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

[OfCourseIveNameChangedForThis]

Testing name change.

Ummm are you who I think you are?...

Either you all go business class and suck up the cost or all stay in economy.

My DH works very hard too (as do I) but I would never dream of doing this even though I have one older than yours and one slightly younger than your oldest.

I cannot believe you had to ask.

What do your kids think, OP?

What a selfish man you married.

Your "D"H sounds like a knob.

FWIW I don't think this is awful. I travel loads for work and you would not believe how many families do this. The kids seem to love it too (feel all grown up on their own).

I certainly wouldn't do it but then my husband wouldn't suggest soething like that either, for both of us a family holiday means we do things together. I have never heard of anyone else doing it either.

Why don't you put your dh in business class on his own and you sit with the children, then he can sleep in complete peace.

"You could always all go out Premium economy and then just return Business and Premium economy or business and economy."

That could be an option.

Ummm are you who I think you are?...

Almost certainly not. Xenia doesn't fly commercial

If my family had sat together for a whole flight there'd be blood spilt by the time we arrived!!

Just because it's a family holiday doesn't mean you have to be on top of each other ALL the time...

Is your dh very old?

I'm astonished people think the plane trip is so much part of the holiday that you need to be together, especially if there's 4 of you the only way you're going to get to sit together is if you take a middle 4 block of seats, which is not going to be as interesting to a 10year old as a window seat. So it's unlikely you're actually sitting together anyway.

What sort of long conversations will you be having? Depending on airline and plane you could sit and play games with the kids on the entertainment system. You can go and visit the kids. But if the intention is to sleep anyway, those things are irrelevant you'll be asleep so won't be talking or playing with the kids anyway.

I think you are being unreasonable. When I read things like this I am very thankful for my own mother who never treated me as if I was of any less worth then she was (in fact she would give me the shirt off her back if I asked for it).

My children are slightly older than yours and if we were going on a family holiday then we will sit as a family. I agree with Rhinestone, what if there was turbulance or a problem with air pressure. Would your kids not be frightened? I know my 14 year old would be terrified. While both mine are extremely self sufficient if something happened they would want me and their dad with them.

Can't you sit in BC on the way there and your DH on the way back. Alternatively come back a day earlier.

And if you thought it was okay you would not have name changed.

Actually, I have to say, I think this idea is GENIUS! I say do it.

(In case I am coming across as being sarcastic, I am not. I genuinely think that this is a great idea)

"Ummm are you who I think you are?..."

I have no idea. Probably not.

Not unreasonable as such to fly business and put older children in economy. But I think your DH is being a bit precious about needing his 'rest'. If the children are that self sufficient that is. If you had a marauding three year old who needed restraining on a flight, I'd understand more

We are actually going away without the little one entirely at Easter. Now that is mean to a lot of people.

I wouldn't as it is all part of the holiday experience together, but I wpuld let DH go if finances were up to it.

Best one I know of is my MIL. She and her partner travelled first class on a longhaul trip for a family wedding, whilst the bride, groom, Parents of bride and all the rest of the family went "cattle class" as she calls it! No way could I have done that without offering to at least upgrade the bride & groom!

Why do people see the flight as some sort of amazing part of the holiday that must be shared?. Long haul flights are like labour. They suck, and then they are over and you get the good bit.

Well, personally, I tihnk YANBU.

I took many many long haul flights as a child, due to my parents working abroad, and once the plane had taken off we would all scatter to other empty seats, the destination wasn't a popular one so flights were usually only half full at most. My dad would find a whole isle free and lie down and go to sleep, while us kids would wander around and choose whatever seats we wanted.

Sometimes, my parents even did what you are suggesting .

You have two DSs, both of ages where they are capable of looking after themselves, they will love it! Kids don't actually like being under the watchful eye of their parents all the time.

And I'm not understanding why you have to sit with them just because it is a family holiday? Family holidays don't mean doing everything together surely?

Go for it, if you really want to and your DSs are fine with it. Who cares what the MN jury say.

RealLife - I know it isn't Zenia

I won't out the OP but am pretty certain we have talked about holidays before.

Gosh this is the kind of thing I might dream about but would never actually do. Your DH does come across as a bit of an arse to be honest but if he really really needs the sleep (and is not just making excuses) then if I were you I would leave him to it in BC on the return journey and take responsibility for my children by sitting with them.

Thanks though - this is one of those threads that really makes me appreciate my own DH!

I think the OP was very sensible to namechange because AIBU can often be a battleground!!

No, I wouldn't do it. I think it is mean. However, I have only one DC. Maybe she might think it was a great adventure to be left with a sibling/friend on a flight.....she probably would actually! I would still feel mean though.

"And if you thought it was okay you would not have name changed."

It is a genuine AIBU. I have reservations, and I wanted to get other opinions.

Wouldn't have any problem with it myself - I flew unaccompanied from that age and it saw it as quite the big adventure and when I did fly with my parents we often booked so late that we didn't get seats next to one another so no real difference there.

It is common on certain flights - I've done the London-Dubai quite frequently on BA where much younger children are in a separate class from their parents. Based on my experience there children over 8 seem to cope fine with this. They plug themselves into the entertainment system or play on their own game/listen to ipod, get extra nibbles from the stewardesses, drink too much coca cola to sleep and seem to love every minute of it. I've only ever had one child play up next to me and managed to convince them that they caused the turbulence to scare them out of doing it.

Give yourself the proviso (and the stewardesses the word) that if they play up and start annoying others one of you (it sounds like you) will swap seats with one of them to maintain order but it wouldn't be a reason not to do it.

As for treating everyone in the family equally I leave that for discussion - my view would be that the bigger chairs of business don't really factor in as presumably they are smaller in size than you, they can't make use of the alcohol on offer, you get the same entertainment selection on long haul unless you are in first, and by halfway through the flight the toilets in both areas are icky. Unless they are gourmets I think you could make up the difference in meal quality to them by providing each with a giant Toblerone.

When I was a kid that would have made the holiday for me.

well if you and your DP put them economy class whilst you fly business class, just think what type of care/responsibility they will feel to towards you and your DP when you are old !