To make nanny and DC travel economy?

[BooAvenue]

We are planning a trip to NY in the autumn and plan to take nanny, DD who will be 6 and DS who will be 16 months.

DH and I will be flying business, partially because I am a crap flyer despite flying frequently and partly because we have quite a lot of air miles that we want to make the most of.

The plan is to bring nanny on the 5 day trip so she can help out with the travelling and babysit for us on three of the nights. I've discussed it with her and she's very eager to come, and the plan is she will have 2 days and 2 evenings completely free to do as she pleases, plus TOIL of 6 days. We will of course pay for all hotels/flights/meals out and she's welcome to join in with us on her days off if she wishes. She also gets her own room whilst we have a 2 bed family room.

The difference between economy and club is about 2.5k per ticket, which whilst we are not poor is still a fair chunk of money.

So AIBU to fly business whilst she flies economy? And will DS need his own seat or will he need to go on one of our laps?

Some nannies work very long hours and have a lot of responsibility for the children.

What gets me about this situation is that I know all too well how lovely a chilled, adult only flight in business would be - sipping champagne, watching in flight entertainment, snooze when I felt like it.

And I have a fair idea (based on shorter flights) how nightmarish having a 16 month old toddler in economy on my lap for 7 hours would be. Let alone the older DD.

And I couldnt, in good conscience, submit my nanny to the latter while I enjoyed the former. No matter how much I was paying her. I suspect the nanny who thinks this is a good deal has never done it.

No problem with taking nanny on holiday, but with such a young child in tow in a long haul flight, I'd want it to be all hands in deck - all three of you sharing the load and no one getting to kick back and relax in business while the other struggles.

I am cabin crew for BA. This is a very common situation onboard. Just ensure you get two seats in a cot position (front row bulkhead) in the economy for the nanny and children. The toddler will get a baby seat after takeoff. I would limit visits to see the children during the flight as much as possible. The cabin crew will help the nanny if she needs to leave the children to go to the toilet. It is frowned upon by passengers and crew to bring a passenger ( especially a baby) up from an economy seat into a premium cabin. Have a wonderful time, New York is one of my favourite trips.

Nanny will be delighted to go? Lots of experienced nannies either refuse to go on holidays or dread them. An experienced nanny knows that this kind of work can be very hard. Only inexperienced nannies are delighted to go.

I total agree. Only the young/naive/clueless think this is a good deal. I certainly don't think that two days off in New York would compensate for the long hellish flight especially as she will either be by herself during that time (certainly not much fun in the evening) or with the family and no doubt looking after the children.

Come to think of it, any experienced nanny I ever met wanted a 'no holidays with employers' clause in their contract.

I'd have no problem with this, only thing I would do is buy 16 month old their own seat.

Get bulkhead so you can stick 16 month old in bouncy seat for naps, leaving nanny to eat/drink/be merry with 6 year old DD, who, I can imagine, will be easy as pie on a flight given they are out of the tantrumming years and are easy to occupy (generally speaking before anyone tells me I don't know what behaviors the DD exhibits)

Obviously the kids are totally at ease with the nanny, and generally speaking 6 year olds that have never been on flights are excited about the prospect rather than terrified depending on their exposure to the idea.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Plenty of people here do it too. Rather that than two harassed parents and two kids in business/first.

Let's hope the six year old likes flying.

Lol at the I want to be able to enjoy the ambience. In reference to the poster who doesn't want kids in first class. Lol.
Tickets are available for anyone to enjoy. If want peaceful flight and meal away from pesky kids then best get a private jet.
There are some funny buggers out there. Jesus.

LaurieMarlow no need for such a clause, it's the default position anyway. Nanny's job is to look after the DC in the employer's home. If employers want nanny to come abroad they can ask, but nanny can always say no. Some posters here seem to think a nanny is obliged to go whereever the DC go

(I guess there are some celebs etc who do want/need a nanny who is obliged to go abroad but that would have to be very specifically written into the contract).

I suggested to our nanny that she might come on holiday with us once, when she hadn't been with us long. Look on her face made her views quite clear

And yes to boopsy. Hear, hear.
Reminds me of titanic. Rich get escorted off first. Poor people in economy get left behind. Know slight exaggeration but if I was a nervous flyer then id definitely want my dcs nearby in case of emergency!
Mind you my dcs wouldn't rest without us they would be asking where we were and why we weren't sitting together?! Perhaps ops kids are used to it.

There's no way Id dump both kids on the poor nanny for the flight.
6 year old- fine, as you'd also need pay the business ticket price again. But the baby on top would be so stressful for her to cope with, there are 2 of you so I would totally take DS along with you and DH and let DD sit with nanny, maybe occasional asking nanny to meet you ie. when you eat your meals and take baby off you. I would feel utterly consumed by guilt and not able to enjoy myself- both at dumping my baby on someone else for a whole flight and for the poor nanny managing both kids on her own on a long haul flight.

*Lol at the I want to be able to enjoy the ambience. In reference to the poster who doesn't want kids in first class. Lol."

I didn't actually say that. I said that I was fine with kids in business class, but if I was paying GBP4k a ticket then I expected them to behave/be quiet so that I could enjoy the wine, food and ambience. In economy - where I sit most of the time - I couldn't give a shiny shit.

Are there seriously people out there who think their kids should be allowed to run amok everywhere? Jesus.

I agree with you oldfarticus - poorly behaved kids should be ejected from 1st class.

I asked dh if he minded kids in business as he travels for work so much. He said 'no, I mind sharing a cabin with unpleasant people'. He had a think and couldn't think of a time that wasn't an adult travelling alone.

Preferably without a parachute eh Apple

Ah, well, since your DH thinks that, BYOSnowman, I guess everybody must be the same.

Op your anxiety excuse is laughable. You do know it's the same airplane right?

BYO I have never come across a badly behaved adult in business or first - plenty in cattle though. I actually think that cramming everyone in just causes tension so it's more likely to cause arguments. I have seen squabbles over space in the hat rack, crying babies and the ever-popular reclining seat....

Generally kids in business class are well behaved or are moved quickly ime - as it should be. The one time when DH complained it was a good result because we were festooned with airmiles by way of apology and flew back first with no children

Most restraints and arrests happen in business class.

Not sure what airline the OP is with but if not BA don't get the bulkhead seat. The 16 month old will be too big for the bassinet and with turbulence (which happens) you have nowhere to put the goody bag with tricks in it. Far better having a seat infront of you!

BA have pods which an average 16month old can fit in. They are awesome and the person who got them on planes deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. BA is my preferred airline with toddlers for anything more than 5 hours with a baby or small toddler. Mine was too big at 16 months at 35lbs.

I certainly don't think that two days off in New York would compensate for the long hellish flight

2 days in NY and 6 days TOIL isn't a bad deal and if you've signed up to agreeing to travel then so be it.

Is that right honey? I find that really surprising - the cabins are so much smaller with many fewer passengers (and many airlines don't even offer it). Maybe it's something to do with the free flowing booze...

Most restraints and arrests happen in business class.

Link, please?

God, people are judgemental. I might not do the same as the OP but that doesn' make her choices less valid. Go for it , OP, but i would agree with others who said to pay for a seat for the toddler.

And FWIW, my children have been on some amazing family holidays as small children. Can they remember them? Can they hell.

I can't link anything, but I'm cabin crew and we get told details in our annual training. We have free booze in every cabin. We're meant to monitor people's drinking though.