True. I appreciate the follow up.

I stand by my overall point: NO NO and NO! on changing the diaper in the seat and not in the lav...I don't care how small the lav is (and I'm a plus-sized flyer...trust me, I know how small they are). There is NO acceptable reason to subject your fellow flyers to diaper pollution.

Maybe not, but I would be willing to bet they didn't always change you in the privacy of a bathroom either. I understand your point, and again I think there has to be consideration of circumstances here. Whether you agree with using a seat or not, a child should never be changed bare-assed anywhere in public, and should be using a changing pad (or your coat or lap if you don't have one). There is also a difference when changing a soiled and wet diaper. A wet diaper can be changed quicky with minimal/no exposure, and can even be done standing up. You never know what you are going to get with a soiled diaper, so if there is a chance you are going to make a mess, find an alternative place.

When there is no official changing table in the lav... what is so difficult with putting down the toilet seat, placing the lovely changing pad (that parents indicate is impervious to spilling onto the airline seat padding) and putting baby on that? You will have plenty of space and even can use the sink, as needed, with immediate disposal of the nappy. Since you will need to wash your hands after cleaning your baby, you will have the sink right there of wash up.

Why is this so difficult? There is absolutely NO excuse to need to change baby in the airline seat, or anywhere including the airport lounges, except for in the Lav.

It's ok to rant. You're new to Flyertalk so I'd like to welcome you here.

As you can see, if you criticize parents acting horribly on aircraft, you will get emotional responses and questions like "how many kids do you have". Also realize, that if you have no children, you have no right to criticize when a parent changes a diaper on a seat or lets the kids misbehave as some oddly believe. When I was a child, my parents DRILLED into our heads how travelling was a privilege and if we abused it, we were staying home the next time. And they enforced that rule. My parents didn't travel with us until we understood what it meant to behave ourselves.

You might also be accused of being a child hater; that one is an emotional knee-jerk reaction out of left field because if anything, you hate the adults who can't manage their kids. It's not the kids who bother you; it's their parents.

Do realize that after the Christmas holiday, you will see fewer children flying until the next vacation break. When you fly at this time of year, there is nothing you can do about bad parenting on airplanes.

Lastly, I find the best people flying now are unaccompanied children. They tend to have the best manners of adults and children alike.

TRUE!!! ^

Wrong (again...)

Tray table?!? Oh god no. While I am ok about the seat under some circumstances (and on the lap if nobody is right next to you), the tray table is NOT acceptable for changing a baby.

As for reclining, sorry, I have to disagree. The seats are made to recline, it is assumed people will recline and the space made available is based on that. You can always recline yours further back too. Not many people want to sit at a 90 degree angle for 6 hours, regardless of their girth. Seats only recline 4-6 inches, so "in my lap" is a bit of an exaggeration. There is a valid argument about obese people who literally spill into the adjacent seat, but just having someone next to you is big and doesn't afford you as much of a buffer in you personal space is just the luck of the draw.

I would also argue that on any given flight, there are more rude adults than misbehaving children/parents........

I do not think there is any circumstance you can create where it is acceptable to remove a baby's diaper at your seat and change him/her on the tray table. That is unhealthy, disgusting and I would not let you do that seated in my row - no way no how.

It does not matter to me if the bathroom makes it inconvenient to change a baby there... bringing a child on a plane is not convenient in any circumstance, and if you have to deal with a cramped bathroom then IMO that's part of the price. If you want better service, pay for upgraded cabins, drive, take a train, charter a jet, etc. But don't expect to be able to impose upon your seatmates because you find it inconvenient to change a baby in the bathroom.

Changing a baby in the row of a plane is so outside the bounds of common decency that I really wonder if people saying they do it are really that lowbrow or are just pulling our legs?

Guys, where did I say anything about changing diapers on tray tables??

Oh, "parental bingo." That's a key phrase from the "website of those that hate children and are proud of it and were clearly born as adults." Now I understand better.

There is a substantial difference between a wet diaper and a poop-filled diaper, as mentioned above. Wet diapers can be changed just about anywhere with minimal effort. If I have a 2-seat row with my daughter in the window seat, I can pull out a diaper pad and have it done in seconds without anyone noticing (unless they look in that direction). Certainly no smell.

Then again, I'm in no big hurry to change a merely wet diaper, anyway. Today's disposable diapers are so absorbent that even full they are dry to the baby's skin. It's easier (excpet on a long haul) to just wait until landing and change the diaper in an airport stall.

Now, poop is another story. Someone changing a poop filled diaper in a seat is completely out of line, IMO. Use the toilet seat if the lavatory doesn't have a changing table.

>I am constantly stunned what parents think is acceptable (or at least what >they have rationalized).

Heh... With kids bad behavior is half-excusable. I'm always amazed at what adults think is acceptable.

> A lady cady corner to us, changed her babys diaper twice on the flight, in her aisle seat.

Eeewww! This is when you politely tell her "Eeewww!!! Bathroom's that's way!"

>The plane was filled with about 15 kids under the age 10. Running up and >down the aisle and screaming. The parents doing nothing to control them.

Well... Many times I've seen adults doing almost the same thing and there is no one to control them .

>It always starts the same, the parent says,"he does good on airplanes". As >soon as the plane climbs, the toddler starts crying and screaming due to the >pressure change.

There is nothing anyone could do about this, deal with it. On one of the flights I was told that I was whining during the climb... I had some sinus issues, it hurt like hell but I did not realize I was whining

>I think there really should be an age limit on at least some of the aircraft, or >have designated childrens flights.

Well, it's called a private jet If you want peace, charter (or buy) a jet. Otherwise, deal with all the perils of PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

who ever said you can't change a baby in an airport lav is nuts, plain and simple, i've done it, while not the most ideal of situation, it sure can be done.

Lets see why shouldn't we want to change a baby in the seat: for starters

1. people (esp me) eat in their seats (don't need baby excrement on me, in my seat, on the floor where I put my stuff, or on a seat I may sit on the next flight)

2. it flat out will stink - leave the lav with the smell

3. there is more room in a lav than in a coach seat

4. turbulance

5. where are you going to put the diaper (in the seat back? under your seat? hold it? in your bag?, wait for an FA to walk by?) - I would assume that one would toss it in the lav but again, some people are too lazy to go to the lav

6. I've changed enough babies to know that (if male) they can go wee wee at any time.. I'm not one to look for a golden shower but if I was it wouldn't be on a plane

this comment above is so bizarre, Im not sure what to say
"Also realize, that if you have no children, you have no right to criticize when a parent changes a diaper on a seat or lets the kids misbehave as some oddly believe"

please correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that a person who has no kids doesn't have the right to criticize those who change a diaper on a coach seat next to you????? I really hope thats not what you are saying.. please explain

regarding the big fat guy who reclines his seat in Y - acouple of questions - what does it matter if its a big fat guy, if anyone is reclining in front of you - the persons size shouldn't affect you nor should the sex and two, airlines buy reclining seats for a reason.. uhmmm to recline.. thats why they have first, if you want more room pay for it

Yes, I changed the context of your original quote to remove the superfluous additional verbiage that attempted to disguise...yet another "bingo".

Thanks for playing.

And for the record: Don't hate kids...hate irresponsible parents.

What if sh!t doesn't get on the seat?
I'd never put my kid's bare ... on one of those seats... nasty! All kinds of dirty people sit there, wouldn't want kid's pristine ... touching that seat.