I was just interested in seeing how many other peole think that Business and First class on long haul flights is not the place for Children.

Yeah it may sound mean but after hearing 13 hours of..."Mum, I want the foot rest up, Mum I want the foot rest down, Mum I want the TV on, MUM why isn't there anything on TV etc.

Add that to the the 3 children constantly playing with the lights, the tray tables and the flight attendant having to come over several times during landing because they kept playing with the footrests.

I felt sorry for the Mum who was travelling solo with the three children and was trying hard to keep them under control but perhaps Economy is just a better place for kids.

Well, this topic has come up before, of course, and I weigh in on no children in F or C unless they are very well-behaved. Otherwise, I believe parents should fly in coach.

This is the fine restaurant vs. McDonald's analogy, and that is what I would go by. Anything goes in McDonalds (of course parents should keep their kids from running wild anywhere, goes without saying) but not in a fine restaurant.

I agree with the 'no kids in first' philosophy and will do about anything to get upper deck Biz class. A mum with a wild yearling girl and tempermental 2 year old boy set my teeth on edge during a 3 hour flight. The yearling girl was boarded as a lap child, making all around her miserable including her mum and brother. She spent most of the flight on the floor. Even when the seat belt sign was on. Mother appeared to be helpless in the situation. No good for anyone.

Don't forget that many McDonalds also have play areas for kids.

Duct tape

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

King Herod had the right idea.

You guys would have loved my recent ORD-SMF flight on UA. Besides my own 7-year-old, there were a couple of babies and a toddler in F. I think the ratio between adults and kids was 1:1.

Surprisingly all (including the adults) were well behaved. The babies slept for most of the trip, the toddler played with a bag of toys his dad brought, and my son drew pictures (did a nice A-320 as a present for the flight crew which earned him a cockpit visit after arrival) and played with his Gameboy.

Prior to our trip, my son and I had a talk about the special nature of the front cabin and to be on his best behavior.

Not only should kids be banned from C & F, but Y should be split in 2 with a "family zone" at the back (preferably behind a bulkhead on larger planes). Duct tape and valium would in all likelihood still be necessary.

When my brother takes his two boys on long haul flights, they drug them up with antihistamines. And when they aren't in their drug induced comas, they have their game boys to occupy them. They are flying from Sydney to Vienna next week and my Sister in Law has it all worked out...she hopes

Before the flights she also talks to them about their behaviour on the plane. I think all parents shuld do this..no matter what class they fly in.

At least they have the good sense to only fly in Y.

Is flying in coach a permission to behave worse than in first? I am not sure if a difference should be made. A plane is a public place, where we have to be very close people we don't know and thus all of us, adults too, should try put on our best behavior regardless of the class of travel. There is something wrong with the parents if they let their kids to annoy fellow passengers. Well, easy for me to say... no kids

The only airline, that I can remember now, where I have encountered badly behaving kids (and adults) is Lufthansa. (Sorry, German FTers)

For every airborne hellion who runs out of control and wrecks everyone's flight, there are probably ten who behave perfectly acceptably -- my own included.

What's more, I believe most flight attendants would rather have a well-behaved child in F than a rude, arrogant, platinum-card-carrying adult who complains, drinks too much, hits on the FAs, etc. None of my worst bad-pax stories involve children.

I think you will find most well behaved children feel the same negative way about moaning, drunk too much, status carrying adults who have forgotten what they were like in their formative years.

I have been told by my parents what I was like in my formative years which is exactly why the waited to take me on my first journey on a plane until I was old enough to act appropriately. We often traveled by car to many wonderful places. When they come to visit me now they are appalled by the number of people who feel compelled to travel to far away places with children too young (under 5) to even understand where they are going, dragging along a dozen carry-on bags, strollers, and child seats. Understandably, these children become difficult to travel with since they would probably rather be home with their friends and toys. I remember a recent FlyerTalk post (which I can't find now) where a poster stated that he is "anxious" to take his 2 year old to Hawaii. I'm not too sure how anxious the child will be. I think with most of these trips it's the PARENTS who are anxious to travel regardless of its affects on their children or those stuck around them. But sometimes it only takes one trip for parents to say, "We'll never do THAT again." Unfortunately, I was sitting in front of them for the one trip they did take, and that was in first class.

Do you mean King Solomon? Or was there another child story with King Herod?