Kirstie Allsopp flies separately from kids

[Ginger1982]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-44353321

I know this was from earlier in the week and just wondered what people thought? AIBU to think you should all fly together? Who is technically in charge of her kids? What if there is an incident on board? I see her point about it being expensive to all fly business class but I would fly economy with my kids if all together and business class if I was travelling alone or with DH only if I could afford to.

Her two dc 9 & 11 were sitting with their step brothers who are 16 & 18

Nope I wouldn't do this. My kids are given the same standard of living as I have, whatever that may be

Blown out of all proportion as far as I’m concerned!

Loads of people do this. I once sat next to Bryan Ferrys son on a flight - parents in first class. My DB is a magazine and says it's pretty standard for loads of people - nanny with DC in economy and parents in first class.

Hasn't Gordon Ramsey said he and his wife do the same? Get any flight to or from the UAE and you will see parents in first, children and maids in economy as the norm.

"What’s the worst that can happen?"

Elbowing, hair pulling, sniggering, bickering over the last sweet, spilling drinks everywhere, blasting music.....

I can understand perfectly well why you'd want to fuck off down the other end of a plane and not have to listen to your kids on a long flight, but that doesn't make it the decent parental thing to do.

It shouldn't be allowed. You see signs in all sorts of other places saying you are responsible for your children and they should be accompanied by an adult. Why should a plane be any different? What if they get motion sickness or popping ears or are just afraid? The staff are busy enough.

Saucyjack, to be honest, I've never met an unaccompanied child that was noisy or caused a fuss. As cabin crew, they've not a problem.

Perhaps mine are just particularly obnoxious when travelling.

It's one thing for kids to sit alone because they are flying alone, but quite another for them to sit alone when their mother is on the same plane. It smacks of "because I'm worth it" - what a sense of entitlement she has!

They are old enough to enjoy sitting alone and watching movies without annoying other passengers. Yabu for judging a mother’s parenting choices when they don’t affect you.
The comments on this thread about Kirstie and her upbringing are vile. It wouldn’t be accepted if she was from a poor background, why is it ok to attack the rich?

I can’t get excited about this. Kids need a bit of controlled independence. I can’t think of a safer place to give them it. Cheap airlines sit families apart all the time. We are talking about a 10 and 12 year old, not toddlers.

One of my friends husbands puts himself in first/business class but books her and the kids economy. It's disgusting. Sends a clear message that he thinks more highly of himself than his wife and children. Same for Kirstie Allsopp.

I can kind of understand it even if I don’t think I could do it myself. She probably gets annoyed by people in cattle class and wants a bit of privacy, but people can also be super rude about kids flying business or first class. It’s possible she uses a sky nanny or something. I wouldn’t send mine unaccompanied but obviously people do! I was flying on my own (not as an unaccompanied minor either, truly just by myself, got a taxi on my own when I got where I was going) at 14 and I was fine, though not sure I’d let my own do that. Not a fan of her either way though.

I am shocked so many feel that a 10 and 12 year old are not capable of behaving on a flight.

Whilst I cannot afford to travel Business class, and would't want to not sit with mine, l would have no concern about my 10 and 12 year olds behavior on a flight if l was not with them, they would need no extra looking after by cabin staff than an adult.

KA is hardly a terrible mother for this!

Oh didn’t see the bit about the 16 and 18 yo.

I think maybe she wants to try to make sure they aren’t spoilt brats?

I don't see the issue here being whether her children are old enough, or well behaved enough to travel alone. I think if you are going on a 'family' holiday you should travel together as a family. If economy class or whatever is good enough for her children it should also be good enough for her. However I read an article yesterday about Prince William's children not being allowed to dine with the adults even for Christmas dinner , until they are old enough to engage in 'adult ' conversation. Another case of 'How the other half live'.

pretty standard for loads of people - nanny with DC in economy and parents in first class.

Yes - I used to work with people who did this. Nanny (often more than one) went on holiday with them. In fairness, I suppose the nanny was in charge on the flight, so kids weren't unaccompanied, but wouldn't seem like a family holiday to me on that basis!

It's bloody horrible. What sort of message does it give to the kids? "I'm worthy of luxury, but you're not".

Nasty.

Sorry I meant dine with their parents.^^

We'd have loved to fly alone as kids. At that age, we'd know eldest was ultimately in charge and we'd be good. I'm sure her kids are the same.

She turns up in our town occasionally. I've even seen her shopping in Somerfield when it was the cheapest supermarket in the world! Normally though, she uses the fishmonger.

TBH I'd forgive her anything after her campaign to stop the racing circuit being built in the Blackdowns....

If you recall the film Home Alone, this is exactly what the McCallister's did obviously, not great leaving your son at home whilst doing so I thought it was quite normal in the 1980's/90's

What's changed since then? Fear fact? People being concerned about being judged? Alleged paedophiles being in every public space?

If I could afford first class, I would do this at 10+ yo. Her actual reasoning makes sense although she personally irritates me for other reasons she's saying that you get a reward for working hard towards getting this type of thing, and it could be deemed as spoiling them, by letting them travel first class.

I worked for an airline for many years.
This really isn't that unusual. We'd have either the kids on their own 'down the back' or often they and the nanny would be booked in economy with parents in Business or First.

Every time this comes up in the context of AIBUs about ‘Is it OK to fly long haul first or business with my young children?’ quite a number of people say no, they’re flying first or business and paying a premium to be able to work/sleep undisturbed so they can hit the ground running and go straight into a day of meetings at their destination, so they would be deeply unimpressed with children there.

Pmsl. "When they earn it themselves" says the daughter of a baron or whatever he was.