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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To fly with a baby?

121 replies

Spuddybean · 13/10/2012 19:00

We have to move abroad for DP's work early next year. His company will pay for us to go over in Dec to do house hunting. But we have a young baby and i'm not sure about the 7 hour flight.

Is it unreasonable on the baby and other passengers? Baby will be 3 months. Would flying business class make any difference?

Cheers :)

OP posts:
Original poster
Spuddybean · 13/10/2012 21:22

what's the difference of disturbing people in business and economy? would i be just as selfish to fly economy or is it worse if they have paid more for their ticket?

OP posts:
TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 13/10/2012 21:28

I am not an earth mother. I have flown business and first for work and for pleasure, with kids and without. I still think Spuddy should fly business.

There is a good chance the baby will be pretty quiet (mine was). There's also a good argument that the total cost those in economy have paid will exceed that of business class (more of them and fewer on miles).

But the best argument is that the airline considers it more lucrative to allow parents to fly with children in business class than not to do so.

catgirl1976 · 13/10/2012 21:29

Ha ha..........I'm not an earth mother. Not by any stretch

And if I want to fly business with my baby I will, and you higgyjig, can suck it right up.

Original poster
Spuddybean · 13/10/2012 21:32

i am thinking that pissing off someone like higgyjig, is actually more reason to fly business class.

OP posts:
youarewinning · 13/10/2012 21:34

But she's going for business purposes - surely that 'entitles' Wink her to fly business.

Jeez, she is talking about taking a 3 month old - I actually know very few babies that scream constantly so I'm not sure your pint is that valid higgyjig.

You are of course allowed not to like babies on planes, I'm sure you annoy people on planes - lets just hope they're polite enough not to complain about it.

youarewinning · 13/10/2012 21:34

Grin @ "spuddy"

Boomerwang · 13/10/2012 21:35

I took my six month old on a two and a half hour journey from Sweden to the UK. I tried to get seats right at the back so as not to bother too many people when we had to change her. She was quiet for most of the flight, slept a little, but she screamed blue murder on the ascend and descend. Probably her ears popping.

I was a bit embarrassed, especially as we had to ask a passenger to move twice to get her changed and get a bottle of hot water sorted.

On the way back she was changed and fed at the airport. On the whole, it didn't put me off taking her on a flight again.

Frankly, I don't give a shit if someone is pissed at my baby crying. They can fuck themselves.

mutny · 13/10/2012 21:37

Anyone who had an issue with my baby in busines would get very short shrift from me. I am only aware of one airline that doesn't allow them in and will never fly with them for that reason

I was saying people in business class will have an issue. I was saying the OP may feel more stressed out. if her babies reflux starts and she know people have paid more to travel in a quiter environment she may feel stressed out more. I am talking about the stress she may put upon herself. Surprisingly some people feel bad when their babies are screaming in a contained area which would be made worse by the OP knowing that these people paid extra to avoid the noise.

She may not, I was simply having an opinion. Not everyone wants to hear a screaming baby and not everyone thinks the whole world should just have to welcome their screaming child with open arms.

SomersetONeil · 13/10/2012 21:37

A 7-hour flight with a baby is really nothing. :)

mutny · 13/10/2012 21:38

I wasn't saying people in business class

catgirl1976 · 13/10/2012 21:43

I didn't have any issue with what you said mutny, just what higgyjig said

I'm with Spuddy - pissing someone off with that attitude would be an added bonus Grin

mutny · 13/10/2012 21:49

catgirl the comment I qupted was before higgy had even posted about not wanting babies in first class.

catgirl1976 · 13/10/2012 21:58

I know. I just didn't know why you re-stated it and assumed you thought the people disagreeing with higgy had mis-read your comments or something

shebird · 13/10/2012 22:13

Flying business or economy won't make a difference to your baby. It depends where you feel more relaxed and I'm guessing that's up front. You can always walk up and down the aisles in economy if baby starts screaming and head back to business for free champagne when all has calmed downGrin

OhlimpPricks · 13/10/2012 22:43

Most airlines used to have adult only first and business class. I always fly business or first class long haul, and do so because I want to pay for an area where I can relax, lay flat, and hopefully get some seep.
I do understand that sometimes nothing in the world will soothe a crying baby, but a business/first area is very small, and parents have a very limited area to walk them round, and with fewer seats in the area, less sound is absorbed.
I have been on a couple of flights where a baby has cried for 5/6 hours, around 8-10 feet away - no sleep. I feel sorry for the parents, they have not been able to walk around, but it still makes my heart sink when I see a baby carried into the section.
Imagine being in your living room with a crying baby for 7 hours. At best you get no sleep, at worst you get a bad headache. It's hard to smile sympathetically at parents for all that time.
Please consider economy. You will feel better as well. As I said, I grit my teeth and try to smile, but you will feel extra stressed if people are tutting and huffing.

LittleBearPad · 13/10/2012 22:58

I've flown in business and economy and when I've flown business it's been for the extra space. There isn't much difference in terms of noise. For one thing the two sections are separated by a curtain which has bugger all effect on stopping sound from one section bring heard in the other.

If people are tutters and huffers they will do this at the OP regardless of where they are sitting. Just stick earplugs in - with the engine noise it's hardly quiet anyway.

BegoniaBampot · 13/10/2012 23:04

If you can fly business do it, loads of children and babies do - it's really not just for adults or business people. I doubt the folk saying you are selfish and so on, fly in economy etc have actually flown business class. We flew longis and long haul flights from a few months old - business and economy.it can be stressful but you'll manage and hopefully it will be easier than you expect. Being able to breast feed is a huge bonus for calming and for take off and landing for their ears etc.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 13/10/2012 23:57

I think there is more room to walk a baby in business class as it is easier to get up and down the aisles, fewer people up for the loo, food service is finished quicker etc.

ivesufferedenoughfools · 14/10/2012 00:06

Hi Spuddy, I'll PM you.

CaseyShraeger · 14/10/2012 00:26

I love the fact that higgyjig appears to think that it's fine for the economy passengers to go fuck themselves - it's "selfish as fuck" to even contemplate the possibility of potentially disturbing Important People With Money but perfectly fine to disturb the hoi polloi.

FWIW I've flown with DC at a range of ages and a range of classes and 3 months is about the easiest age to fly at. Business class has a number of advantages (not all apply at 3mo though) when flying with children, if you can manage it - there's more space so your children couldn't kick the back of the seat in front if they tried, older children can be plugged into a greater range of movies, there's a better staff ratio so there are more people ready to fetch/hold/help with stuff, and you have more space in your seat (which can be vital if your baby doesn't want to settle in the bassinet or baby chair). The only time any of mine have been disruptive was on a trip in Economy - no one's heard a peep out of them in Business. And I only worry about disturbing other passengers when we're in Economy, because I know that in Business they won't cause a problem.

Bogeyface · 14/10/2012 00:28

DIrect from the mouth of a BA steward friend of ours....

"If you are flying with children, ask the stewards where you can go, what you can do and would it be ok if you asked for help......oh and, are they allowed to take tips?" Never flown long haul and never flown with the kids as we drive to Europe, but he swears that a nice parent asking for help and offering tips will always be treated better and more sympathetically than a stroppy "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!" business twat.

BegoniaBampot · 14/10/2012 00:40

Never heard of tips for airline staff.

Bogeyface · 14/10/2012 00:43

He said that they cant take them but the point is that someone who is so grateful for help etc that they would offer, would get better service than someone who is a big I AM and treats the stewards like shite.

rollmeover · 14/10/2012 00:53

Flying with a baby is easy peasy! At that age they are happy to be snuggled in to you (and they have fab cots in economy not sure about business). Much easier than a toddler and depending on what "way" you are travelling you might manage to gt night flights both ways.
Just make sure and give yourself loads of time, pack your handluggage carefully (one bag for you and dh oe for baby). Maximize dummy use!

Every flight we have done since dd was born people were so helpful and made it really easy.

Also I do t know if its the motion or the noise, but dd slept like a baby every time we have flown.
Do it do it do it!

MacyGracy · 14/10/2012 01:07

When my babies have been 3 months they have pretty much slept all the way to NZ!

OP which part of the world are you flying to, I have flown most of the major airlines with kids and can advise which I think are best by destination.

Avoid any US airline!