ClubClassCowboy

I can't decide which I hate more - badly behaved children children or slack parents who think the rest of the world should be grateful because they managed to breed

BAg Lady

My last OTP flight was blessed with an infant that cried the 3 hours from take-off to landing, with a few breaks to breathe in-between. The baby and parents were sat right behind me.
It was annoying but I got over it - the parents tried everything they could to comfort and quiet the baby.
Sometimes annoying/frustrating things happen and no one is to blame@:-)

Rather this than the flight where I sat next to a constant (adult) nose-picker That was horrendous.

Background detail: I am not a parent and don’t intend to be, but I understand that sometimes babies just have to cry.
Neglectful or ignorant parents on the other hand should be sent cargo.

CCayley

It might work if the cabin was not merely baby friendly but other noise/activity friendly too. It won't be long before airlines have to admit there are ways of making mobile phone use not a safety problem in the air, so I could see a case e.g. on a night flight on an A380 for two CW cabins:

Cabin 1: Sleeper service - swift meal service - lights out - no noise - everyone expected to facilitate others' sleep (so maybe limited IFE as well)

Cabin 2: For those who may want to be awake for all/part of the journey - full meal service; mobiles allowed; full IFE.

Children under, say, age 8 could then be banned from Cabin 1, but both cabins would be attractive to a range of PAX.

flyerbb

[QUOTE=CCayley;18658738]
Cabin 2: For those who may want to be awake for all/part of the journey - full meal service; mobiles allowed; full IFE.
QUOTE]

then people will select seat in Cabin 1 and move into cabin 2 to make phone calls.

WHBM

Couple of years ago myself and another pax, me in window and him in aisle, empty seat between us, were summarily moved out late in boarding to two other seats (me middle) in a 95% full cabin so a couple with a near-two year old could be seated in our row with child in the middle.

I guess the most vexing part was the summary attitude from crew member, but particularly parents, with a "we need what you've got" approach.

Just realised this is the BA board. This didn't happen on BA.

DrBernardo

Agree with you about 70% on this, your Worship! But sometimes (just sometimes) BA or the other passengers don't make things easy for themselves...

Miss DrB has cried badly (ie for more than about 30 seconds) on only two flights of her life - the first was coming back from OTP to GVA (I'm presuming she either didn't want to leave my Romanian colleagues, or was upset that she wasn't getting any of FlyBaboo's groovy canape-style catering - on the grounds she wasn't yet on solids).

The second time was coming back from CPT to LHR in F. The genius of the bassinet position in old First in 1A or K was that, with a bit of Heath Robinson spirit, you could hang a blanket across the gap between the wardrobe and the side of the aircraft (and if you were feeling naughty like me, wedge it into the gap between the plastic panels at the side of the aircraft). This created a nice darkened space for an infant to sleep in, which she was ready to do pretty much the second we took off. But she wasn't (and still isn't) very good at falling asleep unless it's dark (I blame super efficient Swiss and French shutters on windows for that blessing!).

Firstly, having exhausted our own blanket supply to make the Britax car seat comfy, I asked for an extra blanket to perform this screening task, only to be told there weren't any. Really? On the whole aircraft? Not one spare blanket? Without even checking?

Secondly, having overcome that issue with some further improvisation on our part, and with child finally quiet and going to sleep, they turned the cabin lighting fully on for the meal service. Not dimmed, evening flight, pleasant dining experience on - full 1000W Broadway centre-stage floodlight on. I asked the purser if they could dim them a bit, but was told that the other passengers had requested the lights to be on for their meal. I asked her if she'd told them that that might mean the baby in their cabin woke up and made a lot of noise, but she just shrugged.

As it was, it only meant about 5 minutes of quietish chuntering on the part of Miss DrB, so all we had to do was find our sunglasses in order to be able to dine comfortably . But on that occasion, it wouldn't have taken much flexibility/interest from the crew or the rest of passengers in the cabin to assist their small fellow-passenger, so ensuring a minimum of disturbance and inconvenience to themselves...

None of this, I fear, is answering the OP's real question though of whether anyone has any experience of BA's likely reaction following a complaint about crying children. I am guessing this either means that a) people don't usually complain, or b) BA gives them relatively short shrift.

Hoch

As a father who recently took his 12 week old son from LHR to PHX return, in Club, my first
reaction is the sheer arrogance and almost delusion of the OP. By the former I mean that we
paid for our tickets in CW and I doubt our money has any less of value than Joe Bloggs. By the
latter, no parent wants to hear their child scream especially on a LH flight. Not only are there
the looks, but in a confined space it seems louder than it already is. It is a stressful experience
especially with a child so young. We too wanted to sleep, but when our son started crying, hey
thems the breaks. It certainly wasn't BA's fault. We tried our best to calm him down when he
did. Perhaps in this particular instance the parents took a more laxed view and believe in letting
the kid cry it out.

I would add my name to list for snoring etc. But compensation for a crying baby, I think not as
it is a baseless claim as the airline is not a fault. Next time, try using the noise cancelling head-
phones.

H...yes, a little miffed

Richelieu

Some train companies do just that (well, IFE nonwithstanding). In my limited experience, it does work well but clustering children and mobile phone users (who'll shout to cover the engine noise) might make the latter even less able to sleep.

sunrisegirl

This is the thing that annoys me most about some parents. The attitude that because they've got a baby/child that everybody else should bend over backwards for them.
Why? I don't get it.

CCayley

Hmmm... now what is more 'arrogant and deluded' - believing that having paid for a CW ticket a passenger has a reasonable expectation that the flight experience will correspond to what BA promises or believing that having paid for a CW ticket a passenger is entitled to inflict whatever misery they like on everyone else on the basis that 'my money's as good as theirs'?

Tough call.

ClubClassCowboy

MASSIVE +1 on that

Steve_ZA

Thanks, that is what I was trying to say but I was using fewer words

I don't think a baby exclusive cabin would work but one where the bassinets are located and where people who preferred to be awake for the flight (drinking/chatting/movie watching etc.) would be fine with the higher level of ambient noise. Maybe a business CW and a leisure CW type split.

BTW: I realise that this is unworkable in practice

henkybaby

http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationshi...en-become-dads
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...become-fathers

and also Google is your friend.

dark_horse

^ to that.

sunrisegirl

^

I understand what Hoch is saying, but I equally understand what the OP is saying.

The fact that at least one Asian carrier now forbids young children/babies in Business Class would indicate that this is a problem for a number of airlines, not just BA.

We can't all be wrong. @:-)