Embarrassed and upset. Was I wrong?

[fatandembarrassed]

Nc for this

I recently had to take an 11 hour flight. I'm quite pregnant at the moment - not close to my due date, but it's very obvious and I am pretty big now. I was cleared to fly but warned that I must walk about as much as possible.

I didn't have much notice of this flight and so didn't have spare money, so I booked an economy seat next to the toilet, for obvious reasons, and with extra legroom. It was fine, but about 4 hours into the flight, I realised my ankles were swelling, so I got up and started to walk about a bit.

I felt a bit embarrassed, but I was in a fair bit of pain with my ankles and Braxton Hicks contractions, so I persevered very slowly and in complete silence, making my way along the aisles which wasn't easy in Economy as it was very tight. I then walked up and down the Business Class aisle. Nobody looked up or seemed disturbed by me, and it was easier to walk, so I walked up and down that section twice which took me about five minutes.

Next thing I knew, a male flight attendant marched up to me, put his hand on my arm and told me that I was disturbing passengers who had paid more than me, and that I might be pregnant but it was 'not an excuse' to 'make a disturbance'. I was quite shocked to be told I was disturbing anyone - I was very quiet and slow, and there for less than 5 min.

I was really upset to have him talk to me like that, both touching me and implying that I was just being a 'nuisance' to people who were clearly 'better' than me. I ended up crying because I was so humiliated (hate having to walk anyway and draw attention to myself), in horrible pain and having contractions.

Was I being unreasonable here? DH is very upset that I was treated like this and I really didn't think I was doing anything terribly wrong.

I flew from Toronto to Paris and back when I was heavily pregnant. I was in economy with DP so when I needed to walk I did so in economy. At the time I was often flying BC but it wouldn't have to occurred me to go in there on that occasion, because I hadn't paid. It's like in the airport they have a separate BC lounge, you wouldn't go and stand in there and justify it because you weren't sitting YABU

Emirates business class seats in the sale (with flat bed) are £1800 (off-peak).

I think the price can go up to £14,000 with Etihad.

I am surprised at how many people say they couldn't work, concentrate or sleep with someone quietly walking up and down the aisle. I thought most offices were open plan now, how do you cope with colleagues wandering past etc? And sleeping surely you just put headphones/earplugs in and shut your eyes. I know it's not the point but I never realised business class was so protected. And I have flown it for work and so does dh.

I once got slated on here for suggesting I may fly with my rambunctious toddler in bc as it might upset the others who had also paid loads for peace and quiet.

You were BU to be in BC but perhaps the flight attendant could have handled it better by asking if there was anything he could do to make you more comfortable whilst then gently pointing out you need to stay in economy. There's ways and there's ways.

You do all realise this will be in the Daily Fail tomorrow

Anyone want to guess at the headline?

Have to say I haven't RTFT but has anybody mentioned that there are actually safety regulations about moving cabins? You are not allowed to go forward in a plane. You'll notice that the toilets are always at the BACK of whatever cabin you're in. I'm actually very surprised that OP made it into business class at all, let alone spent 5 minutes in there. I'm also be shocked by the flight attendants language, I wonder if he didn't say it was for safety reasons and OP has exaggerated a bit for effect.

Next time OP, have a little jog in place in the rear galley. They won't mind.

Come on. Where's the compassion? I think you were treated badly and if someone is suffering why not help them out. Yes it's business class, but I'd say to them 'get over yourself!'

She assumed that because she was visibly pregnant the rules didn't apply and got upset when she was told that wasn't the case

This is the crux of it.

What if every economy passenger experiencing some discomfort decided to troop up and down the Business Class aisles. At what point would the FA be justified in stopping them? Three people? Five? 12? 25?

Also keep in mind there are security concerns that make it undesirable for economy-class people to be milling around closer to the cockpit. Restricting the access to BC and FC aids security.

Agree TVT - which would basically be every economy passenger because it's damn uncomfortable even for the non-pregnant.

I was thinking the same thing EatsShitAndLeaves

It's a risky thing to do though and I thought the same about the wedding one. How do the DM know if it's true or not? Naive thinking on my part maybe and they don't actually care about whether it's fact or fiction.

Having seen many threads on this site started by (justifiably) not pregnant women who have been offended by someone thinking that they're pregnant, I don't think there's any such thing as a visibly pregnant woman.

I agree with above.
Lots of passengers will have been told to walk about for various reasons, does pregnancy trump at 6'6" passenger or someone post op who's a high risk of DVT?
You pays your money and you makes your choice.

I'm sure you're not suggesting that an economy class passenger is more likely to hijack a plane Village or that terrorists can't afford business class, but maybe if they know it's their last day on earth, they might push the boat out and go FC/BC.

And they often let you have real cutlery at the posh end so saves them having the bother of trying to smuggle sharp things through security

This thread makes me

Was it your first flight OP?

I'm that anyone thinks it's ok to just wander into business class!!

Economy-class people

No, I'm not suggesting that economy passengers are more likely to be evildoers.

What I am saying, and what I thought was common knowledge, is that one of the reasons for enforcing the restricted access to business and first class is that the fewer people in proximity to cockpit, the easier it is to monitor and observe them. There would be a greater ratio of staff to passengers, for example. If everyone on the plane is traipsing to and fro at the forward part of the aircraft, the ensuing confusion and activity make it more difficult for the FAs to observe what's going on.

I am sure some flight attendants if any are reading this thread can make the case more eloquently than I.

Bottom line is, when one purchases a ticket one selects the area of the plane one wants to inhabit. Pregnant women included. Multiple classes of service on paid transport are nothing new. To insist otherwise or to express surprise that the terms of the contract actually are enforced while under way is to be quite disingenuous.

all the faux outrage at the flight attendant 'putting his hands on' the OP. he was presumably guiding her to her seat, not honking her boobs.

young I have seen air crew give a stealth prod to the ribs of a snorer before now. If I'm next to my husband I normally put my hand over his nose and mouth ... Don't suppose air stewards are allowed to do that though ...

Hean I once dragged my newspaper accidentally over the face of a snorer on my way to the loo. It didnt work!

I reckon if you'd just levelled with the cabin crew from the off you'd have been surprised what they'd have done to help you. IME if you pop along to the galley and chat they're always willing to help.

It's less easy for them to be sympathetic if they've just had their ear chewed off by a BC passenger because there's someone roaming the aisles. To be fair you might look less pregnant than you think, so people wouldn't instinctively known you were in difficulty.

Personally I'm now just waiting to see if anyone brings up the need for BF'ing mothers to demand business class seats...

Oh gawd, don't even go there!!!

Looking on the bright side, though, at least such a mother couldn't be asked to leave the premises ...

This has stirred up a plane load of shit, hasn't it?!

OP was being ridiculous, IMO.

What if there'd been 10 such women on the flight? Should they all be allowed tramp up and down BC?

You get what you pay for. EC is cheaper and therefore has less room.

Unless she's pregnant with Donald Trump's ego, there was sufficient room for her.

It's a shame she was upset but really, she shouldn't have expected to be allowed to do it.

Plus, wouldn't the curtain have been drawn??

If I could afford to fly business class(which I can't!), there's no way I'd be pissed off with a heavily pregnant woman walking along the aisle to stretch. There are, IMO, different social rules for pregnant women. No, you're not supposed to go into business class, and I wouldn't venture past those curtains... BUT the feeling of discomfort while pregnant on a long haul flight can become truly unbearable! The flight attendant was unnecessarily rude, and I would be putting in a complaint.