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Case Closed? Miss Manners Says It’s OK to Bring Kids in Business Class

Should children be allowed in first or business class on airplanes? Some passengers don’t think so, while others don’t see the problem. Miss Manners herself weighed in on the issue to determine which seating class is the proper one for families traveling with their children on flights.

Recently, a passenger flying business class witnessed an altercation between a parent and another passenger. Apparently the parent paid for her child to have a business class seat as well, and the child was not behaving properly. The childless passenger said something to the parent, who replied with, “I purchased a ticket just like you did. My kid has every right to be here. My kid is a kid and can’t help it.”

The other passenger did not agree, and it turned into an argument the flight attendants had to intervene in. The observing passenger wrote to Miss Manners, asking if it’s alright to have children in business class.

Miss Manners had a very simple response: “Very little is succeeding in not [getting on passengers’ nerves] nowadays. People have gone so far as to bring their emotional support rodents to deal with the stress of it all. Miss Manners cannot help but be amused by the image of irate business class passengers seated next to actual rats, rather than imagined ones. They might start to appreciate human children. It is public transport: There is nothing prohibitive about who sits in which class except for the cost itself. And while it is to be hoped that no diapers will be changed outside of the restrooms, your examples provide evidence that rudeness knows no age limits.”

 

[Image: MissManners.com]

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17 Comments
K
kkua March 3, 2019

Play the psych game and call the parent out. Be sure adjacent passengers can hear “if you can afford business class for your family, you can afford better manners”… My mother taught me if we can afford to fly, we can afford to dress better as well. No ripped clothing, beachwear or sleepwear (unless you have a pajama service long haul flight).

C
chitownjeff February 25, 2019

Only half the story - was the kid crying, throwing food, etc. I've been next to crying kids and the parents tried everything to settle them down but nothing worked. It happens.

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Gynob001 February 18, 2019

The parents pay full fare for the child and are entitled to have a seat for the child. Do the complainers whine about loud talkers, excessive drinkers, people who stand around blocking entrance to toilets, flitters, upgraders who didn’t pay full fare, multiple snack grabbers, seat kicking adults, adults who consistently poke at the screen to find the perfect entertainment, huge baggage squeezers, world problem solvers using a laptop, and others? People forget they were children once. If you want peace and quiet, drive your own car or ask the FA for an ear plug. If you are so much agitated, get a good quality noice cancelling headphones.

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AlastairGordon February 17, 2019

Of course it’s not good when kids act up on a plane. But given the relatively small size of the first and business class sections compared to coach, fewer people will be disturbed when kids misbehave in a premium cabin than if they misbehave in coach.

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RFNJ February 14, 2019

I can't say I am a fan of misbehaving children or crying babies in business class. But 99% of the time, earphones work wonders. Confronting the situation rarely leads to better outcomes....