional comments pertaining to traveling with children, this thread will be closed for housekeeping purposes. Posters wishing to discuss this topic further may add their thoughts to any of the numerous existing threads in the archives that discusses children in the front cabins of airplanes.
Here are a few links to existing discussions:
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=573211
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=527289
BAMAT
Moderator, Travel with Children
Here are a few links to existing discussions:
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=573211
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=527289
BAMAT
Moderator, Travel with Children
#162
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Travelling with Kids up front
No doubt there are threads on this, but I did look and didn't see anything recent.
What is the general opinion about kids coming along for flights, especially in J/F cabins on long hauls TPAC TATL itineraries... is there an age limit that seems to be best for travel, and how old can you get away with them in your seat (or do you need to have their own seat from very early?)
Planning ahead a bit here, on several fronts
What is the general opinion about kids coming along for flights, especially in J/F cabins on long hauls TPAC TATL itineraries... is there an age limit that seems to be best for travel, and how old can you get away with them in your seat (or do you need to have their own seat from very early?)
Planning ahead a bit here, on several fronts
#163
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No doubt there are threads on this, but I did look and didn't see anything recent.
What is the general opinion about kids coming along for flights, especially in J/F cabins on long hauls TPAC TATL itineraries... is there an age limit that seems to be best for travel, and how old can you get away with them in your seat (or do you need to have their own seat from very early?)
Planning ahead a bit here, on several fronts
What is the general opinion about kids coming along for flights, especially in J/F cabins on long hauls TPAC TATL itineraries... is there an age limit that seems to be best for travel, and how old can you get away with them in your seat (or do you need to have their own seat from very early?)
Planning ahead a bit here, on several fronts
That said, for award travel, int'l can be complicated because (unlike domestic) you have to pay for lap children. It's 10% of the published fare -- which, up front, can be a lot!
I'm sure there are several threads on this. My knowledge on this is a decade old, because my kids are now older.
As far as age goes, look, very young children (under age 4, perhaps?) on airplanes are a bit annoying to both the parent and fellow travellers. In an ideal world, I'd leave all small children with grandma while you travel. But that's not always possible, and I'm sure others will disagree with me on this.
#164
Join Date: Dec 2011
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I have travelled short and long haul with my children since they were babies. Own seat kicks in from age 2 for most if not all airlines.
IME it is hard to take young kids in "real" long haul F because the separation between individual seating spaces/suites in many true F layouts makes it very hard to supervise children (for their own safety etc as much as out of consideration for other passengers). So I wouldn't take a young child in F on, say, a QF A380.
Not everyone will agree with me but I say there's a pretty good argument that children are less disruptive to other passengers in J than they are in Y simply because they are further away from other passengers. Plus they have more room to stretch out and sleep on a long haul flight, so the chances may be better that they will travel well. Of course, none of this detracts from parental responsibility to properly supervise children no matter what class they are in and minimise disturbance to others.
IME it is hard to take young kids in "real" long haul F because the separation between individual seating spaces/suites in many true F layouts makes it very hard to supervise children (for their own safety etc as much as out of consideration for other passengers). So I wouldn't take a young child in F on, say, a QF A380.
Not everyone will agree with me but I say there's a pretty good argument that children are less disruptive to other passengers in J than they are in Y simply because they are further away from other passengers. Plus they have more room to stretch out and sleep on a long haul flight, so the chances may be better that they will travel well. Of course, none of this detracts from parental responsibility to properly supervise children no matter what class they are in and minimise disturbance to others.
#165
Join Date: Dec 2006
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My kid is currently seven and we have been taking her TATL twice a year since she was three in either VS UC or BA First. There are some other issues to deal with (such as her complaining when we fly coach domestically that she doesn't have a "bed") but on the flights she has been great. I'll take her over most other folks up front anytime.