ParkTrips Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 An interesting debate has come up on various travel sites/blogs this week: should babies be allowed in first class? nytimes link Malaysian Airlines has said that babies <2years will not be allowed in first class, due to the potential for crying fits and the lack of baby-changing stations. Since we have a lot of travelers here, what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 I've been on red eye flights where babies cried the entire time and I got little sleep because of it. Not a fun experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 I'm kinda a horrible person and this will never happen... but there should be an age limit to get on a plane. My parents went to London where a baby kept them up the ENTIRE TIME flying red eye... not cool. It won't happen... but I wish it would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Continental Airlines had a 21 and up for F/J class up into the mid 2000s- but it was rarely enforced. Most airlines try to not put kids in F/J class for the simple reason: Your best revenue (I.E. Frequent paying passengers, higher-yield customers) come from the pointy end of the plane. Having flown over 1M miles in my lifetime, and being Platinum elite for life on Continental (Star Alliance Gold for life) I can say that there is something pleasant about not having misbehaving kids in F class/J class. I like the quiet, I like the lack of noise, I like the lack of interruption. It makes my travel that much more productive all around. Mind you, I'm not saying this about all children: I have sat next to some better behaved children than some of the adults in the same group. And if a child is well-behaved, well mannered, and well parented, then I don't have any problem with them flying in F/J next to me. It's the people who don't pay any mind to their kids that drive me up a wall- and in many cases, airlines will avoid upgrading people with misbehaving kids (It's never in the 'written' policy book- but I've seen it happen on United AND Continental in the past.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I don't like blanket age restrictions on anything as I feel all children are different. For example, KT flew home Business Class (thanks Delta for the last minute upgrade!) from Tokyo to LA last night. She was quieter, less work for staff, and better behaved than 99% of the people in the cabin. I have been on several redeye's with screaming babies and it's terrible, but most of the time it's the parents fault, not the children! I'd love to institute some sort of 'kid license' or test or something so that only good kids could fly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I don't like blanket age restrictions on anything as I feel all children are different. For example, KT flew home Business Class (thanks Delta for the last minute upgrade!) from Tokyo to LA last night. She was quieter, less work for staff, and better behaved than 99% of the people in the cabin. I have been on several redeye's with screaming babies and it's terrible, but most of the time it's the parents fault, not the children! I'd love to institute some sort of 'kid license' or test or something so that only good kids could fly! I couldn't agree more with this: There have been more than a few flights I've taken where the parent's attitute is "It's a baby. They Cry. Get over it." while the rest of the plane is in misery as the child screams louder than the engines. Behaved children are OK by me- but as Elissa said: Kid Licence to fly- A-OK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 ^I'm not sure why those parents would rather sleep deprive a whole plane full of people than give their precious little child some friggen Benadryl. It just seems like common courtesy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 ^ It's surprising how many people think a medicine like Benadryl will somehow negatively influence their kids and stuff like that. Elissa's post makes much more sense than my previous post as well behaved children on flights don't bother me at all... and there are certain flights I am even more willing to put up with it. Like on a flight to or from Orlando it is full of kids... which is fine as I expect a louder flight and plan accordingly with benadryl or something to help me get to sleep...but as mentioned on a long ass flight I am not in nearly as good of a mood to put up with it. I feel like if I was in first class and I had loud children near me it would seem to defeat the purpose of even flying first class as you pay a premium for a more relaxing flight which cannot be achieved with crying kids... but that's just my take on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I'm all for it. Naturally, there are exceptions (KidTums is a prime example), but unfortunately she's part of a very small minority of well behaved children. I still consider certain things such as first class airline tickets to be a luxury item, and with them you should receive the utmost comfort, with the smallest risk of distractions. If that means issuing certain age restrictions, then I feel the airline has every right to do so in this case. I feel the same way about movie theaters. A big reason why I pretty much refuse to go anymore is younger children. I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed parents bringing their unruly toddlers, and even babies, to movies.....and I'm not talking about the latest Pixar releases either. They're called babysitters. They do exist. Find one, and quit ruining my movie experience. Thanks. [/end rant] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 I've only flown business class a few times, but I have always gotten the impression that it is quieter - almost like the silent car on a commuter train. I can understand the passengers resistance towards babies, and the airlines' desire to keep their top-paying customers happy. I wonder if there would be a way to swap out a baby who just won't calm down with, say, a coach passenger on a full-fare ticket? And perhaps compensate the displaced parent? I am in the camp that fat or smelly people are way more annoying than babies. You can at least put on headphones for babies or talkative people.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Coming from years in Airline Revenue Managment and related (The people who price tickets, and allocate seats, etc.) I can say that most airlines which offer an F/J class cabin have a set of unwritten- but well used- rules on upgrading, de-listing, and bumping passengers. In this, you might have one F/J class seat left- and in the hierarchy of airlines, there's a given set of who gets upgraded.. but it's not often followed. Gate agents will look around: If one of the two people is an obnoxious, loudmouth pain in the ass, and the other is polite, quiet and such, the polite one will ALWAYS get the upgrade- even if the Pain in the ass is higher in the tier system of a Frequent Flyer Program. The same can be said for upgrading children to F/J class: If there is a child on the upgrade list (Usually travelling with a passenger who HAS upgrade status) and the child is misbehaving, chances are they won't get the upgrade. On the other hand: if the child is being polite, quiet, etc. they will often get the upgrade. Gate agents, my friends, are the people one should be very nice to, as they are the ones who handout upgrades to F/J class- and they are the ones with the power! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Coincidentally, this just made the news: Octomom brought all her kids on a flight in business class. Naturally, that didn't end well. http://www.tmz.com/2011/07/09/octomom-nadya-suleman-kristen-johnston-third-rock-from-the-sun-airplane-argument-flight-delayed-jfk-lax/#comments-anchor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooksta77 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Personally due to the fact my dad is a Platinum member on American we always flew First or business even when I started flying at 1 year and I was told I was good and quiet at young ages and as I got older I remember it was be quiet cause you should act accordingly to surroundings. So I believe it's not the kid it's the parent and the type of behavior the parent instills in the parent. Again Elissa and Robb have proven that with KidTums. I bet KidTums could fly first class to Europe or Asia and you wouldn't have a problem with her. So as some have said there are exceptions but how are you going to decide what a kid will do 35,000 feet in the air? I may be biased since I was a spoiled little one who behaved in those premium classes but that's only my opinion. -Cookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Coincidentally, this just made the news: Octomom brought all her kids on a flight in business class. Naturally, that didn't end well. http://www.tmz.com/2011/07/09/octomom-nadya-suleman-kristen-johnston-third-rock-from-the-sun-airplane-argument-flight-delayed-jfk-lax/#comments-anchor Casey Anthony anyone... ^ ? I think I know what you're getting at... but that is very strangely written. The horrible person Ghost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Coincidentally, this just made the news: Octomom brought all her kids on a flight in business class. Naturally, that didn't end well. http://www.tmz.com/2011/07/09/octomom-nadya-suleman-kristen-johnston-third-rock-from-the-sun-airplane-argument-flight-delayed-jfk-lax/#comments-anchor I saw that!! I also saw her on the Today Show. She had NO control over those kids, how the hell she keeps telling people she can ' do it all herself' and 'doesn't need help' is complete BS. I can't believe they put them all in business class. I would have walked right off that plane after seeing them on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Coincidentally, this just made the news: Octomom brought all her kids on a flight in business class. Naturally, that didn't end well. http://www.tmz.com/2011/07/09/octomom-nadya-suleman-kristen-johnston-third-rock-from-the-sun-airplane-argument-flight-delayed-jfk-lax/#comments-anchor I saw that!! I also saw her on the Today Show. She had NO control over those kids, how the hell she keeps telling people she can ' do it all herself' and 'doesn't need help' is complete BS. I can't believe they put them all in business class. I would have walked right off that plane after seeing them on it! I'd have invited all the children to go and play with the blue water- and then give mommy a BBBIIIIIIIIGGGG HUGGG!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/restaurant-bans-kids-under-6-discrimination-or-smart-move-2509487/ Different, but more in the same... what do you guys think? This seems WAY TO EXTREME and a HUGE LACK OF COMMON SENSE! This place is losing tons of potential clientele! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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