To put DC, aged 8 and 9, in Economy while I fly in Club with a 2yo and the nanny

[firemansamisnormansdad]

OK, so it wasn't actually me. But I boarded a flight from the USA yesterday and was shocked that this Mom did this to her own children. I have heard that people do this. Is there ever any real justification? My DH was sitting next to them and the little girl was getting quite scared at the turbulence. The Mom said that she would send the nanny down and swap places with DD during the flight, but she never did. I could never do this - I want my precious ones near me during a flight, especially an 8 hour one!

Yes but whilst finding those dropped pencils they will be head butting the surrounding tables spilling drinks and getting stuck so everyone has to shuffle about to help them get back up, petty yes but that is the reality of cattle class leg room. That should be an inconvenience only faced by the child's parents not other passengers,

Not all 8-year olds are so demanding, especially if they are used to flying (alone). If they are demanding and need mum to do everything then it doesn't matter if the mum is in business or they are flying as UMs- there will still be other passengers next to them. So basically people are saying that if you can't afford to accompany and/or sit next to your DC, the DC simply shouldn't fly?

I was on a flight with Smelle McPherson last year. We got upgraded as Virgin rang to ask to change the date of our flight to 1st April (in case you are reading this Smelle). Anyway, Smelle was up front in the posh bit (with us!) and her gorgeous boys and their 'manny' were in the cheap seats.

DH likes to insist he has slept with her as their feet were about 6ft apart on the plane.

I'm surprised they were allowed to check in with this configuration. 8 and 9 year olds on their own would have been considered unaccompanied minors and chaperone arrangements should have been made.

If I had been sitting near them I would have spoken to the purser and made it known (if they didn't know already). It puts a huge responsibility on the adults around them to look after them during the flight.

My 8 yr old loves flying and is never a problem but I wouldn't dream of leaving him on his own with no-one knowing he is on his own other than me sitting several yards away in business class.

I have been on plenty of flights where the parents are in business and the children and nanny are in economy.

No hazzie I don't think that is what people are saying at all. Have you read the op?

Hazle if they can afford three adult business class fares and a proportion for the two year old they can certainly afford five or six premium economy fares. It is the attitude that stinks here - not being bothered to have anyone looking after your young children. 8 and 9 is young, they are not teenagers. They wouldn't have a clue what to do in an emergency or if they needed help.

Yes I have. As I see, most people object because they would be forced to take care of those children sitting separately.
I'm saying that from this perspective it does not matter if mum is in business class or the 8-year old in question is an UM. UMs do not have dedicated chaperones sitting next to them, but are taken care of by the regular cabin crew.

UM are taken care of by cabin crew if they know they are travelling as UMs.

Here the parents are with the dcs so the crew would not necessarily know they are UM unless someone told them. That is the big difference here. How would the crew know that the adults sitting next to these children are nothing to do with them? There is no indication that the parents told the crew this is what they were doing. As I said I'm surprised they were allowed to check in like this and it would be interesting to know whose name was on which seat.

Bisjo,

The airline will know when the tickets are booked and during boarding. Some airlines would charge a supplement for the children as UM, because their parent is in a different travel class.

As Hazel said, it is rally an issue of unaccompanied minor travel. The fact that mum is in business is besides the point.

As I said, I've asked cabin crew and this happens all the time, therefore apparently is fine according to airlines and not a check-in personnel mistake to let them board like this.

I repeat, some people are just cunts

Why didn't they just leave their children at home alone ?

Nth

Cunts? What an incisive analysis. Well done you!

I wouldn't do it. Doing long haul at Christmas and can imagine 7.5 year old will be very easy but still need me and dh at times.

The worst part is the issuing of instructions to some one else then walking off.

Would be fine if nanny was in economy with other kids but leaving other DC alone in economy.. She should be ashamed of herself!

Ok then hands up who would call for cabin crew if a child sat next to them was struggling to unwrap their packaged meal or seat belt put on when the light comes on? These are the little things they may need help with and another passenger would end up doing. My sister is cabin crew ill ask her when I see her how much involvement she would have.

I had to suffer two horrible, rude, nasty boys sat behind me when their parents were along in business. They were about 10 and 13. Old enough to look after themselves but sadly seemed to have been taught no manners at all. I think they seriously offended everyone who could hear them.
To be honest I was furious with their parents. So inconsiderate.

Thanks squoosh , i thought so too - concise and too the point.

Jemima Goldsmith apparently did this on the flight to Nairobi where it was hijacked by a mentally ill passenger and nearly crashed. And that's why I could never sit apart from any of my loved ones........

Frankly, i don't mind unacompanied minors, but I would find it selfish and irresponsible for someone to leave me to care for her children and put up with likely misbehaviour so she could rest in first class.

IMO the nanny should have been at the back.

Volume, you would still have to suffer them if they were UM or even if their parents were with them, but on the other side of the aisle and ignored their children.

These children are probably frequent fliers, and know how to open their juice, pick up a pencil and put on their seat belt, for heaven's sake. Do you really have 8-9 years old who cannot put on their seat belt, if they have flown before?

In any case, the flight attendants would check, and the children can push that little button to call the attendant to call for help. Or do you think an 8-9 year old is incapable of pushing a button too ?

volume - BA for example would allow that 13-year old to fly alone, not even as an UM. Sure, parents were inconsiderate not to raise them better, but in case of 12+ age, they would not even need to be on the same flight. Would not have made your experience any different.

No, I would obviously not seat a child flying for the first time separately, or a child who does need a lot of assistance with everything. As my niece has flown long haul several times per year as an UM since the age of 5 though, she will not need help with her seatbelt when she's 9 - she can probably help the adults next to her.

Smelly McPherson is an idiot who, in an interview, spoke of using a preparation containing rhino horn.....Nothing was done.

So where she stashes her poor kids is merely one of her exceedingly thick decisions....

Ah, Mignon, great point. It is such a likely occurrence that your flight would be hijacked by a mentally ill passenger.

It is statistically more likely that children will be harmed by someone they know, whether at school or a relative's place or a friend. So do you sit right next to your child at school and never let them visit friends without you? I mean, how can you live your life based on worst case scenarios?

I think the main drive in this thread is envy and jealousy. That the mum is well-off. She has a nanny. And she is confident enough to think she matters and deserves luxury as she has earned it. And that she has confident children who are learning new things and will probably do better in life than the mollycoddled entitled ones.

No wonder she is called a 'cunt' and that she should be 'ashamed of herself' and other stuff.