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AIBU?

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Should 1st class babies and children stay in 1st class?

141 replies

user30 · 17/08/2024 13:37

Long haul flight, economy on lower deck, business/1st class on upper deck.
From the moment the fasten seat belt signs went off there were between 1 and 7 women (I would guess nannies but I do not know) juggling babies and toddlers in economy as well as badly behaved children aged 3-7 running around and making a huge mess in the bathrooms. I was on the front row and was repeatedly tapped and asked to tuck my legs under my seat to give them more space.

Cabin Crew seemed irritated (at one point 2 children threw handfuls of rice down the stairs onto a Cabin Crews head!) but only said something when a boy started throwing (unused) sanitary towels at economy passengers.

AIBU to think that everyone including children should stay in their own section of the plane? It was a nightmare and I am very tired so may be a bit cranky 😂

OP posts:
MargaretElsie · 17/08/2024 16:19

Thank f**k for that!!

AnnieMcFanny · 17/08/2024 16:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

MargaretElsie · 17/08/2024 16:17

Oh god, I am flying Business with Etihad in a few months, one leg of which is a A380. Argh! I think my tolerance for that sort of nonsense will be very low indeed. I have only flown Qatar, and in Economy - is this really such a common occurrence on ME airlines?

AnnieMcFanny · 17/08/2024 16:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Emz1212 · 17/08/2024 16:11

What does a parenting coach do?

notanotheronenow · 17/08/2024 16:11

user30 · 17/08/2024 14:11

The fact I am a parenting coach who was travelling for work made it hilariously ironic as well 😂

well the fact you ineffectively flapped doesn't say much for your coaching.

KerChingo · 17/08/2024 16:10

user30 · 17/08/2024 13:46

I told one of them off when they repeatedly stamped on my foot but he just laughed at me and carried on his throwing game in my personal space. I have never seen such badly behaved children and I was a teacher for 18 years!!

"Go away you little shit" may have worked 😂

Dygger · 17/08/2024 16:09

I've flown to New Zealand, Singapore and Australia a dozen times and always used Singapore Airlines. Never had anything like this. The last couple of times I've hovered over the Emirates and Qatar options when booking because they've been a couple of hundred cheaper, but gone with what I know. Thank goodness! That said, was horrified as I disembarked in Auckland last year to see that parents with basinets sitting in the front row of economy had left open dirty nappies on the floor. Who does that?

Moulook31 · 17/08/2024 16:07

user30 · 17/08/2024 13:54

@NuffSaidSam Yes, the minute the seatbelt signs were off they all came downstairs, I was surprised but the Crew seemed used to it. It was Emirates. I asked for and was denied a second glass of wine because I was not getting any sleep 😂I felt sorry for the Crew but also annoyed they did nothing.

Not a surprise that it was Emirates.

GivingitToGod · 17/08/2024 16:07

user30 · 17/08/2024 14:07

@MorrisZapp it was a night flight - they served dinner and a glass of wine then it was water only in economy 😂I don't know if this is normal - the flight was hellish 😂

Hellish for adults and likely to be more hellish for young children!

Whenwillitgetwarm · 17/08/2024 16:02

Well if the airline won’t deal with it then people will look for alternatives. The 1st class passengers will eventually have a whole plane to themselves for all of about a month before the airline goes bust!

Butchyrestingface · 17/08/2024 16:02

Fluffybutterfly · 17/08/2024 15:39

Just trip the kids up, and claim blind it was accidental. The kids will know it was not and hopefully stay away from you.

This thread is horrible. So full of thinly concealed racism and jealousy.

Nah. Most people can barely tolerate their own kids, let alone anyone else's. Grin

user30 · 17/08/2024 15:55

@Fluffybutterfly I am the same race as many of the nannies, so would like to report but cannot find any problematic posts - please can you point out the racist posts? Thanks
As for jealousy, I am assure you I am in no way jealous of people with horrifically behaved children although I do make a good living from helping them with parenting (mostly in London and the SE of the UK but non UK families)

OP posts:
Butchyrestingface · 17/08/2024 15:54

MumChp · 17/08/2024 13:47

The crew should have stepped up and asked parents to control their children. No matter what class children and parents fly.

Fuck dat. They should have been asked to leave. Wink

notnorman · 17/08/2024 15:53

listsandbudgets · 17/08/2024 15:46

@Fluffybutterfly So you'd be OK with that kind of behaviour being directed at you - or are you one of those mums who super indulge your kids and frankly couldn't give a damn about their behaviour because you farm it out to someone else?

I couldn't give a flying f*ck if the kids were Arab, European, Asian, African or Chinese ...flying first class or economy... if they were behaving like the OP and others describe I'd react. It would be nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with them being unpleasant little sods and disturbing and endangering me and my family.

Not sure how that fits in with racism or jealousy?

(Note to self - I don't think I'm suited to flying Emirates)

Me neither.
Crosses it off the list!

Screamingabdabz · 17/08/2024 15:53

What kind of ‘culture’ thinks this is acceptable behaviour?

IMustDoMoreExercise · 17/08/2024 15:48

FlowerWrath · 17/08/2024 15:14

Many people who fly Emirates are connecting passengers, so I don’t know why people say it’s cultural. There are many bad parents here aswell

Because most parents here do not have nannies who are too scared to discipline the kids for fear of being sacked.

listsandbudgets · 17/08/2024 15:46

@Fluffybutterfly So you'd be OK with that kind of behaviour being directed at you - or are you one of those mums who super indulge your kids and frankly couldn't give a damn about their behaviour because you farm it out to someone else?

I couldn't give a flying f*ck if the kids were Arab, European, Asian, African or Chinese ...flying first class or economy... if they were behaving like the OP and others describe I'd react. It would be nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with them being unpleasant little sods and disturbing and endangering me and my family.

Not sure how that fits in with racism or jealousy?

(Note to self - I don't think I'm suited to flying Emirates)

KimberleyClark · 17/08/2024 15:45

Nadeed · 17/08/2024 15:40

I posted this. It was not racism or jealousy. But if kids are running about, climbing over passengers and no one will do anything, what do you think you should do?

Just put up with it and smile sweetly at the children presumably.

leopardski · 17/08/2024 15:44

OP a friend of mine was a Nanny for a long time and frequently had to travel economy with the children while the parents stayed in 1st class. She’d sometimes fly with 3-4 young children solo. So this story isn’t surprising to me!!

Nadeed · 17/08/2024 15:41

And criticising the behaviour of someone who happens to be rich can be simply criticising their behaviour. There is a certain kind of rich person who thinks anyone criticising their behaviour is just jealous.

Emz1212 · 17/08/2024 15:41

Fluffybutterfly · 17/08/2024 15:39

Just trip the kids up, and claim blind it was accidental. The kids will know it was not and hopefully stay away from you.

This thread is horrible. So full of thinly concealed racism and jealousy.

No it isn’t

Nadeed · 17/08/2024 15:40

Fluffybutterfly · 17/08/2024 15:39

Just trip the kids up, and claim blind it was accidental. The kids will know it was not and hopefully stay away from you.

This thread is horrible. So full of thinly concealed racism and jealousy.

I posted this. It was not racism or jealousy. But if kids are running about, climbing over passengers and no one will do anything, what do you think you should do?

Fluffybutterfly · 17/08/2024 15:39

Just trip the kids up, and claim blind it was accidental. The kids will know it was not and hopefully stay away from you.

This thread is horrible. So full of thinly concealed racism and jealousy.

listsandbudgets · 17/08/2024 15:36

Hateam · 17/08/2024 15:19

They should have been asked to step outside for a few minutes to calm down.

Down being the operative word?