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

[OfCourseIveNameChangedForThis]

Testing name change.

I think there is a world of difference between the front v back of a car and cattle class v business.

I never would.I used to travel with 4 dc's.3 of 3 and under and a nanny in business class[when on special offer!].I would always want to be with my dc's in an emergency [iknow-very unlikely].I used to do long-haul travelling at least once a year and lots of families used to leave kids with the nannies at the back.I would also question whether kids are made a fuss of these days.I have rarely had any help even when dc's have vomited up all over me.I find cabin staff spectacularly unhelpful,especially the women strangely.

I too wish there was a like button for Velmas post too.

Next topic for discussion - leave teachers to do the potty training.

I would have thought that cabin crew would be happier to deal with children on their own who were happy to be there, than with a grumpy adult who feels resentful that he isn't in business class, don't you think?

If the adult was that much of a child, you would probably be right.

I can picture it now. A grown up adult stomping their feet and sulking the entire trip.

But I am not too comfortable with the ages, TBH. If both were at least over 15 it would make more sense.

I wouldn't want my kids to sit in a different class from me in case there was an accident. Yes I know very unlikely, but I have a particular anxiety about this, even to the extent of not liking them travelling in a different car in convoy.

What I think I could do in the event of an accident I don't know, but I'd prefer to have them near me.

Just wondering whether people would change their mind if the family won two business class tickets and could only afford two economy. Would you ask for the business class tickets to be downgraded?

YABU . Selfish. How to mKe your kids feel less important than you in one easy lesson.

Gosh, I thought OP was NBU but now I have read other views, I am doubting myself. We are about to go ski-ing to a luxury chalet. My DH and I are in a room with an En Suite but the DC are to slum it without AND have a worse view. Will they feel the need to go to counselling to overcome the trauma of not getting the same luxury as us? Also, they will be 10 whole feet away for many hours at night, EVERY night? What if they feel ill and can't walk a few metres to find us?

Should I cancel?

I wouldn't do it.

Not just because I would feel I was inflicting my children on others (which would certainly be an issue for me anyway) but because I would be inflicting other people on my children without my being there to help them if they needed it.

I flew long haul as an UM many times as a child (forces, posted overseas, boarding school in the UK) and I was often seated next to/behind/in front of odious people who thought it was OK to gripe at me because I was a child of 12 on my own. Air hostesses aren't with you all the time.

jesus!......glad you not my parents! yr DH sounds like a total dick..!

how selfish, get over yrselfs...

It really isn't about differences in standards - the example about the en suite isn't comparable at all.

I do agree that children can cope better with cattle class as they are smaller and fit into the spaces more easily.

They don't need an en suite just because their parents have one

However I would never leave my dc's in a situation where they had to deal with adults they don't know on their own, whether the cause of the problem was the adult or my child. This particularly stands for a long haul flight where you are cooped up with people for a long time and you have no means of escape.

Once they reached, say, 16 I would consider it but by then they'd be old enough to appreciate business class themselves and would probably get the hump if treated differently.

MaryZ i had to have another adult flying with me as most airlines specify an adult to child ratio for very young children.4 dc's is generally too many kids to cope with by oneself.Yes,i'm sure the other passengers weren't too happy initially but then adult passengers can often be more painful.

i'm finding the name 'cattle class' really offensive personally. it's very sneery and it reminds me of that awful middle class thing of constantly trying (and trying too hard and with much embarrassing vulgarity) to distinguish themselves from those a couple of meters behind them in the socioeconomic stakes.

good god, THEY ARE YR CHILDREN......never mind wonderfull hubby, groans!

I can't ever see me not being 'cattle class' swallowedafly unless I win the lottery!
Hey, ho....

agreed @swallowedAfly...........reality check :/

Why can't your dh take an extra day's holiday, or arrange to fly back a day earlier, so he can rest before he goes back to work? Surely he's not going straight from the airport to his desk?

I fly mostly cattle class and say so, or where the poor people sit, so what? Prefer to fly BC though. i think some inverted snobbery and resentment is coming through in some posts.

I have never flown BC. I want to peek my deprived little head through the curtain and see what I am missing!

maryz good plan

YABU, the amount of times I flew for business and saw parents leave their so called angels in economy so they could large it up in first or business class was appalling. The DCs would be sweetness and light when the parents came to see them, but after backs were turned it was another story. Think kicking seats, chucking sweets, scrapping in the aisles etc. Not to mention, those kids become a strangers responsibility in case of emergency, do you honestly think you´d be able to get to them, no I think not.

You wouldn´t get in seperate taxis to get to a destination would you, flying is no different IYSWIM IMO.