Children in business class for long flight... what's the MN verdict?

[Somerville]

Come on then... genuinely don't know if I'm being unreasonable here. Who has a gavel to hand?!

We're going on holiday in the summer with other family members and their kids; 7 kids and 4 adults in total. DH just priced it all up, hoping that it would be within budget to travel premium economy (He's very tall!).

He was looking for the cheapest flights rather than particular dates and found a bargain for the outward flight with one airline - direct, business class seats for just £10 more per person than the standard premium economy price that month (and a quarter of the standard BC price) - and there are enough seats for all of us.

We're holding the flights, while we wait to hear if the dates work for the other couple. Assuming they do, how unreasonable is it to press buy? Any true business travellers who have to zoom off to meetings on another continent on arrival will be fuming, right, as we traipse on with 7 over-excited children?! But they're all pretty well-behaved kids, as kids go. And presumably the airline is anticipating low demand from business travellers for that flight, hence pricing it for holiday travellers instead. If we don't book it, others will. (And for that reason, I'm not stating the airline or destination!)

[Babbitywabbit]

"Sorry why would businessmen and women be more entitled to peace and quiet than economy class?"
This.

TBH I'd be pissed off with badly behaved noisy kids whether I'm flying business class or cattle class. Equally, if your children know how to behave, I wouldn't mind where they sit.

Just don't get this assumption that it's ok for kids to be annoying/ noisy in economy class.

[KatyBerry]

Haha at the people who think that Phillip green and Saudi rulers fly commercial

[MrsPeelyWally]

Haha at the people who think that Phillip green and Saudi rulers fly commercial

They don't. It was only suggested they should. It all sounds a bit ridiculous though

[Somerville]

we won't be able to have all the kids in view all the time - There's the best reason to go BC!

Chipped

Oh I wish!

[MrsPeelyWally]

Just don't get this assumption that it's ok for kids to be annoying/ noisy in economy class

No ones saying that at all.

[WetsTheFinger]

My kids always flew business or first with me. Never occurred that I should slum it just because they were young.

[WetsTheFinger]

And wow that was the most wankery thing I have ever said. Apologies.

[MrsPeelyWally]

Get 2 or 3 of the middle, 4 seat rows, so they are contained

It would be a seat configuration of 1 -2 -1 or 2 - 2 - 2

[EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans]

It really make me laugh when people I've chatted to on the feminism board call me that, Empress

Well, MrsRuined is also an option! Enjoy the holidays, you deserve them.

[vixo]

We used to travel first class as children with my dad's job! It wouldn't happen now I'm sure, but we were expats, and as long as we were flying with him, the whole family went first. We were too young to appreciate it really, but we did enjoy the endless supply of orange juice, and were always allowed up to meet the pilot etc!

There's absolutely no hope of us ever flying anything other than economy now I'm a grown up and have a family of my own unfortunately!

[Doodles15]

We did it to Miami with a ten month old. Would do it again in a heartbeat!! Don't get me wrong, one woman made it very clear she "did not pay to travel with an infant" however she had been downgraded from first class as they had to change our plane last minute. Her husband had stayed in first class which I found hilarious given her attitude towards us!

[MrsPeelyWally]

And wow that was the most wankery thing I have ever said. Apologies

It's ok. This kind of thread can be a wankery minefield. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Somerville]

Can I be Ms Ruined?! I'm no Mrs, and Ms Lovely would make me sound horrifically arrogant.

[MrsSnow]

We travel regularly with ds. Our theory is that if they don't want children in business class then don't sell us the tickets.

I've hardly ever seen anyone work on business class flights especially the long haul ones.

Do it!

[Somerville]

Oooh DH is on the phone...

[Specialagentblond]

We took our kids in FC last year aged 5 and 2 and they were fine. It wasn't so bad as it was a day flight, but the crew are so much more on hand, they had silver service meals, afternoon tea, mocktail making lessons.

ENJOY!!!!

[ExpatTrailingSpouse]

Definitely worth it. I fly in bc with my DS all the time - just did us to uk return bc both ways, us to Asia one way and uk earlier this year as well. Often upgraded on domestic flights as well. The only thing I watch for is volume - he is only 3.5 now (first time in bc long haul was under 2), and he doesn't quite understand how his voice carries but is very good at listening if I tell him. Since your DC are older that's something you can discuss before hand anyway.

Go for it and have fun!

[BlueHumbug]

1st Class is more fun for kids. More activities. So they don't really get to the same level of boredom as in economy.

[MrsPeelyWally]

Doodles, I'll tell you a story that still makes me laugh. One day I was travelling to the Uk with my son who's severely disabled, his sister, and two of our carers. We were in business class. There was a lady who looked at us in horror from the moment we met her in the check in queue. Now normally I would have ignored her but I was interested in her reaction so I very carefully watched what she was doing along the way and it soon transpired she was going back to the UK for a hospital appt and her husband had bought her the business class ticket as a treat. Anyway we got to where we were doing an aircraft change and I heard her saying to the ground crew - I need peace on this flight, it's a treat for me. It was really unfounded because my son at that stage in his life could have been taken any where - and frequently was. I was quite disgusted by her and I knew if I said anything it would be the wrong thing to do so I left it alone and when we got on the plane we had all been upgraded to first class - whilst she was on her own in business. It was a really nice flight in Singapore Airlines and the only other people who were in first were a couple who's child had the same disability as mine - though he was in a residence and not on the flight. We had a lovely flight and I'm sure the ground staff told the cabin crew about the woman who didn't want to travel alongside my beautiful son and as bad as it sounds I still laugh at her face when she realised 'sorting things out' didn't mean what she thought it did. Anyway she was fuming and when we were getting off the the plain she gave me the filthiest of looks that prompted me to say to her - you really should have stuck with us hen.

[MrsPeelyWally]

1st Class is more fun for kids. More activities. So they don't really get to the same level of boredom as in economy

There might perhaps be a few more games and movies than there is in business and economy but that's about it when it comes to activities.

[goldangel]

Oh my go for it! We flew to Asia economy and back it was so grim dc 6 and 8 at the time. If we fly long haul again we will seriously consider BC! Just interested now what airline you are flying and to where for an extra tenner BA! Please pm me if you don't want to post it here, thanks so much!

[goldangel]

BC not BA!

[newmumwithquestions]

So haven't RTFT but I'd say go for it. They will love it.

I'd rather have kids next to me than the man with THE STINKIEST FEET IN THE WORLD who I had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to on one business class flight.

I would say though that often when I've flown business it's because I've had to walk off the plane to a 12 hour shift and needed to be alert - you pay because you should get more rest. I'd have been fuming if I'd have had noisy/badly behaved kids that kept me awake next to me. Quiet well behaved ones are welcome (especially if they have nice clean feet! )

[WheresTheEvidence]

I would make sure that when sorting seating you split the children so that each child sits with an adult - you can then swap and change throughout the flight and if the kids get excited/loud they return to their allocated seat for some calm down time.