Club Suite With Toddlers
 

I know some people will hate me for this and think don't fly CW with Toddlers... but they're pretty well behaved and I'm looking at a family leisure route!

Anyway, that disclaimer aside. Has anyone had any experience in the new CW suites with toddlers who can offer some advice? We always hated the old CW suites as a couple but as a family they were perfect, sort of like a budget Q Suite when you got a middle pair. Of course with the CW Suites that doesn't exist.

Will have a four year old and a 2 year old, they're pretty well trained and 'should' sit still and be strapped in during take off and landing... but I'd love to know anyones experience or thoughts on CW Suite with toddlers. Can you keep an eye on them okay? Or should I look at changing my routing to get an older plane?!

Unless you are on JFK I wouldn't assume any aircraft assignment beyond the next week or so would hold. Even within a week the aircraft switching is pretty full on. But that apart, you may be better off in WTP, as you point out the old CW had some advantages, not least the seats you identified were often unpopular with other travellers so you were more likely to get them. See also this recent thread:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...here-seat.html

You really cant book a BA flight based on a specific seating config requirement. What is in the schedules today for 777 can be a 787 tomorrow, and that 77S may become a 77L right up to boarding commences, further messing up the best plans. You are going to be checking your seat assgnments every week. It really is a bad Product for those with little ones.

There are fewer good one's these days (QR QS IF you get the middle pair, or the likes of the IB/EK/EY configuration where there are staged seats where every other row has two seats in the center close together). Old BA CW was great. Same with pre-Polaris UA J (though not as good as BA CW given the more isolated center pair).

But some are also probably worse than the BA CS. Think UA Polaris or old VS.

We are struggling right now as our kids approach 2 and 4. We've always flown BA J in the old CW config (except some very early flights when our youngest was a newborn/infant who couldn't walk in BA F) or once in old UA J.

I fully get the W logic though for someone who has flown long-haul in a non-premium cabin only a couple times out of hundreds of flights in the last decade, and never with kids, it seems daunting. We are admittedly spoiled by space and more accommodating service.

I know what you're saying KSV - think it's going to be tough in this age bracket for a few years till they're older and better at sitting still and watching the screen. Will let you know how I get on. I think it'll be fine once airborne but take off and landing with them staying strapped in, in their seats without us next to them will be interesting.

I have a dilemma here, too.

I’d love to avoid WTP, as I have a back issue but our situation is a bit more complicated. We have triplets, who will be about 33 months by the time we’re planning to travel (Easter 2022). We will likely have someone travel with us, so it would be one adult per kid. We’d do something like LHR-BNA/DEN-LHR. Old CW we’d have a number of options – three window pairs, one window pair and the bulkhead row of 4 etc. DEN used to be a 744 and BNA has been either 788 or 789, but that has all changed and nothing is predictable.

In terms of ticketing, one option for CW would be wife and kids on 2 x 241 and me on a cash fare, meaning I’d need to start looking at those Avios seats pretty sharpish in the next few weeks. Having said that, cash fares have been pretty low out of LHR, so (depending on how much cash I actually have/want to spend) either WTP or CW would save our Avios for now and potentially be better value.

My wife and I are both Silver, lounge (and fast track? And other benefits) would be out with 3 guests if we went WTP. Not a deal breaker, but anything that makes the airport experience easier has to help.

I have seen similar threads on here before where the parent asked the crew to accommodate them in WT or WTP for take off if there were seats available and then moved into their CW seats after take off. This could be an option for you if you end up with the new club suite configuaration.

That's good to know, A smart idea if they won't sit still

Club Suite is completely unsuitable for a 2 year old. No matter how much you try and convince yourself and people on FT to the contrary, saying things like "should" sit still and "take off and landing with them staying strapped in, in their seats without us next to them will be interesting." means that you know full well already that it is going to be difficult, you just don't want to admit it. If you take middle pairs then you can see each other but you cannot get to them in order to help if needed, and if you take seats across the aisle so that you can get to them if needed, then you cannot see each other as the rows are staggered plus the high side wall. There is no good configuration for toddlers in this seat, full stop. Fly WTP.

Flew in the new CW seats in January and totally agree with what Airprox has said.

The crew may potentially ask you to do this anyway if they feel there is any risk of the cabin not being secure for take off - even if it means swapping seats with someone for those phases of the flight.

If there is any chance the answer in your own mind is “no, they might not sit still and move around” out of your reach/eyesight, pick a different cabin. You know you’re children better than anyone.

I wouldn’t ever consider it when my son was 2. He’s almost 4 now and I still wouldn’t really consider it. For FT, my son probably isn’t the most traveled, but he’s done around twenty 2-3 hour flights and two 7+ hour flights. He’s very well behaved (FA’s and others’ opinions/comments, not mine 😁) but the out of sight/reach factor is a no-go for me personally.

I was on a CRJ-200 flight today where a younger girl, probably around 10-12 years old, got up and walked back to the bathroom right before the landing gear came down on final. The FA didn’t stop her or say anything. This was abysmal to me as the the girl was in row 1 literally next to the FA. We landed less than 10 minutes later (probably sooner, but I’m being generous).

Could you imagine if the girl was walking back up the aisle when we landed? Why didn’t the FA stop her in the first place knowing we were about to land? Just some things to think about as a parent.

I totally hear what you're saying here. If only WTP wasn't awful! I know it's going to be difficult at times, but I also believe that will be a small percentage of the time, the rest of the time will be much easier because of it. Mainly due to them sleeping properly.

A thought for anyone in a similar position which we think could make life easier when there's four of you. Take two sets of middle pairs with an adult and child in E and F and on the next row swap it so the adult is in F and the child in E. That way you can work as a team to be able to see them and access them.

just realized we basically crossed-post about the same thing, although my kids are 6 year old.

I'll be flying solo with my twins in what looks like CS at the moment, on a June's LAX-LHR.
If the layout were to stay, I'm thinking to book one window seat for myself and two aisle seats across, in order to keep an eye on their moves if needed.
Since they're 6, I think they will be comfortable seating on their own even during take off and landing, especially if IFE is on gate to gate.
I think with a 2 yo would be really difficult and would ask to seat on WT or WTP during take off and landing if that's an option. I admit I would probably be a bit nervous during the entire flight though, once back in CS. Maybe look for an overnight flight so that the majority of it should be spent sleeping?

This is how I'm planning to seat with the twins (smaller dots)
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...209b0805ef.png

Thanks Hyperspace. Very much planning night flights to make life easier... and like you say, a move to WT or WTP for take off and landing seems prudent