cariad73

If we go in the lounge then our toddler of course comes with us. Many lounges have children's play areas, which are useful.

Plus Miss Boo Boo likes a sip of champagne when in Heathrow T5.

erik123

I like lounges, my kids don't care (they'd rather check out the shops), and my wife despises lounges. Trust me, it is not a privilege for everyone.

daregale

Loved the lounge in Amsterdam when stranded overnight while traveling with my 3-year-old. The agents at the desk weren't particularly helpful, but I could phone via free wifi to Delta and get rebooked rather than wait in line, fuel up with soup and snacks, and let the boy play in an underutilized area of the club while I got everything sqared away and found out where to go for hotel accommodations.

Boise

My 4 year old son always goes into the Delta SkyClub with me. I remind him of the rules before we walk in. He needs to use good manners, can only get food when I am with him, must sit in his chair and not run around, and of course, pretend that we are in a library and only whisper. This past summer he was talking too loudly and there was a business traveler trying to get some work done. I warned my son once, and when he talked real loud the second time, I asked him to put his cookie down and grab his stuff as we were leaving. My son was upset, but I got my point across and he has been very well behaved in the SkyClub ever since.

love2ft

My children, ages two and nine, always go to the United Clubs with my spouse and me. The older one knows the rules and is very well-behaved to start with. The younger one is always warned to use an "indoor" voice and no running around. I think he's been to lounges enough that at times, he's now warning me to lower my voice!

Of course it was easier with the CO PC's that had a family room, but the UCs we've been to are large enough for us to sit a little farther from other guests. Daddy and mommy get to read, catch up on FT/MP and the kiddos get to snack. A lot more restful then watching the little one at the busy gate!

Father-of-3

I'm the father of three daughhters and the lounges are a life-save just for the restrooms. My daughters are too old to go into the men's room with me and I clearly can't go into the ladies room. there are few to no family restrooms in airports. Many restrooms have two doors so I can't even stand just outside and be sure she can't gets past me.

A few weeks ago I took my 5-year old to Disneyland and we used the Sky Club in Atlanta, they have the nice big single seated restrooms so imcan go in with her and not be cramped.

This is really my only issue when I just have one of the girls with me and the lounge is a life-saver. If I didn't get access free with my credit card I might be willing to pay for it. And I don't even drink much.

swise

We will take our 21 month old in with us. He's, I think, quite a good little guy for being a toddler. When available, we definitely use the kids' rooms. He loves them. Our local airport's Admiral's Club doesn't have one, but the business center in the back is rarely occupied during the times that we travel, so we'll usually block off part of it with our luggage, toss some toys on the floor, bring him a muffin for a treat, and let him get some wiggles out (quietly and without climbing on furniture or other inappropriate behavior). If anyone shows up to use the business center, we relocate or leave. Our alternative spot is the cell phone free alcove, which is also rarely occupied.

The lounges are great for diaper changes in a lower-traffic restroom and keeping little ones from getting overstimulated with all the action in the terminal. Plus, it's a lot easier to keep track of him.

That said, It's a trade-off. Some airports have excellent play areas in the main terminal, and family restrooms can be extremely convenient. The Admiral's Clubs are really hit-and-miss when it comes to having family restrooms.

Favorite kids' room in an admiral's club so far: LAX. They have a ton of toys for all ages, as well as a good setup with the computer games. It was roomy and clean -- and the waitstaff would bring food and drinks to us in there. Due to an enormous booking screwup by Business ExtrAA/Meeting Services, we ended up spending 6 hours in the LAX lounge, and my son really didn't get bored there. Each time we've gone there, my son has gotten wide-eyed and has said, "yeah!" when we entered the room. He clearly approves.

We probably have used the kids' rooms in DFW the most. I can't remember which terminals we liked best, but they do vary quite a bit. I believe it's Terminal A that is a smaller room without any toys. But there is a family restroom just across the hall from the kids' room. I want to say it's Terminal D that had the large room with some toys in it. All have computers and a television tuned into Nickelodeon or something similar.

I would say 2/3 of the time we are the only ones in the room. Sometimes we'll share with one other family. I have noticed that most people will go ahead and do diaper changes in the kids' rooms. I certainly don't mind and have done it myself. But some may frown upon this. I have also nursed my son there, which is really nice, since, even with the TV on, it's relatively quiet and private.

We definitely aren't as excited about going to a lounge with our toddler when there is not a kids' room available, as we are on edge to make sure that we do not disturb anyone and that our son behaves appropriately for the setting. If he were to not handle the setting (running around, being loud, making a mess), we would not hesitate to take him out right away. So far so good. I think preparation is key: having some fun, new toys on-hand, something to snack on, not overdue for a nap, two parents able to tag-team as needed/where needed, etc. We also acknowledge that we're going to the lounge to make it easier for managing our son, but this means that we may not get to enjoy the lounge ourselves as much as we might when traveling kidless. We probably won't be able to enjoy a drink and read the paper.

Our hope is that by being attentive, teaching our son early about manners and appropriate behavior, and exposing him to environments where he must learn these skills, once he is a little older he will know how to carry himself in more formal settings, and we will see some payoff. Maybe we'll even be able to enjoy a cocktail and read the paper in the lounge again someday! One can dream!

sbagdon

DTW has at least two, one under each out-side tram terminal. I suspect there's one under the main terminal.

Yea, they're a pain to find. Actually found one in the Field's Meseum, yet geez, did they hide it.

SPBanker

Just hang in there. Your situation is like ours a few years back. Now our kids are eight and twelve. And guess what! We can go to a lounge with them, they behave themselves, read or play with the iPad, and WE CAN ENJOY A COCKTAIL AND READ THE PAPER.

love2ft

Ipads are great as are phones loaded with apps...in my case toddler apps downloaded from the Android store kept my toddler occupied...yes, I used the phone as a babysitter and it was worth it...sometimes bribery is okay when it comes to kids!

thomwithanh

+1

When Mrs. Thomwithanh was still in my life, I could never get her into an airline lounge. I was (and still am) the frequent traveler in the family- I value the relative peace and quiet, free wi-fi and adult beverages, being in an airport was so uncommon for her, she actually enjoyed the bustle would rather check out the shops and go and sit at random gates, listening to the announcements for flights heading out to Europe and Asia.

flavorflav

Has anyone had any experience getting an infant into a United Club on a single-use club pass? UA's rules say "one person, one visit, one pass" but it's not clear if those rules anticipated infants. (DL's Sky Club day pass rules, conversely, explicitly state that children under 2 may be guested in on the adult's single-use pass.) The Flavorflav Family has a lengthy layover at EWR coming up and I'd like to surprise Mrs. Flavorflav with a club pass to allow her and the baby some quiet nursing time while the rest of the family hits the food court.

Also, any thoughts on which UC at EWR would be the most pleasant for a nursing mother looking for a bit of quiet and maybe even discreet privacy? We'll be there 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on a Friday on a mainline-to-RJ domestic connection.

mrsspike30

I haven't had any experience getting an infant in on a day pass, wish I could help. RE. the nursing, most of the women's restrooms in the clubs of most of the airlines I have visited have a changing/nursing/etc. room in the ladies room that you can use to change clothes/nurse whatever. The exception would be the tiny clubs with just one or two stalls. They generally also have a plug for breastpump. Usually there is a nice soft chair and it is separated from the rest of the restroom.

Personally, I would call the club you intend to visit, talk to one of the LLs and ask/confirm with them that you can use the day pass for an adult plus infant. Get a name from your call and you are all set when you visit.

Best of luck.

Anna Phor

Couldn't she just fight the powers that be?

(sorry. couldn't resist.)

6rugrats

Cross posting isn't allowed. You asked this question already on this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...e-pass-10.html

Issue also discussed in this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-pass-rcc.html