danielonn

I was wondering how your kids enjoy going with you to the airline lounge with your spouse or when its just the kids and you?

How do you explain to them about the lounge? Have you explained to them about the membership(especially to your teens).

Would you rather just go with your spouse if you had teens and were going on vacation and tell your kids to meet you at the gate while you go to the lounge or do you invite them with you?

I would love to hear any funny or embarrassing stories about your family times in the lounge. For instance did your son ask you if he could take snacks as he thought he had to pay for them like at a school cafeteria?

obscure2k

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Obscure2k
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VickiSoCal

My two kids have always gone into the Admiral's Club with us, starting very young and now the oldest is nearly a teenager. We never really talked to them about it specifically, we just expected the same behaviour there that we do in any public place or restuarant and they met our expectations. We have two fairly naturally quiet girls who are happy to bury themselves in a book starting from about age 4, so we lucked out.

flyerwife

My kids are now 22, 21 and 17...but it wasn't that long ago when we'd spend many days in the Crown Room, waiting for our Delta flights. With 3 kids that close in age, they learned early on that entry to the CRC was a privilege and that they had to be on their best behavior once we entered the club. That meant no whining about the TV (which always seems to be on some financial news network), no roaming away from us, no getting food/drink unless accompanied by a parent, and only using the house computers if there was at least one more free for others to use.

We always made sure they had a game boy (am I dating myself?), books or headphones to keep them occupied.

They also did not 'spread out' and take more than the seats we were entitled to.

The kids knew from an early age that we took a lot more vacations compared to most people. My justification for that was that Daddy spent a LOT of time away from them every month, usually 20+ days per month on the road, and vacations were our way of reconnecting. Our trips (usually one every 3-4 months) were always seen as special family time and the kids knew that they were getting perks that their friends did not have.

The CRC attendants in LGA knew my kids by name and always greeted us warmly. (Sill do.) One attendant in ATL knew how much my kids loved the Biscoff cookies and she would always bring us a full sleeve of them when we passed through.

The kids always talk about how much they loved the MCO CRC, with it's special kid friendly area with huge pillows on the floor and assorted games, as well as a great view of the runway

We don't travel as a family that much anymore. Once they get to a certain age, they can't (school, work obligations) or don't want to go on vacation with you anymore. Time goes so fast.....

thetraveltot

We travel frequently with our two kids and visit lounges once in a while. I just always tried to pick a corner away from other people as I truly feel that a lounge should be a place of escape and serenity. If my kids got a little noisy I would take them out for a lap around the airport. I also do like to explain that the lounge is a "very special treat" so as not to have them expecting it every time. Airline lounges....if you are listening.....the dedicated kids room is a winner for all parties.

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emma69

I don't think a lounge is any different to any other public place (e.g members club, or restaurant etc) in terms of children, they are taught to behave regardless of the name given to the room or they leave / are otherwise admonished.

vicarious_MR'er

Well, my kids are much, much younger (preschoolers), so I take them only when there is a children's room available, which means I try to fly Continental as often as I can. I am not elite, so my lounge use with or without kids generally involves buying a day pass during a long layover, like when we head for Israel to see the in-laws.

I'd like to hope when my kids are a bit older that they could behave appropriately outside of the children's room, but for now, they just can't. They're too small.

When we travel, using the children's room in the lounge provide the kids an opportunity to blow off some steam or even nap during the layover, and my husband and I can take turns - one staying with the kids and minding them while the other goes into the main area of the lounge for a little quiet relaxation sans rugrats.

VickiSoCal

AA lounges with children's rooom usally have lots of glass, so parents can be right outside but still see everything happening inside.

morphius909

We have a 2 year old and a 6 year old and travel quite a bit with the, including using Air Canada Lounges.

Like others have said, it's a public area, but I do keep a careful eye on them as I don't want to bother business travelers.

I think parents should use some common sense when bringing in kids into the lounge.

dchristiva

Same here. I never thought to "explain" anything to my children. I told them to behave as they would in a restaurant and they've always been fine.

KosherKimchee

I take my 22 month old son to the RCC (United Club now) all of the time (he probably flew 50k this year, albeit some on award tickets and a few early flights on lap so he has no status...)

Lately, my plan is to get near the window (nearly all RCCs have big windows with cool views) where he is mesmerized my planes and service trucks. Other than pointing out every catering/fuel truck and taxiing aircraft, he's better behaved than 99% of the people in the club.

Only time he was somewhat unruly was after he slept the whole way from ICN-SFO, went to the RCC totally wired and someone had a (smallish) dog that he really wanted to say hi to and pet it alot (owner was cool, but one visit wasnt enough for him and we werent exactly sitting nearby). In his defense, we lost our lab this year and he really loves dogs.

daregale

My kids love the clubs. Like paullevi's toddler, my preschooler loves to watch the airport business through the windows when possible. He acts like a preschooler--climbs on the chairs (in his stockingfeet), gets crumbs all over with his little plate of snacks, laughs loudly and impulsively--so no one would mistake him for a mini-adult, but he's reasonably well-behaved. Would love kid-friendly spaces in the lounges.

The KLM club in Amsterdam has been one of his favorites since he was small. During a long Christmas layover when he was quite small, he amused himself for hours rearranging the tables and chairs in a deserted section of the lounge.

The teens come with us too in the rare instances we're traveling together, though they come and go on their own more or less.

frankmu

Before entering a United Club every time, we explain to our 12 & 8 year olds that it is a privilege, and that we expect them to be on their best behavior. They then plug in their Nintendo/psp to recharge, put on their headphones, and mellow out for the stay. My wife and I then get our free wine, she Facebooks, I catch up on Flyertalk.

HSmartt

At my kids current ages, 2 and 4, I would rather not bring them in as they would cause ME to stress out. That being said, they just aren't traveling yet. When they are older, I would love to bring them in on family vacations. I wouldn't make them stay in the terminal, but they would have to understand that this was a privilege.

jeautk01

I have always taken my 2 yr old into lounges w/ me. They are great for naps and AA lounge in JFK even got diapers, wipes and formula once when I left diaper bag on previous flight. ^