Warning - Children in Club
Jun 16, 2003, 2:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: (AA EXP)
Posts: 609
Warning - Children in Club
Warning - there will be three children (ages 4, 2, and 6 months) in Club on the following flights:
17AUG - BA725/209 - GVA-LHR-MIA
27AUG - BA206 - MIA-LHR
28AUG - BA726 - LHR-GVA
I hope this message reaches you in time to avoid the flights listed above....
17AUG - BA725/209 - GVA-LHR-MIA
27AUG - BA206 - MIA-LHR
28AUG - BA726 - LHR-GVA
I hope this message reaches you in time to avoid the flights listed above....
Jun 16, 2003, 3:26 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Edinburgh UK
Programs: BA Silver, HHonours Gold, Mucci of Pucci, Oyster Card, Nectar Card, Father's Day Card
Posts: 9,372
Why do people always assume that children will be badly behaved?
I was in seat 1K on one of the Tourist 777s out of LGW, and a lady came a deposited her 5 year old in seat 1F. The look on the faces of the couple in 1DE was abject horror. The mother was obviously separated from her other children who were randomly spread throughout the Club cabin.
Well the little chap in 1F played with his childs pack, ate his meal, curled up and went to sleep for the whole flight. Not a peep out of him.
And seeing a five year old curled up in an old cradle seat certainly makes them look big.
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.
I was in seat 1K on one of the Tourist 777s out of LGW, and a lady came a deposited her 5 year old in seat 1F. The look on the faces of the couple in 1DE was abject horror. The mother was obviously separated from her other children who were randomly spread throughout the Club cabin.
Well the little chap in 1F played with his childs pack, ate his meal, curled up and went to sleep for the whole flight. Not a peep out of him.
And seeing a five year old curled up in an old cradle seat certainly makes them look big.
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.
Jun 16, 2003, 3:29 am
#3
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by edi-traveller:
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.</font>
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.</font>
Jun 16, 2003, 4:07 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK (currently)
Programs: BA Gold (and many other greater and lesser distinctions)
Posts: 7,215
The only real disturbances I have ever suffered on flights (and this is by no means a rare occurence) is from adults who have overindulged on alcohol or who pointedly refuse to respect the wishes of their fellow pax to sleep on night flights and converse at full volume.
As the father of a 10 year old who was born to jetset and behaves impecably, I still blench at the sight of other peoples children sitting nearby, but generally without any justification. I should know better ...
On a recent F nightflight on a 3 class 777, I was in the coveted 1A and who should appear accross the aisle but a 4 year old boy in his own seat. In panic mode I looked for an alternative seat but there were none available. In the event the child did not make a squeak from take-off to landing. A sheer delight and a great credit to his parents.
As the father of a 10 year old who was born to jetset and behaves impecably, I still blench at the sight of other peoples children sitting nearby, but generally without any justification. I should know better ...
On a recent F nightflight on a 3 class 777, I was in the coveted 1A and who should appear accross the aisle but a 4 year old boy in his own seat. In panic mode I looked for an alternative seat but there were none available. In the event the child did not make a squeak from take-off to landing. A sheer delight and a great credit to his parents.
Jun 16, 2003, 4:14 am
#5
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
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Posts: 19,197
Hear! Hear!
Children do not get drunk, children do not swear or insult the cabin staff. They do as they are asked, and are usually very polite.
This I will say. Most often children behave better away than with their parents.
Me? I'd volunteer for a flight with nothing but children, I guarantee that my Hair Brush would collect dust.
DO NOT EVER APOLOGISE for having your children with you. The staff have no problems with kiddy land (if you know how many Junior Jet books Auntie Pucci has lugged up for Captains to sign for Big Grown People or their Teddy Bears - you would understand - no flight deck visits now sadly), Beer Gardens I loathe.
Children do not get drunk, children do not swear or insult the cabin staff. They do as they are asked, and are usually very polite.
This I will say. Most often children behave better away than with their parents.
Me? I'd volunteer for a flight with nothing but children, I guarantee that my Hair Brush would collect dust.
DO NOT EVER APOLOGISE for having your children with you. The staff have no problems with kiddy land (if you know how many Junior Jet books Auntie Pucci has lugged up for Captains to sign for Big Grown People or their Teddy Bears - you would understand - no flight deck visits now sadly), Beer Gardens I loathe.
Jun 16, 2003, 5:08 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: (AA EXP)
Posts: 609
Ok, so I admit this was a bit of a "trolling" thread.
I am sure the 4 year old will be happy to watch movies for the long haul flights (he only gets an hour a day of TV at home) the two year old will look at picture books and an Etch-a-sketch.
We chose to purchase tickets on BA instead of burning a bunch of AA miles because BA appears to handle children better, based upon statements made on the BA website "Feed Kids First" and the "Disney/Cartoon Network" channels on the IFE.
We are looking forward to our first BA long haul, mainly to compare with AA's uninspired long haul service.
Comments welcome!
I am sure the 4 year old will be happy to watch movies for the long haul flights (he only gets an hour a day of TV at home) the two year old will look at picture books and an Etch-a-sketch.
We chose to purchase tickets on BA instead of burning a bunch of AA miles because BA appears to handle children better, based upon statements made on the BA website "Feed Kids First" and the "Disney/Cartoon Network" channels on the IFE.
We are looking forward to our first BA long haul, mainly to compare with AA's uninspired long haul service.
Comments welcome!
Jun 16, 2003, 5:17 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Still a lowly Blue with BA but inching towards Bronze. Managed to get to KLM Silver!
Posts: 4,310
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MIAFlyer:
We are looking forward to our first BA long haul, mainly to compare with AA's uninspired long haul service.</font>
We are looking forward to our first BA long haul, mainly to compare with AA's uninspired long haul service.</font>
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Jun 16, 2003, 8:01 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London
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Posts: 602
Kids can sometimes be fine on planes, sometimes not. In some respects putting them in business class helps a lot - it means they can't indulge in the favourite economy class kiddie pastime of kicking the seat in front, a pursuit I recall greatly enjoying in my youth. (Off topic, I also used to love chewing on the old-fashioned blue plastic 'air' headphones - not sure what made them so tasty, but the modern electronic equivalents are metallic to the tongue and so much less fulfilling!)
Usually, the narcotic of unlimited IFE cartoons and movies works a treat on kids. I recently flew F on CX and had two children seated near me, togther with their nanny. I was scared rigid by them at the beginning of the flight, but so was impressed with their behaviour thereafter that I felt obliged to compliment the nanny on it as we deplaned.
Not all children are angels however - and I recently witnessed my two nephews (aged 6 and 5) doing their best to dismantle the interior of a BA A320. But then again, there's no IFE on an A320...
On many 747 flights, the upstairs business class area is an adult-only zone, whether by accident or design, and I wish BA would make this a real policy (as Virgin do, if I recall correctly).
Babies / toddlers present more of a problem than older children - it's the unpredictable screaming levels. Some parents do more than others to try and shut their babies up; and of course some babies are simply implacable on planes. I once fly from SCL to MAD in IB business and got no sleep at all, in common with all my fellow pax, due to a single screaming baby in the cabin.
Usually, the narcotic of unlimited IFE cartoons and movies works a treat on kids. I recently flew F on CX and had two children seated near me, togther with their nanny. I was scared rigid by them at the beginning of the flight, but so was impressed with their behaviour thereafter that I felt obliged to compliment the nanny on it as we deplaned.
Not all children are angels however - and I recently witnessed my two nephews (aged 6 and 5) doing their best to dismantle the interior of a BA A320. But then again, there's no IFE on an A320...
On many 747 flights, the upstairs business class area is an adult-only zone, whether by accident or design, and I wish BA would make this a real policy (as Virgin do, if I recall correctly).
Babies / toddlers present more of a problem than older children - it's the unpredictable screaming levels. Some parents do more than others to try and shut their babies up; and of course some babies are simply implacable on planes. I once fly from SCL to MAD in IB business and got no sleep at all, in common with all my fellow pax, due to a single screaming baby in the cabin.
Jun 16, 2003, 4:14 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SW18, UK
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To give a view from the other side of the fence...
We've travelled a few times with our oldest (now 3) in Business on BA and AC, and once with both our children (now 3 and 1) in NCW (we've got another NCW trip coming up - I won't scare anyone off by posting dates!). We've also taken them both in WT+ a few times. All of these flights have been long haul - West Coast NA. We've had other flights in Europe in economy.
I don't think I've ever travelled in a premium cabin with the children without an overpowering sense of foreboding. It's really quite grim, and can stop me enjoying the flight. However, the truth is rarely as bad as the anticipation. Generally, the 3 yr old is fine - she watches TV and curls up.
The problems mostly have come more from the younger child, or the older one when she was at that age. At 1-2 they're still at an age when they can sometimes cry for no apparent reason, and certainly can cry from being overtired but not able to get themselves to sleep. Some children need "cues" to get them to sleep - music, lighting, their home bed, etc. It's tough to work around that on a plane. Moreover, air travel is still exciting, if you're a kid! It can be hard to get to sleep when you're excited.
No matter how irritating you might think it is to have a crying baby/toddler in the cabin with you, it's quite a bit worse when it's your child, they're crying next to your head, you can't do anything to placate them (let alone given your fellow pax some peace!), *and* you've paid 110% of the seat price for the privilege.
So, spare a thought for the parent next time you hear a baby/toddler crying in a premium cabin. I get the impression that some of the seasoned travellers here harbour suspicions that parents ***** their charges with sharp objects just for the hell of p*ssing everyone else off - it's just not like that!
Personally, I can't wait until their old enough to travel alone in econ (which they would love as (a) it will still seem like an enormous seat, and (b) it will give them independence from M&D) and we can travel up front. But's that's a way off.
We've travelled a few times with our oldest (now 3) in Business on BA and AC, and once with both our children (now 3 and 1) in NCW (we've got another NCW trip coming up - I won't scare anyone off by posting dates!). We've also taken them both in WT+ a few times. All of these flights have been long haul - West Coast NA. We've had other flights in Europe in economy.
I don't think I've ever travelled in a premium cabin with the children without an overpowering sense of foreboding. It's really quite grim, and can stop me enjoying the flight. However, the truth is rarely as bad as the anticipation. Generally, the 3 yr old is fine - she watches TV and curls up.
The problems mostly have come more from the younger child, or the older one when she was at that age. At 1-2 they're still at an age when they can sometimes cry for no apparent reason, and certainly can cry from being overtired but not able to get themselves to sleep. Some children need "cues" to get them to sleep - music, lighting, their home bed, etc. It's tough to work around that on a plane. Moreover, air travel is still exciting, if you're a kid! It can be hard to get to sleep when you're excited.
No matter how irritating you might think it is to have a crying baby/toddler in the cabin with you, it's quite a bit worse when it's your child, they're crying next to your head, you can't do anything to placate them (let alone given your fellow pax some peace!), *and* you've paid 110% of the seat price for the privilege.
So, spare a thought for the parent next time you hear a baby/toddler crying in a premium cabin. I get the impression that some of the seasoned travellers here harbour suspicions that parents ***** their charges with sharp objects just for the hell of p*ssing everyone else off - it's just not like that!
Personally, I can't wait until their old enough to travel alone in econ (which they would love as (a) it will still seem like an enormous seat, and (b) it will give them independence from M&D) and we can travel up front. But's that's a way off.
Jun 16, 2003, 4:42 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: anywhere but here
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Posts: 2,375
I just want to make my position clear - http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/001631.html
I stand by every word - sedate the pets, sedate the kids
I stand by every word - sedate the pets, sedate the kids
Jun 16, 2003, 5:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 222
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by edi-traveller:
Why do people always assume that children will be badly behaved?
I was in seat 1K on one of the Tourist 777s out of LGW, and a lady came a deposited her 5 year old in seat 1F. The look on the faces of the couple in 1DE was abject horror. The mother was obviously separated from her other children who were randomly spread throughout the Club cabin.
Well the little chap in 1F played with his childs pack, ate his meal, curled up and went to sleep for the whole flight. Not a peep out of him.
And seeing a five year old curled up in an old cradle seat certainly makes them look big.
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.
</font>
Why do people always assume that children will be badly behaved?
I was in seat 1K on one of the Tourist 777s out of LGW, and a lady came a deposited her 5 year old in seat 1F. The look on the faces of the couple in 1DE was abject horror. The mother was obviously separated from her other children who were randomly spread throughout the Club cabin.
Well the little chap in 1F played with his childs pack, ate his meal, curled up and went to sleep for the whole flight. Not a peep out of him.
And seeing a five year old curled up in an old cradle seat certainly makes them look big.
I guess this experience is the exception rather than the rule.
</font>
I recently flew SFO-ICN-SIN on SQ in J, and it was... ...
It started in the lounge in SFO with a father and mother, whose two children were overtired from the late departure... (2am, I think).
Anyway, 3 year old daughter is screaming, crying, wailing... 5 year old boy is being difficult also...
However, the WORST thing is that the FATHER just IGNORED them both totally, and drank some coffee, watched the news on TV... maybe once or twice he DEIGNED to say something, but NOTHING of substance...
Luckily, they were asleep within minutes of take off, (after some musical seats to get them sat together)...
After about 7 hours, into this 12 hour flight, they were awake. And then they basically ran around the cabin whilst their father watched TV, drank his orange juice, and basically ignored them.
In the transit lounge at ICN, it was much the same - crying daughter, naughty boy, father not in the LEAST bit interested...
Segue to ICN-SIN, and there's no change...
The poor mother was having a hard time the WHOLE way... ...
The person I was angry with was the father. His total disinterest lead to most of the J cabin having a really horrid flight...
His 'hands-off' approach to his children was appalling...
He is the person who got my icy stares and (almost) severe yelling at... ...
I had hoped the Cabin Crew would say something, (especially when the dear little boy was bouncing and climbing all over the seat), but there was nothing.
Is there a policy where CC leave children to their parents' control, or can they make a subtle hint to sit down?
Anyway, my experience was atypical, and I hope others' don't see this for themselves...
MinS
Jun 16, 2003, 8:26 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
Posts: 317
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by jongar:
I just want to make my position clear - http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/001631.html
I stand by every word - sedate the pets, sedate the kids</font>
I just want to make my position clear - http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/001631.html
I stand by every word - sedate the pets, sedate the kids</font>
I usually try to travel in first, off peak. It gives me some more room under the seat for him, and I usually have an empty seat next to me, so I don't have any issues with my seat mate. Most of the time, I get a "wow, there was a dog down there?" reaction.
On one occasion, I made the mistake of flying on a Saturday afternoon. I ended up in front of two young-uns (about 5 to 7 years old each) in the A and C seats behind me, while Mom and Dad enjoyed the free booze over in D and F across the aisle (is it me, or shouldn't each child have an adult seatmate whenever possible...such as in this case?)
Everything was fine, and the dog slept through all the ruckus. It was a Saturday afternoon, so none of the humans were trying to sleep. However, after the millionth trip across the aisle for whatever reason (I wasn't really paying attention), one little miscreant decided to test the limits of gravity with their soda. Well now...where do you think all that liquid went?
There was no way that this dog was going to make it another half hour covered in Coke without me attempting to clean him up as best I could. I had two things on my side that day: the FA was dog-friendly and didn't scream when I took the dog out to clean him; and the dog liked the taste of Coke, so he helped with the cleaning.
As best I tried, no amount of my evil staring was able to drill a clue into these clueless parents.
I've never had a problem with animals or children on a plane. I've had a problem with clueless parents and animal owners. However, I get the clueless parent syndrome at Wal-Mart as well, so there isn't any cure for this.
Jun 16, 2003, 10:13 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,293
It's a shame that so many parents just don't take the time to control their children.
I took my 4-year old on BA First earlier this month (yes, I'm burning miles) ... and I think he behaved pretty well. But we did make it clear to him beforehand what type of behavior we expected from him.
As a parent, I think it takes some common sense, along with some pre-planning for how to pass the time in-flight.
We planned our flight times around times that we thought he would spend the most time actually sleeping, which was a very good move.
Also in the common sense department, we pre-arranged seating that we thought would work best (back row of First on the 747).
We had a coloring book for use when portable electronics couldn't be used. Then we had his GameBoy with headphones, and a portable DVD player that plugs in to the Empower outlet. (We have a weekend home that is about 3 hours away, so we originally bought a DVD player with a car adapter for use on those trips. A $10 adapter allows it to also plug into an Empower outlet.)
We might have been able to rely on the IFE ... but I find the schedules too quirky myself. He did watch part of a kids movie on IFE before falling asleep on the overnight flight ... but we used the DVD exclusively on the return.
All in all, it was a great trip. He enjoyed it ... and my wife and I enjoyed it.
Will my son be able to adjust to business class on future family trips? (Only if it is BA NCW, I guess we might have a chance.) Will he be able to deal with economy class when he turns 18? Well, I'm sure we'll have some parenting issues to deal with as he gets older.
I took my 4-year old on BA First earlier this month (yes, I'm burning miles) ... and I think he behaved pretty well. But we did make it clear to him beforehand what type of behavior we expected from him.
As a parent, I think it takes some common sense, along with some pre-planning for how to pass the time in-flight.
We planned our flight times around times that we thought he would spend the most time actually sleeping, which was a very good move.
Also in the common sense department, we pre-arranged seating that we thought would work best (back row of First on the 747).
We had a coloring book for use when portable electronics couldn't be used. Then we had his GameBoy with headphones, and a portable DVD player that plugs in to the Empower outlet. (We have a weekend home that is about 3 hours away, so we originally bought a DVD player with a car adapter for use on those trips. A $10 adapter allows it to also plug into an Empower outlet.)
We might have been able to rely on the IFE ... but I find the schedules too quirky myself. He did watch part of a kids movie on IFE before falling asleep on the overnight flight ... but we used the DVD exclusively on the return.
All in all, it was a great trip. He enjoyed it ... and my wife and I enjoyed it.
Will my son be able to adjust to business class on future family trips? (Only if it is BA NCW, I guess we might have a chance.) Will he be able to deal with economy class when he turns 18? Well, I'm sure we'll have some parenting issues to deal with as he gets older.