Flygirlnz

I am proven to be perfectly capable of breeding, thank you very much, and blessed to have a really lovely family life. I also happen to be quite partial to small children. It's not the children who are the problem here: it's the self absorbed parents.

roberino

Well the way I always make the noise stop is to post on FT. Sorts the problem out immediately, every time.

Alohashirt

Or try flying IN to MCO and TPA nearly every month with screaming bratlets heading to Disneyworld and the other theme parks. It's especially hellish when your employer requires you to fly WN because of Biz Select refund-ability, and lounge access isn't an easy option. I sympathize with the OP big time! The situation is nearly hopeless as civil society continues to deteriorate. My only "treatment" is not a cure: Bose QC headphones!

travelbarefeet

so salty...

not sure why though.

roberino

Because there's been a ton of noisy kids in the lounge threads but the OP never says anything to the staff. They post on here while everyone nods sagely into their keyboards and the occasional poster suggests infanticide.

KenTarmac

Not my little angel ~! ... /sarcasm.

Sorry you had to listen to that I always carry a noise canceling headset. Great on the plane and great off the plane too for just such occasions.

travelbarefeet

Wow, you're mad at alot of stuff. I thought it was just about noise in a lounge...


Hopefully you've had a couple of days to calm down. I can certainly see how "noise in a lounge" can be an emotional topic...

roberino

I wasn't mad. I'm still not. Just see the same complaints rolled out every so often on FT and wonder why people complain to the wrong person about it. I'm a lovely cuddly person in real life.

travelbarefeet

hahahah

cool w/ that!!

Flygirlnz

Ok, so another detail I didn't include (in case it was identifying..). I didn't just sit there and rant at my key board, and what happened when I did interact with the parent concerned made the whole thing even more gob-smacking.

The offending small children were twins. Maybe 3. Mum looked to be in her early 30s, and was pretty much wrangling the kids, who were yelling, crying, squeaking, whatever, from one end of the lounge to the other.

As one of them crawled into my space (seriously. Crawled. This was not a one year old) and started vocalising loudly in my face, I looked up irritably to see Mum with another twin flung over a shoulder, clearly having trouble keeping up.

I switched from irritation to empathy super fast, and then to totally bewildered even faster when the following exchange took place:

me: gosh, are you on your own with these guys? (Genuine concern and it all make sense now. Been there, done that. Poor woman). Do you need a hand?

mum: no, it's ok. My husband is just over there (signals in direction of oblivious male knocking back beer. Wanders off grinning happily as twins continue trail of destruction through lounge).

Coincidentally, there was another couple in the lounge with kids about the same age who settled down just fine and were fantastic in business class all the way home.

Re the lounge agent: again, it's not like NZ lounges @ home where agents feel ok to exert authority. Dynamics are totally different when it's a Fijian hospitality professional and a Kiwi customer in an Air NZ lounge. I feel quite strongly that it's our responsibility not to put these staff in an awkward position. And that's exactly what happened.

codyc1515

On a positive note, I have been to at least one NZ lounge (can't remember which) that had a separate area for kids. Guessing NAN would be primarily a leisure route I would've then thought that maybe when doing the refurbishment they could've added a kids area?