Kids in J/F class
Feb 10, 2000 | 10:29 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,657
On a LGW-DFW segment last year in Business Class, my mind recoiled in horror when a whole family (Parents, 3 kids about 5/7/10) were upgraded to Business Class not far from me. Actually, I think 3 of them had tickets, don't know the rev/nonrev status though.
Suffice to say, these kids were so well behaved, I complimented the parents when leaving the flight. It really is all in the parents!!!
Suffice to say, these kids were so well behaved, I complimented the parents when leaving the flight. It really is all in the parents!!!
Feb 10, 2000 | 11:59 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Charlottetown/Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 346
I was in J class on a CP flight YHZ-YOW in January. A woman boarded with her under-2 daughter and was booked into coach. Now, CP uses a Fokker F-28 on this route and it's fairly cramped between rows; the poor woman would have had a bad time of it, because the back was full. The gentleman next to me called the flight attendant over and said he would upgrade them with his stickers; after a little argument ("no upgrades once you've boarded" "I'm an Executive Platinum member; I can do this") the FA spoke with the gate attendant (after all, FA's aren't familiar with all the upgrade rules) and arranged for it (J was half empty). The little girl was very well behaved, even though this was apparently the first time the mother (and I assume the girl) had ever flown.
It is the parents, not the children. And the other passengers, too. That EP was a gentleman in every sense of the word.
It is the parents, not the children. And the other passengers, too. That EP was a gentleman in every sense of the word.
Feb 10, 2000 | 3:33 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: YYZ, YYJ, ZRH
Programs: AC MM
Posts: 430
I agree 100% - it's the parents, not the children, that are the problem.
I do at least 20 transatlantic flights a year, and every time I have experienced a noise or behaviour problem with children in the plane (infants excluded), the children have been accompanied by their parents.
On the other hand, I have never seen an unaccompanied minor on an aircraft whose behaviour has been less than excellent - even the youngest ones (someone once snuck their 4 year old in as a UM on a domestic flight - I had the kid beside me on a full flight, and she was quite well behaved, for a 4 year old).
I wonder how much of this has to do with the "I'm a big shot" attitude that the FF tier programs sometimes create - some goof collects enough points to take his whole family with him non-rev, then wants to show all and sundry how important he is by sitting back and doing nothing to control the kids, knowing full well that his status level shows up on the manifest that the flight attendents get.
I do at least 20 transatlantic flights a year, and every time I have experienced a noise or behaviour problem with children in the plane (infants excluded), the children have been accompanied by their parents.
On the other hand, I have never seen an unaccompanied minor on an aircraft whose behaviour has been less than excellent - even the youngest ones (someone once snuck their 4 year old in as a UM on a domestic flight - I had the kid beside me on a full flight, and she was quite well behaved, for a 4 year old).
I wonder how much of this has to do with the "I'm a big shot" attitude that the FF tier programs sometimes create - some goof collects enough points to take his whole family with him non-rev, then wants to show all and sundry how important he is by sitting back and doing nothing to control the kids, knowing full well that his status level shows up on the manifest that the flight attendents get.