to be angry at British Airways

[Girrafio]

Shortly to fly long haul (12 hours) with a very active 7 month old (day-time flight) and have been told by customer services that the bulkhead seats have all been assigned. Aren't they meant to be left free until the day for disabled, the elderly, families with kids? How on earth is DS meant to sit quietly on my lap for 12 hours squashed in the back of economy?? He gets fed up if he is confined to the buggy for more than 20 mins if not asleep. It is madness. The infant ticket cost nearly £100 - what was I paying for, if not the privilege of a little extra leg room so the child can at least play at my feet?

Anyone got any experience of this or advice on how to survive a long haul flight with a baby who won't be confined?

IME as long as the flight is not completely full, once you have taken off the staff will move to you a row with an empty seat by you ( sometimes a whole row to yoursel. They do not want an unsettled child on a long haul flight and usually do all they can to once the flight has taken off.

i had a 14 hour flight with a two year and ten month old. i only had bulkhead seats on the way out and had dd on my lap on the way back. it was no biggy i actually got a better flight, i got to watch tv which you cant using the bassinet.

i dont know if you could use you car seats on the plane either im sure there would be some saftey issue. emirates who i flew with checked them in at check in.

take a deep breath and get on with it, you have children, its not like you need it like a disabled passenger.

I think that able bodies adults who have paid for the seats sitting there is fair enough, it is a money making company after all and we all have the option to pay extra for the extra leg room.

If it is a person sitting there and not having paid more then that isn't really fair, but even with disabled people I don't think people who have paid extra should be asked to move.

The airline doesn't have to make extra room for babies or disabled people, they are kind if they do but it shouldn't be expected.

Er, actually, honeytea, airlines DO have to make extra room for disabled people if they need it. It's right there in the Equality Act 2010 under 'reasonable adjustments'.

You have my sympathy. The last time I flew was 2 years ago on a Monarch flight alone with ds1 and ds2 aged 5 and 18 months respectively. Ds2 was on my knee and the inconsiderate cow in front put her seat back as far as it would go and then complained that my knees were in her back . Possibly the most stressful 7 hours of my life, no joke.

I think they should make extra room for disabled people without a doubt. For those with children though I agree it's great if you get it but it shouldn't be expected

Airlines shouldn't be expected to make allowances for disabled people? Are you serious? Is it only airlines that you feel this way about or society as a whole?! Shopping centres are 'kind' if they have toilets adapted for people with disabilities, but it really shouldn't be expected?! ffs!

When we took 14 month old DS to the Maldives, I called BA customer services a good 3-4 months before we flew to request bulkhead seats which we managed to get. On the flight all the bulkheads were assigned to families with infants and there were other families with infants who didn't have them. I assumed they get assigned on a first come, first served basis.

But how many disabled people do they have to plan for? is there a certain amount of seats that must be workable for disabled people? If they had those seats and then sold the spare leg room seats to people wanting a little upgrade then if there was not enough seats to go around a disabled person asking a person having paid an upgrade to move would be like going into 1st class and asking someone to move.

It's not fair on the disabled person, but it isn't the responsibility of other people who have paid money to sit there to move, maybe at booking they should have either allocated a leg room seat or refused the booking.

Incidentally, my dad's disabled and he and my mum fly long haul almost annually. He will ONLY fly Virgin, the way they accommodate passengers with additional needs is exemplary. They really look after him.

coconut That's awful. OH is tall and will try and get an extra legroom seat if there are any spare, but there is no way he would treat you like this. I hope you get recompense for your horrible flights.

but that's my point - that they should accommodate us! even while they make money. Just because it is how it is doesn't meant we should have low expectations.

having said that, it is what it is and I'm pumped to get through it with my sense of humour in tact!

I was wrong to say they shouldnt have to make space for disabled people, they should, but I don't think it is wrong for them to sell some of the leg room seats for extra money. They should be able to say when someone books if they can accomodate their needs on a choosen flight.

disabled should be accommodated, no question
and families ideally

in fact, why can't they just make planes more comfortable in general - so you don't need to have a special reason to get a little bit of wriggle room.

Because OP, that will bump price of flights even more. If each seat has extra space, there will be less seats and since you said you didn't want to pay extra for an empty seat, you wouldn't be happy with paying more for your seats.

fair point

If plane isn't full you can take car seat on in spare seat. Personally I just bare the cost unfortunately and just buy baby a seat also

I flew BA long haul last year and was able to book my bulkhead at booking as I had an infant, same with the other lady in my row. THere were plenty of infants around us without seats or bassinets.

Anyone with an infant can book these seats in advance and it's first come first served I'm afraid on BA.

I do feel for you as it is hard enough flying with kids without having to nurse them the whole way, can you afford to buy another seat, this way you can take the car seat onboard with you.

ummm times have changed, we are flying with a disabled kid and can't get bulkhead cos they are reserved for passengers with babies .........

You haven't paid for an infant ticket, you have paid for an infants taxes.

The bulkheads have possibly been blocked off by the ground staff and you will be reallocated at the airport. I would ask at the airport for seat reassignment anyway. It could also be that there are several other infants on your flight.

I've flown with BA with DS a few times as an infant and they always give us bulkheads with a sky cot.

I flew solo with my wriggly 7 month old long haul. Had to endure 11 hour flight sat next to a BIG guy who lets just say hated the fact that he was sitting next to a baby in a bulkhead seat. Let's just say I won't be doing it again in a hurry!

If you can afford it buy your baby a seat, you don't get that much extra room with a sky cot anyway. If not upgrade.

Tall people should be given those seats before babies and young children. They have a higher need so should be higher priority.

".....very active 7 month old ..... How on earth is DS meant to sit quietly on my lap for 12 hours squashed in the back of economy?? He gets fed up if he is confined to the buggy for more than 20 mins if not asleep. ........ so the child can at least play at my feet?"

Oh dear. I'm glad I will not be on this flight and in the same cabin!

I reserved a bulkhead with skycot when I flew to BA to FL at Christmas when DS was 10 months back in 2008. I reserved it at least 6 months in advance. Frankly, it wasn't that great. Mostly because just as DS would sort of get to sleep, the fasten seat belt light would come on and he'd have to come out of the skycot and strapped to me. He spent about 1/2 the flight nursing.

Also, I'd be very surprised if the flight attendants allowed your DS to "play at your feet". He's either going to be strapped in to you with the seatbelt extender or in the skycot if you get one.

Something else to consider is when you actually board the plane. If your DS is truly that wiggly, I wouldn't get on as soon as you're allowed. Keep in mind that if you're in bulkhead, there's no seat in front of you to stow your diaper/entertain the DS bag. If you're lucky, the person behind you won't have anything under your seat and you can sneak it in there. Otherwise it'll have to go in the overhead bin.

Quite Bulldog! but playing at my feet is definitely the most user-friendly option. He may try and escape but at least the volume is down low.

Have looked at the flight more closely and seems there are plenty of empty seats at the back of the plane.
Now wondering which is better: a row of 2 or 3 seats to ourselves, or a bulkhead? I'm thinking the former