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Business Class and First Class with children [Merged Threads]

Business Class and First Class with children [Merged Threads]

Old Jan 17, 2018, 6:36 pm
  #421  
 
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Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Originally Posted by yno
We've flown (Delta) J a bit over a year ago with one lap child and one child on a sear. Easy with one, as the other parent has free knees. I would probably avoid having each a lap child, and probably book a seat for the 23 months old child (who would be on the laps during take off or landing). This would make your life much easier.
Thanks for responding. We have already booked the flights on points and there is no more availability for us to add our oldest. We will just have to wing it and do our best.

Originally Posted by SQ319
We flew SQ to Japan last year with our then 20 month old. For me what was most important, regardless of whether Y or J is to babywear and bring a carrier. Once your LO falls asleep in the carrier, I put him to lie down on the seat in a side-lying position with me (I'm the mum). SQ's J seats are very wide in a 1-2-1 configuration. Obviously whether this works for you depends on whether the seat is wide enough, but otherwise, I will just cradle my LO and put my seat into a cradle positon too (more comfortable than a fully flat bed, if I have to hold onto my child).
Wearing the baby is a really good idea. Thanks, we will be bringing our carrier for the trip but I guess now we will wear it on the plane. Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Anna Phor
With two parents and one kid, this works fine. There's generally enough space on the armrests between the seats to balance food so that you can manage meals with one tray table and one kid sleeping. Two kids changes the equation. If this were me, I'd book 3 economy class seats.

If that's not an option, will you have access to bassinets? You may have to trade off meals, with one parent taking both kids while the other eats, then trading off.

How do you handle nap time? You let the child fall asleep while they are in your lap. Not much more you can do.
Thanks for your help. Flights are already booked and I don't think we can get our kid our own seat now since we booked on points and availability is lacking. Apparently we won't have access to bassinets because they said our youngest will be too old.
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Old Jan 18, 2018, 12:17 am
  #422  
 
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Have flown with an infant in long-haul J 8 times now -- LAX-BKK / BKK-ICN-NRT-LAX at 11 months; LAX-LHR-LED / BRU-FRA-LAX at 19 months; and LAX-ATL-FCO / FCO-CDG-LAX at 23 months with our first child and LAX-HND / HND-LAX at 12 months this past summer with our second.

A lot of your experience will depend on who you are flying and the seat/aisle configuration. Of the 8 long-haul segments we have had an empty seat next to us twice, so that can be a nice option if there. If you have a CARES harness bring that just in case for the older one. But I would not bank on it.

Our most recent flights were on Delta 777s which have a 1-2-1 configuration. Those herringbone style seats are actually pretty narrow, which would have been an issue with the baby -- but we choose the second section of J and the last row of seats which have this extra stowage space in addition to the normal seat layout -- so with three seats we effectively had a small section to ourselves - that allowed for some walking down the aisle without bothering anyone else. Plus on the flight there our cabin was pretty empty so we had a whole side of the J cabin to ourselves -- I probably spent an hour sitting with my 12 month old in the aisle while he took the water bottle out of the holder, dropped it on the floor, and then put it back in. Having that space was nice. Try to find a recent Youtube video with your exact flight/plane configuration and see if any seats have any extra space vs. what you might expect from the airline seat maps or even seat guru (i.e. on seat guru these are just labeled regular DeltaOne seats - no indication of the extra space).

Going back to the water bottle -- definitely have a plan/bring some things in case you need to distract them. No matter how good they are, on a flight that long there will probably be a period of restlessness. The water bottle got me by on the flight mentioned above. On that first Thai flight it was playing with the TV remote for an hour in the middle of the night. On our recent LAX-DFW-SJU with the now 18 month old as a lap infant in domestic F it was an ipad and Duck Duck Moose Old McDonald that did the trick.

We bring our Luna Lullaby pillow onboard - that is mostly how we handle sleep. For the 11 month old it should be big enough to have them rest on it and let you have one, if not both hands free. Not sure about the 23 month old. We also bring the Baby Bjorn in our carry-on as I put the baby in that to board since we fold up the stroller and put that in a gate check bag -- the carrier lets me have both hands free to drag the stroller to the door and still pull my carry-on. Since we have the carrier with us, I have used it a couple times in flight to help get the baby to sleep and once to even be able to eat (ate while standing up)!

Speaking of food - eating is difficult. If sleeping usually not enough room to get the tray out. If awake there is the risk of pulling/knocking things over. Even with my wife and now my older son having their own space and able to hand things to me, I usually have the flight attendant just bring me each thing one at a time and eat one-handed.

Hopefully the two infant in arms 10% fare tickets did not set you back too much (or you are flying AC!)
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Last edited by dbuckho; Jan 18, 2018 at 12:32 am
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Old Jan 18, 2018, 7:30 pm
  #423  
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Try to book those with wider seats - sq was prob the best. Expect to stay awake - at least one of you will have to.. ipad or ife for the older, the younger can be tricky if he stays awake...
basically you are in survival mode but still j is usually better than even 3 seats in coach..
good luck
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Old Jul 28, 2018, 8:43 pm
  #424  
 
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Hello folks,

Longtime reader, first time poster on this forum.

My wife, I, and our 8 month old son just flew business class on Swiss and BA both transatlantic and intraeurope in business class, and would like to provide our experiences.

LX39 SFO-ZRH (777)
We were seated in 6D/6G. These are the two seats with bassinet attachments to the wall, above the screens. There are limits to the age and weight (<9mo, <22lbs, I believe) for use of the bassinet. We booked these tickets using Aeroplan points given the low cost of the infant seat. We confirmed the seats had the attachments, but because of communication difficulties between AC and LX they couldn't see the infant ticket. Because of this, LX even at the check in desk was not aware of the infant, and so did not bring a bassinet. I therefore note for future reference, bassinets must be reserved in advance by calling the Swiss customer service center. They must be able to see your infant ticket in order to reserve [this point I missed]. Because of the nature of the Thompson Vantage seats, laying down flat with an infant at your side is difficult. When traveling as a couple, storage space was sufficient.

LX1956 ZRH-BCN (A320)
We were seated in 1D/1F. While there are bassinet attachments to the wall, Swiss customer service line said because of the shortness of the flight no bassinets would be provided. I would add here this would seem to be inconsistent with Swiss's own policy on their website. Swiss business class does not have a blocking table in the middle seat, so we put our child there when at cruising altitude.

BA473 BCN-LHR (A320)
We were seated in 2A/2C. No bassinet attachments to the wall were seen. A customer in 1C decided to preemptively move given my son was sitting directly behind him, leaving row 1 empty. Because of the blocking table in the middle seat on BA Club Europe, I took him to row 1 to entertain him while at cruising altitude.

BA189 LHR-EWR (777)
My wife sat in First Class, leaving me with my son in seat 15A. Seatguru and the BA website clearly lists those locations with bassinet capability, and 15A seemed to be the most convenient given its privacy. However, the design of the Club World seats make it very difficult to have all of our infant care items readily available for use with your lap infant. The bassinet is more like a Baby Bjorn bouncer, and does not lie flat; it was also small for my son, making him very uncomfortable. Our flight attendants were extremely good however, and due to space availability they offered to move us to 15E/F, where he was able to play and rest on his own fully reclined CW seat. Storage in this situation just meant putting stuff on the parts of the seat which he wasn't using when laying flat. I must also add here that flight attendants were extremely experienced in infant travel, and provided this poor father with many recommendations and assistance to help my son get comfortable.

Happy to answer other questions if you have any based on my experiences.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 11:57 am
  #425  
 
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Does anyone know if business class seats on 787-9 dreamliner allow for child seats? Anyone used one on this aircraft? I would be trying to use it in Business class cabin not first class. Seems a little confusing. Thanks!

From United they told me:
You may use an FAA-approved child restraint system (CRS) or child safety seat in certain seats on board the aircraft if you have purchased a seat for your child, including customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket. United does not provide child restraint systems or child safety seats.The FAA has approved the use of the child safety restraint system CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) for travel. This system uses an additional belt and shoulder harness that goes around the back of the seat and attaches to the lap belt. Children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds may use this device. More information about CARES and other child restraint requirements is available at faa.gov/travelers/fly_children/ [faa.gov].Child safety seats or restraint systems must be placed in window seats on single-aisle aircraft, and in window seats or in the middle seats of a center section on two-aisle aircraft. To ensure the child’s safety, the use of child restraint systems is not permitted in rear-facing seats or seats directly in front of, behind or in the exit row on any aircraft. Child safety seats or restraint systems are also not permitted in first class on three-cabin 767 or 777-200 aircraft, on 757-200 aircraft with rear-facing seats, or in United Polaris first class on 767, 777 and 787 aircraft.Car seats manufactured after February 1985 should also be certified for use in aircraft. You should place your child in the child safety seat for takeoff, landing and during turbulence.Booster seats, belly belts attached to adult seat belts, and vests or harnesses that hold an infant to an adult’s chest cannot be used on board the aircraft.United is unable to seat customers under the age of 15 in exit rows due to federal regulation.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 8:29 pm
  #426  
 
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Originally Posted by njxbean
Does anyone know if business class seats on 787-9 dreamliner allow for child seats? Anyone used one on this aircraft? I would be trying to use it in Business class cabin not first class. Seems a little confusing. Thanks!

From United they told me:
I think this is worth a read for your situation: https://www.dansdeals.com/points-tra...l-aviv-newark/
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Old Jan 5, 2019, 8:02 am
  #427  
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good review: https://thecarseatlady.com/before-yo...rights/#angled
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Old Jan 7, 2019, 9:46 am
  #428  
 
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Originally Posted by ennsy
Hey guys,

Looking for some advice on an upcoming trip, my wife and I are taking the two kids to Europe. Kids will be 23 months and 11 months when we fly. All of our flights are in J as we thought it would be more comfortable for us to have more space.
Do any of you who have flown J with a lap infant before have any advice you can pass on that made your trip easier? Or something you learned that you would do differently next time? Does flying J vs Y make you do anything differently?
A couple things I'm concerned about are eating, is there enough room with table setup for the kids to be on our laps? Also, nap time, how do you handle this on the long transatlantic flights? Some people have said to ask the FA if they can make a bed for you in an empty J seat, that seems like a smart move, what if that isn't an option?
Obviously we will deal with whatever we have to but if any of you have done this before we would appreciate any tips or advice.

Thank you for your help

Note: I'm not looking to debate "kids in premium cabins" or "buy your kids their own seat"
We did a whole mRTW with my 23m boy. It went great, although sleeping wasn't very comfortable for the wife, as he sleeps with her.

You have 2, and i imagine the younger one will sleep in the bassinet. You have to then make sure you have the right seats for this. Also, the older one will probably sleep with one of you.

Bring plenty of activities for them. Ours likes stickers, so that was a huge distraction, specially on the long flights. We had 2 10h flights and another 13h.

It's great that you are going with them, it gets them used to it, as well as you.

Plus it is the perfect timing before you have to spend more on extra tickets. We also travelled when mine was 23m. Now, for our next trip i got 3 J tickets. A ton more expensive.

If you have any questions don't hesitate!
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 6:16 am
  #429  
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Originally Posted by NewToCanada
So my real question about this thread (speaking as someone without any children) is: Do any of you parents worry that your children who have grown up flying around the world in business class, will get -- how to put it? -- a bit too used to it?

If you all think a screaming baby is bad, how will passengers react to an 18-year old who is off to college and finds himself in the back of the plane for the first time? I hear those can be some nasty temper tantrums...
My daughter rode first from time she was born. (alot more upgrade seats then). The first time she was in coach - about 5 years of age - "Where is the telephone"
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 6:43 pm
  #430  
 
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Originally Posted by ADW86
Hi,

I will soon be relocating to the US with my family and I'm looking for advice on the best J layout for traveling with a toddler.

We will be 2 adults and my daughter who is 1.5 years old and will have her own seat. We will be flying from AMS to MSY and the options for the long haul are UA B777 AMS-IAH, DL A330 AMS-ATL or BA B787 LHR-MSY. Looking at the layouts I feel DL is probably out but between UA and BA I'm torn. What do people think?

Also, does anybody know if the CARES system is compatible with any of those seats?

Thanks!
Think your best bet is BA 787 LHR-MSY for a couple reasons. 1) 787 is a 2-3-2 layout in J. You could get the three middle seats - the middle of which could be a nice place to keep your toddler. Also, I think this is better routing. I much prefer to finish the longer of my flights direct to my destination rather than connecting within the US when travelling with my children.

UA 777 is a close second IMO. The 2-2-2 layout means one of you can be directly next to the toddler (give her the window).
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 6:58 pm
  #431  
 
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Originally Posted by Zurick
My daughter rode first from time she was born. (alot more upgrade seats then). The first time she was in coach - about 5 years of age - "Where is the telephone"
Mine was asking "how can I put it in bed mode?"

However he now got used to Y class for the travel less than 5 hours.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 8:20 pm
  #432  
 
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It may be useful to be strategic about your seats. Recently flew J on CX on a A359 with wife and two young children (3.5 y/o & 18 months). We picked 3 seats on one-side of the rear mini-cabin and CX typically blocks the 4th seat until check-in due to proximity to the lavatory. Ultimately, we were able to use all four seats on two of the legs.

Completely understand this is a very specific situation, however it may be worth watching the seat maps for your itinerary.
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Old Jan 11, 2019, 7:29 am
  #433  
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Originally Posted by KiteM
Mine was asking "how can I put it in bed mode?"

However he now got used to Y class for the travel less than 5 hours.
Mine only got used to y when she started paying for herself
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Old Jan 11, 2019, 7:47 am
  #434  
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Saw a lap kid go flying onver the atlantic last week. Plane hit air pocket and dropped and kid bounced off the roof. No apparent damage
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Old Jan 11, 2019, 11:02 am
  #435  
 
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Originally Posted by Zurick
Saw a lap kid go flying onver the atlantic last week. Plane hit air pocket and dropped and kid bounced off the roof. No apparent damage
No damage to the plane. What about the poor kid ?
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