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We flew with a well known budget airline last week. Not sure if MN allows me to say which but no doubt many of you will be able to guess.
We found that it no longer boards children and babies first. Instead those who pay an extra charge get priority. There were two young babies on the flight (mine aged 4 months). The staff were extremely rude and insisted on sending us to the very back of the non priority queue, despite other passagers offering to let us go first.
As a result of this policy we saw a mother sent to the back of the queue separated from her two under-10 children on the plane (until other passengers kindly offered to move).
Is it just me or is this truely the triumph of corporate greed and mindless bureaucracy over common decency?
You get what you pay for unfortunately - however, a tip for the next time, if you check-in online (as they try to encourage you to do now) you get priority boarding for free... also means you don't have to get to the airport two hours before your flight leaves!
Happenened to us at Easyjet - I stood there and got quite shirty and they let us go in after the priority bookers. They do still let toddlers go first but apparently my 4 year old was to old.
With Easyrubbish, priority boarding was always a load of crap anyway - it just meant you got on the bus first, and then there was a scrum when you got to the plane!
we got priority boarding and newcastle airport 2yr ago with easy jet..and not onto bus..onto plane, got sat down when all others came on..might have changed now tho?
i take it you're referring to ryanair? if so, then yes it's the online equivalent of a mugging but you do get the option to pay £6 per person to go on as a priority and tbh anyone with a child who doesn't do that is fooking bonkers imo.
We lost our place in the queue when my son who was five years old at the time needed a wee. We had to go to back of the non priority queue.
If if hadn't been for a kind passenger giving up his seat, my partially deaf son would have had to sit on his own for the flight.
I feel that certain air lines put money above safety. What would happen if a small child was made to sit next to a paedophile with no parent to protect them?
Hmmm, it's interesting that the message here is that I may be being slightly unreasonable. We actually hadn't realised the policy had changed. I seem to remember that children went first when I last flew before DS was born. I guess next time we'll have to pay or online check in.
Any (unreasonable) annoyance on my part is probably a reflection of the way we were treated by the staff on the day as much as the company's policy
We are flying Ryanair tomorow and paid for priority booking. We have flown them before too.
The thing is, there is another way to look at it. Their flights are so cheap (we paid a penny a seat for these) that even when you add in all the extras (they charge even for checking in now!), it is still cheaper than anyone else. I don't look at all those extras as extras. Instead, when you add everyting together, that is the cost of the flight. Other airlines are way more exensive and they include all that in there.
We paid about £200 for four of us return to Salzburg for tomowow. That includes all the "extras". You cana't beat that on any other airline.
SebbysMum- I didn't realise the policy had changed either. Last time we flew Ryanair ( about 5 years ago) we were allowed board first because our children were about 9 and 11. All passengers with children were told to come up first for boarding. Crazy to think that parents and children may not be able to sit together. Whilst the parent may enjoy the peace and quiet , the person sitting beside the unaccompanied child may not be too pleased.
I flew Ryanair once and wouldn't fly with them again, iftheypaidme. No amount of savings are worth that horrible stress.
I've also been on many many flights (both with and without my dcs) where the announcement comes on over the tannoy for boarding for people with children and everyone without children completely ignores it and starts to board anyway!!!!!!!
nope, sorry, i've just booked with them, you absolutely have to untick the priority booking thing. you must have done so, and to do so without thinking that the policy has changed (if you click on the box it tells you the new policy) is pretty dense tbh. now, if it wasn't you who booked the tix then yes, i can see how you wouldn't have known but you'd really have to take your complaint to the person who did first of all...
If you want the company to take common decency into consideration, you should pay more. Either paying the extras, or (IMO preferably) choose a proper airline.
for me its not getting on first its getting on before others so you can get the baby sat down, all your bags put in hold above head and faf about with belts/drinks/toys for a few mins without upsetting other passengers.
We flew easyjet a couple of weeks ago (DD 9mo). On way out they called for infants under two and although we had to push our way through the crowd of people who were round the desk and we got on quickly easy lovely.
On the way back it was at businessman returning hour and they did call for people with "B" tickets (which they had given us at checkin and said we'd be the first on) but by then everyone was crowding around and barging through. The ladies actually had to haul a bloke back who just steamed through the crowd! I got really funny about the whole thing and edged back through the crown saying "no these people are obviouly much more of a prioity" and generally being a bit weird.
Anyhoo it was quite a trauma and I thought was far more in our case to do with the sodding selfish nasty people desperate to get on the plane at all costs and not so much to do with the boarding ladies who were clearly just tired of trying to hold back a horde of scary nasty pushing men.
Sorry about the rant. Maybe complain you might get some vouchers or something? Not that you'd want them... In fact definitely complain you will feel better! Maybe I should...
Just got off a flight this morning. We had allocated seats thank goodness, - but didn't have priority boarding!
TBH I like to get on last with my 17 month old. He doesn't like sitting still and the longer he can run around beforehand the better for everyone!
I am writing a letter of complaint to the baggage handlers though. There seems to be a general consensus that buggies are not to be available for disembarking.
Runnaway toddler impossible to control unless strapped in buggy during passport control queuing and 25 minute walk from the gate. Spesh as am 6 months pregnant and can't carry him!
I have flown Ryanair almost every week for the last 5 years and surprising to some people, they are almost never late and reasonably priced.
They don't board children first, but IIRC they still have a duty to ensure that children (under a certain age, which i can't remember ) are seated with their parents. if you ask, they are mean't to try and get other people to move to seat you together. BUT, as other people have said, they are a business and they set the rules - if you don't like it, don't fly with them.
In my case, in one year i sat in the same seat for 98% of the flights (1A - Front row, window, left). As you can imagine, that seat is popular but the reason i sat in it always was:
1. I had priority boarding 2. I got to the airport early and was in the queue early
the point is, you can do this do, if you want.
i would much rather fly them than fly most of the competitors, that cost a lot more and the service is not much better (and sometimes worse)
I refuse to fly Ryanair too. It's a false economy as you pay so much extra in added charges that you rarely save any money.
The rudeness of the staff would appear IME to BE company policy. It's not a one off, that's for sure.
If you fly Ryanair you pay a lot more money than it initially seems you will to be treated like you're less than human.
There's always another way to get where you're going.
ReallyTired - of course it's a safety issue, and it's not the one you suggest. If there is any kind of emergency a small child needs to be near the adult responsible for them. You cannot be sure that the person they end up sitting next to will know how to deal with them in a crisis.
So basically if you're a parent and you fly with an airline that doesn't give you free "priority boarding" when flying with children under 10, the airline is effectively charging you more than other people as the charge is not really optional. Unless you want to put your children at risk you have to pay.
Moondog: Thanks I probably will next time because I'm sick of it. I have been lucky to fly 3 return trips in the life time of my LO and NEVER have I had the buggy on disembarking.
Two of the airlines told me it was a rule that customs set, but I made a point of going down the DECLARE route to ask them and they said twas bollox!
I've always thought I'd refuse to disembark, until they either bring me my buggy or other assistance but have a 6 ft 2 DH who CAN carry DS and hates to make a fuss. I'm more of a principle person though and it always niggles me, - spesh as I know that some women have to do the trip alone!
see, that sounds a great deal more horrific to me than having to fanny about with meanie staff and a kid in an airport...
mind you i like flying, although i haven't been on a plane in about five years, it's exciting and the start of a holiday. and yes, i do plan to carry antihistamines with which to knock dd out if necessary. yes i fooking do...
LOL! I was thinking they could bring me a wheelchair as an alternative, - and since 17 would not be safe alone, - he could sit on my lap and they could push me all the way through!!
BUT, - I'm a little uncomfortable about mixing it up with facilities/assistance for disabled!
Star but you can book for extra assistance beforehand-one of those little electric cars. They are not solely reserved for ancient Indian ladies in white saris and 1950s style glasses.
last time I flew Ryanair (admittedly a couple of years back) they did do priority boarding for children and disabled/ old people. The problem we had was that there was a large group of mostly-pissed neds (more than 20), which included a couple of younger neds (about 12 yrs old, I guess). Presumably because they were all on the same booking, they all got priority boarding, which caused havoc.
The trick, as other people have said, is to pay for priority bording, or take only hand luggage and check in online, in which case you get it free. Otherwise turn up early and get to the front of the queue.
Tissy, - turning up early and hanging around isn't child-friendly either, - spesh if you have an early morning flight!
I'm a last minute girl though and usually turn up after check in is closed, - go to 'last minute check in' and get away therefore with extra weight that they don't charge for and I get on the plane last too.
I got refused extra assistance disembarking from a BA flight at Gatwick. I was 7m pg and by myself with DS1 who was 22m old at the time. It seemed like miles to the luggage bit, and was in the middle of the night so he was fast asleep. To add insult to injury, I'd taken his car seat on the plane as they told me I could get the electric car thing. They had space on it, but still wouldn't allow me to use it as they didn't have my details. Have had much more assistance from First Choice flights! I felt like just sitting there and crying. Eventually somebody on the buggy took my carseat on their knee, although the driver advised them not to (I obviously looked like a dodgy drug dealer! ), and I carried DS1 and our bags the whole way. I've managed to get my P&T on as handluggage a couple of times though!
MD - I know. It makes me scared about every flight I take now. Although my last one (last Monday!) was fab. Plane only one third full, so we had 6 seats between the three of us (only paid for myself and DS1 as DS2 is 1).
I'm shocked about the priority boarding though. I've never paid the extra for being seated together, as I've just assumed that they'd sit DS1 with me. He's 4 now. Whenever we've checked in, our seats have always been preallocated. I've never flown with RA or the likes though.
Aitch - pack your antihistamines and break your 5 year grounding, and get yerself on a flight from Glasgow to Luton. We'll be there to pick you up, and I'll make Hunker come and play too .
I always take a sling so that I can keep DS2 in easy reach. Sometimes I leave my luggage going around until my buggy comes off, then I strap DS1 into that whilst I get the rest off. Although on another BA flight, the airhostess wouldn't help me to put DS2 in the sling (piggy back style), as they aren't allowed to hold children for insurance reasons . DS2 was fast asleep at the time, so ended up having to ask an elderly passenger to help me. They also wouldn't watch DS1 whilst I changed DS2's nappy in the loo, and then complained when I did it on the seat (just wet).
In some airports (which I'm v. familiar with), I've sent DS1 and DS2 through customs by themselves to my parents who are waiting on the other side, so that I can get my luggage off in peace! Once the person who'd sat next to me on the plane took DS2 through for me (he wasn't yet walking)!
Laura,I did a lot of travelling with a tiny baby and toddle back and forth to remote part of Turkey a couple of years ago (involved three plane changes,trips on buses and so on). The feeling of panic and helplessness I felt was awful and peopel were so unseeing and unhelpful. I hATED IT,EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
I'm with Mallory. The kids are stuck in the same place on that tin box for long enough. If there are allocated seats, I'd be much happier to go on last, provided our overhead locker place hasn't been usurped.
Starlight, don't show up after check in has closed if you're flying Ryanair or Easyjet. They don't do late check in. If you "miss" your flight they will not let you board and you will have to buy a ticket for the next flight. Don't be even 1 minute late, according to their (weirdly often seemingly fast) clock, even in a tiny airport, because they will not let you on the flight and you will have to buy another ticket.
I'm a last minute person too and we are NOT welcome on these airlines. They're only cheap if you're the kind of person who doesn't factor time spent travelling/sitting around the airport trying to be first in the queue into the cost of your ticket.
Oh yeah and as expat has mentioned, best make sure you're not disabled. Or old. Or travelling with a body you're paying to have transported.
I KNOW a toddler wriggling around behind you all flight is a pita. The seats are soo cramped, especially if they are on your lap! I used to get annoyed myself before kids (And probably still would now tbh)
But, - we found the solution to shut up the grumpy man in front! DH offered to swap seats with him.
Since this would mean him not sitting next to his DP and instead having to sit next to my LO he refused, - but it did stop him complaining!
Breastfeeding was marvellous for keeping babies quiet on plane. I would have them plugged on for hours. Disembarked looking like a giant loofah-sapped of al lmoisture.
Lets face it - flying sucks. With children, or without, unless you are in a private jet, or have the elusive black BA card and travel first class, you get treated like poo. And on budget airlines, thats even more so, as they rely on their prices to bring you back, not their service.
I can't tell you how many hundred thousand miles I have flown in the last eight years (but I had a gold BA card for 4 of those, flying solely in economy), and I don't think I've ever seen great service.
no, rather unbelievably you have to pay for everyone. i am considering asking if i can send dh on to bagsie three seats before coming on later with dd, though.
Aitch - thats what my colleague does. Teenager goes in the priority boarding queue, then spreads out to reserve seats for the rest of the family who get on last (she also has 7 and 1 year olds)
When i fly with dh I insist on sitting apart from him and kids.Then I drink wine, read, relax and flirt with neighbour while he grapples with kids. it's heaven.
I always board last even with a 7yo. If there aren't 2 seats together they will move someone. I believe that civil aviation law states that a responsible person has to sit next to a minor incase they need help if the plane crashes or oxygen masks need to be put on. A stranger can not be expected to be responsible for my dd's life and if needed I would make that very clear. Never had to argue the point though. To be honest I think people are happy to move as they generally look horrified if you plonk a young child next to them.
oh yes, that michael ryan doesn't miss a trick to charge people money, that's for sure. you should have seen the thread on here when i realised that i was about to be charged £18 x 3 for the privilege of checking in and getting a flipping seat! but otoh, that's why i know for a fact you can't be unaware of the policy change, it's all over the site.
Last year I flew with my two dd's, then aged 6 & 3, with Easyjet who did not offer priority boarding to children.
I was worried about being separated from the girls, so we made sure we were at the front of the queue. Unfortunately, when the gates opened, the adults surrounding us ran to the plane, so by the time I got there I was struggling to get 3 seats together.
Fortunately, the Air Stewardess found a lady who had put her bags on a set of three seats, and removed the bag. The lady remarked that she was saving the seats for her friends - the stewardess replied that she was taking them for me as I had children with me. Thank you Easyjet!
Am I being unreasonable to suggest that children under five shouldn't be allowed on aeroplanes?
Just a thought
I remember in my childless days being asked if I had a preference for a window or an aisle seat - and responding that I didn't care as long as it was out of earshot of wailing infants
I think you are being unreasonable Quattro, not all children are the same. My dd's will quite happily read or colour quietly for the flight, causing less disturbance than some adults!
We always check in 2 hours before and then stand next to the gate. BUT When they call for speedy boarding tickets its 90% of the passengers.So stand and watch them go by with all the other parents and young children waiting at the back.
Children and parents have reserved seats, - in the front of the plan, with reserved overhead lockers. They get on the plane last and get off first. They entertain/kick the back of the seats of other children/parents therefore. They are expected to sit still for the minimum amount of time. They are guaranteed to be sitting with family who are the best able to keep them still and quiet. Parents are served at least twice for drinks/food so that both/all parents are not expected to try and eat/have their trays down at the same time.
Would this REALLY be difficult to arrange by the airlines?
Surely any effort in arranging this would be far outweighed by the benefits!!!
i last flew easyjet a few years ago and while we were in the priority area for boarding, the queue of people all grappling to get to the front and glaring at me was incredible.
now i fly BA or BMI only, if you book far enough in advance they can be just as cheap as budget airlines and you can check in online. i now wait til everyone's boarded then stroll on with DS. what's the point in waiting in a queue to board when you can wait til the queue is nearly gone and then just walk on. means DS can walk around a bit more rather than queuing.
i think it's stanstead where they won't let you get your buggy straight from the aircraft, that caught me out once.
We flu with BA about 4 years ago to Maderia and they did as StarlightMckenzie described except that all the families sat at the back of the plane. Childless adults got to sit at the front. They also put the spare seats at the back of the plane so that families with small children could spread out as much as possible.
There were two back doors so it was fairly easy to get on and off the plane. My son got to play with another little boy for the journey. The children were given some crayons to keep them amused.
The only snag is that BA costs more, but the service is better than Ryanair.
I can never fathom this out, why airlines are so anti helpful. They sell the tickets, they know who's booked on the flight ie: infant/child/adult fares - each booking has a reference. They ask for all your ages DOB etc. Can it be that hard to work out some seating plan of ensuring families are group seated without making them pay for it or rush around like mad headless chickens with bags and toys flying in every direction?
I dunno it was a right bitch though having to hold my baby and folded pushchair while unladen businessmen elbowed me out of the way. Never mind. This is why SAHM stay at home!!
Actually, at the risk of being flamed, I think that some of you have very unreasonable expectations.
I agree that a little extra help for travellers with young children is nice but you shouldn't demand the moon on a stick just because you're travelling with your children.
We went on holiuday to Kefalonia last september when DS1 was 2.9 and DS2 was 12 months - It was a charter airline (we went with Olympic gholidays - can't remember the airline) and they werev excellent
Bristol aorport let us keep the pushchair until we got on the plane, and at the other end, the buggy was out and set up on the tarmac! We were also rushed through the check in on our return flight, as it was 10pm and both kids would have klicked off oitherwise. We didn;t get on ther plane fisrt thjough - I can't think of anything worse.
However, when DS1 was 4 mopnths old I travelled with him alone to Dublin - fucking nightmare. The plane was full of pissed up blokes going on stag dos and the staff were rude and unhelpful (BA) The staff at Birmingham airport were also shit. I also had some bloke shout at me on the plane because DS1 cried for all of 2 minutes. I got toild to "SHUT THAT FUCKING KID UP" All of his mates laughed, whilke I seethed quietly in the seat. If I'd had DP with me, I would have kicked off.
I don't think anyone is being over demanding branflake!
I fly a lot - it is a different experience with DS than prior to him certainly. But I have never had too many problems. Flying in and out of Eastern Europe - everyone is very helpful. In Sofia airport at immigration, officials will come and get you and bring you to the front of the queue. Buggies always at the door of the plane for pick up.
In Uk I think it is a union thing that they don't bring the buggies/pushcairs to the door - as I found out on flying into UK once when I refused to get off till they got the pushchair. Guy who brought it up told me he wasn't insured to carry it!
I do think Michael O'Leary spends all his time trying to come up with new ways to charge customers for basics. I am waiting for charges for using the toilet and breathing his air. Won't be long now.
In all the long haul flights I've done on my own with DD (aged between 15 months and 4) I've always, always wanted to get on as late as possible.
If you're struggling on your own to control a 15 month old who won't sit on a seat and be strapped in the last thing you want is to be there for an hour even before they've turned on the engines. At least in the departure corridor of hell they can run around.
Now DD is 5 I just pre-book the best seats and get on when I like. One nintendo DS for her and a glass of wine for me and they can do what they like - only another 24 hours to kill until Heathrow.
Hmm, I don't know why you would expect preferential treatment just because you have a baby or child with you tbh. I wouldn't expect to be boarded first - I don't think I ever have been. I've made the decision to fly with children and I don't expect allowances to be made.
Even on the expensive airlines they don't give parents travelling alone with small children a priority to board.
I find that the majority of passengers push in front of me and my two small children in their haste to board. That doesn't concern me in itself (apart form the fact it's extremely impolite), but it is annoying to be the last to get onto a flight and find that all of the hand luggage space above my seats has gone, meaning that I have to put all hand luggage quite a lot further down the plane. That's a hassle when you are tavelling along with two small children because I regulary need stuff for them from my hand luggage.
I fly Aer Lingus a lot and also Malev. Have flown Swissair, TAP, and BA in recent years too. Always board first - I hang around the desk if necessary and have been known to embarrass DH by going to front of queue.
DS takes one of those small pull along cases and I always put it under the seat in front of him. They ask you to do that now with heavy bags anyway. And I always have my handbag under the seat in front of me. Never been a problem.
I use Brussels Airline mainly. Very expensive (in fact too expensive now that I have to pay full price for all of us, I won't be flying again for qutie a while) - no priority given to parents with children and absolutely no buggage under the seats.
The last time I flew my flight was cancelled (at the very last minute). Again, I was alone with two small children, and pregnant this time. I had to regain all of our luggage and queue up to get new tickets for another flight. Of course no one helped me with the luggage, but it was frustrating to see everyone (nearly all business men) push in front of me leaving me at the back of the queue. We had to queue for more then two hours to get the new tickets - and that really isn't fun with two children.
But I've lived in the real world long enough to know that people are selfish, and I didn't really expect anything different.
I don' think that airlines should give massive preference to children, but surely its common sense to keep families together on a flight.
When I flew to Madeira with BA, and they put all families at the back of the plane, I think it improved the quality of life for everyone on the plane. Otherwise you have squawking kids all over the plane and the childless people have the flight from hell as well.
Admittally when I last flew lack of hand luggage space was not a problem. People were not allowed to take much on board because a bunch of terrorists had tried to blow up planes using liquids.
The stewards should have sorted that belgo. It nearly happened to us 2 years ago on a TAP flight but me the the bolshy cow that I am stood in the aisle and refused to sit down till it was sorted. The stewardess was less than helpful I must admit but a young English couple moved.
I am glad I never fly!! But I thought you got a seat number on your ticket so it didn't matter in what order you got on the plane? Given how disabled people are treated (mangled wheelchair, no going to the loo) by airlines we never intend to fly. DD can't sit or hold her head up and must be supported by her very complex wheelchair. How on earth will she fly?
Please, which airlines are these? Would love to be separated from my under-10s on a long-haul flight. They'd be chuffed, too.
Never understood the supposed value of pre-boarding for babies & little children. They find it hard enough to sit in one place for a while, as it is. Much better to let them run mad inside the terminal until the very last possible moment.
I never said that people with children should get preferential treatment or the moon on a stick, - just some common sense treatment to benefit the whole flight, - parents, kids, other passengers and the flight attendents!
riven, not with budget airlines- they cut costs by reducing administration, so you just get a boarding pass, and turn up at the gate to queue. First come, first on.
If you don't take hold bags and do online check-in you get free priority boarding apparently. Not much help to those with children though! I discovered this last night, booking for palma in a few weeks time.
I daresay I'll be in the priority boarding queue with 75% of the plane again as happened last time.
<<tries not to remember disaster of online check-in flying to Cork last year>>
..might have changed now tho? 
, the person sitting beside the unaccompanied child may not be too pleased. 
) are seated with their parents. if you ask, they are mean't to try and get other people to move to seat you together. BUT, as other people have said, they are a business and they set the rules - if you don't like it, don't fly with them.
Have had much more assistance from First Choice flights! I felt like just sitting there and crying. Eventually somebody on the buggy took my carseat on their knee, although the driver advised them not to (I obviously looked like a dodgy drug dealer! 
), and I carried DS1 and our bags the whole way. I've managed to get my P&T on as handluggage a couple of times though! 
It makes me scared about every flight I take now. Although my last one (last Monday!) was fab. Plane only one third full, so we had 6 seats between the three of us (only paid for myself and DS1 as DS2 is 1). 
