to put the children in economy while DH and I fly business class?

[OfCourseIveNameChangedForThis]

Testing name change.

Excellent dilemma.You fly economy with your children then your dh can go business so he is rested!

So all those that say they'd be quite happy to sit in BC while their kids were in the crap seats, do you actually like your kids and enjoy their company?
It goes without saying that you love them, but that's different.
Sorry, repeating myself, but my (very rare) holidays with ds starts from the airport, though at 16 he's growing out of me now .

If it is so important for your DH to be "rested", finish your holiday a day earlier. OR don't fly long haul at all. Or have a shorter/closer holiday so you can all afford business class.

If you put your DCs into Kids Club or babysitting, you are paying someone willing to look after your children.

LadyBeagleEyes, my DS is plugged in from the start of a flight until the end. I suppose I could make him read Proust and discuss it with me but it would seem mean. On holiday he gets plenty of time with DH and me.

You are sending your kids the message that you value them less than your selves.If your poor DH must be well rested (diddums) then at least you should muck in with your DC.

For crying out loud, if your precious DH is so delicate and needy that he can't cope with slightly less luxurious conditions of premium whatever it was, let him go business class and sit in solitary splendour, but stay with the kids yourself. What a primadonna!

I've skipped about 19 pages of this thread and was just about to jump on the YABU train (which you are) when I remembered our last trip to France when I didn't want to be in a car for days driving there, but we couldn't afford car hire and everyone flying....so I flew with youngest child and DP and older kids spent two days driving there. I think that makes me U in the context of this thread!

LeQueen - have PMed you!

Well, I don't get many holidays, and when I've been able to afford package holidays I'm probably more excited than him.
The whole anticipation from the airport onwards was one of the best parts, including who was going to get the window seats.
Probably says more about me really, but he does still like me, honest!

Anyway what would happen if there was a plane crash? I already have a huge dilemma now that I have 3. Who would I cuddle? If it happened when you weren't even with them......

Here's Unreasonable Beamur: when my DH was 12 his parents went to Spain for a week and left him at home with his 14 year old sister. They left them money to buy food and made them promise to go to school. They didn't, they went to the fair every day instead.

Quenelle. I promise not to suggest that to DH.

Assuming you're not joking - yes you're YABU!

My children will be the same age as OP's this summer, we are also flying long haul. To even contemplate doing this is incredible to me (and a bit mean).

The DC fly and have flown without us at least half a dozen times in their poor neglected upbringing . Twice long haul with their GP's. They were delighted when GP's got an upgrade and left them in peace on the return journey with their playstations, i-pods sweets.They were 13 and 14 at the time and were mortified by granny constantly coming back to check on them.

Poor granny was torn and quite distressed, grandad had a ball and got pissed.

I have never thought that sitting apart from my DC on a plane as a problem before.

On our last holiday I saw my DC for half an hour in the morning, an hour at dinner and briefly as they slunk in after midnight. It was the best holiday DH, DC and I have ever had.

Grovel
A couple of years ago DS1 ended up having to sit away from us on a long flight He was seated next to a charming woman who spotted his books and grilled him on Milton, Emily Dickinson and Cattulus for the whole flight.
She was a retired teacher who decided to help him thinking he wanted to study. He had taken the books to persuade us he was revising and had hoped to piss about with games and films.
He thought he had lucked in when he wasn't sitting with us.
Hahahahahahaha

Quenelle - good for them, hope they enjoyed the fair.
As soon as I was old enough to be left at home my parents used to swan off on holiday without me, leaving me to look after the house, pets and get myself to school. They even buggered off during my O levels which I was pretty about. I didn't get to go on holiday again once I turned about 13!

DH's sister also used to insist on staying in a B&B on her own when they went on holiday to the seaside. The rest of the family would stay in a static caravan.

I used to LOVE flying on my own
admittedly it was long before 9/11
so I used to go in the cockpit,
up and down the three floors of a 747 in the staff lift, you name it
that and ALWAYS getting first class food even in economy because I was on my own

OP
If your kids are cool with it (ie they can cope with the legroom)
and you are happy to raid the business class treats and snacks for them
GO FOR IT

I like my DC. I want to be with them when I can - especially during something as exciting (to us anyway) as a flight.

My parents were of the generation and class where they were packed off to boarding school as soon as they were able to walk (no exaggeration in mum's case) and as their parents lived and worked in 'the colonies' they didn't see them for years on end. They had nannies to look after them and parents flitted in and out of their lives as it suited them. As a result of this and the sense of loss they had as children, my parents were very involved in our lives and I think I take my cue from them. Whilst my kids live with me (and let's face it, it won't be that much longer in DS1's case) and while they want to spend time with me, I'll make the most of it.

It's obvious no-one flies with sleazy jet, last time we flew with them none of us got to sit together, youngest was eleven then.
I was sitting next to a couple who, quite frankly, should have got a room. The slurping and smacking of lips was truely awful!
The children were fine and read all the way but it was only four hours.