To Risk Upsetting Other Travellers

[JustPurple]

I am going back to work at the end of October and am looking to squeeze in a last minute holiday before I go back. We will be flying long haul and have an 8 month old baby.

We usually fly premium economy when we travel with TUI because I'm not great with large groups of people. WIBU to take an infant into premium economy? I feel like people would be cross if she made any noise when they've paid out for an upgrade, presumably for a calmer and more enjoyable experience. The baby doesn't usually cry for any length of time but she's never flown before.

choli I was picking up on the rhetoric of a PP who felt that the possibility of the slightest annoyance on the part of "men in suits" was reason in itself for no children to be flown business class. Clearly those men in suits were themselves once "babies in nappies" and may well have their own "babies in nappies" or in the case of my DH actually be flying with them, madly normal and failing to correspond to stereotype though he may be. Incidentally paid for by his business whose revenue available to do so was hopefully enhanced by both our efforts, in my case both as senior manager and sometimes SAH mother. What indeed is with the SAHMs bullshit? Some of those SAHMs are actually traveling in the role of professional wife, enabling their husbands career in international organisations. The divorce courts recognise the value of that contribution .....

I have no issue with you putting your baby in any class on a plane. But you're very brave to go long haul as baby changing is a nightmare. I did short haul with mine and I found the experience hard going. It's also difficult to sleep, as I found doing long haul with a slightly older child.

What is with the "men in suits" bullshit? They are probably the ones paying the bills for the SAHMs flying on vacation with the babies. There is nothing wrong with being a working person who has to travel for work

Absolutely not- in fact I just landed from a business trip. I am a "(wo)man in suit".

There IS something wrong with thinking that being a "working person who has to travel for work" makes you in any way special, unique, important or in any way more entitled to be in a space than anyone else who has paid to be in that space.

I for one do not mind in the slightest if I have a baby next to me when I'm travelling on business- even if I am wearing a suit. I tend to engage for a little while then stick my headphones on and tune out all noise and drink gin

Some awful entitlement on this thread.

Babies are people too and are just as entitled to be there/on the planet as someone who happened to be born before them. I say take her on holiday!!

Absolutely do it. I think it’s easuer flying with a baby anyway as they’re more like to sleep! Toddlers are a bloody nightmare 🤣🤣

My dh flies BC or first and gets off the plane straight into meetings. Happily for the company he works for he is bright enough to realize that the only thing he has bought is his own seat, he has headphones, a sleeping tablet and gets his head down. In the last ten years of his global job I have never once heard him complain about dc in bc/fc.

Yep - husband flies every week for work.

Gets up at 4.30am on Monday, on flight at 7am, arrives 9am in a different time zone, gets in taxi, first meeting at 10am, finishes work about 9pm that evening.

Somehow he's survived doing that for many years despite there sometimes being babies on the flights.

He's also survived people reclining their seats in front of him (he's 6'4), people throwing up copiously around him, drunk people, obnoxious people, people having medical emergencies, and the other day he survived the aeroplane doing a go-around because just as they were about to land the captain noticed a plane already on the runway.

TBH, babies are the least of his worries.

I once got upgrade to business class on a long haul flight ... with my 5 year old twins and there was a prissy man who was travelling with the worlds first baby! Or at least I think it was the way he was behaving!
So what? if you paid and that's what you do you have every right to take your child in premium economy.

I am surprised by your question! You sre so considerate! I fly long haul business on four flights a yesr ( i sm spending the kids inheritance) There are always small children on my flights in club wotld and as their parents hsve paid for their seats they are equally entitled to be there. Enjoy yourselves!

the baby probably won't cry. Flying is no different to being at home. Just keep your routine up and be prepared with bottles, toys etc

I live abroad/away from my family too. My husband's family are also in a different country to where we live (so that's 3 different countries we're talking about here). And yes, I would still expect them to come to us if they want to see their grandchild that badly. It is still easier for them to travel. My husband is working and would have to take considerable time off to travel. I'm a teacher so restricted to school holidays. Only my father is in the same situation as my husband. Everyone else is retired and certainly has more time. My husband's parents are barely past 60; they are all in good health. So I still say...and?

So I still say...and?

I'm curious what point you're trying to make. That every grandparent in the world is physically capable of flying?

OP fly premium or business if you want to. I’ve flown loads with and without kids. Babies are generally easy. Give them a bottle or breast on take off and they will be sparko before you know it. Toddlers are more tricky...but do you want to know who are the worst behaved on planes? Adults. I’ve seen drunk adults, rude adults, miserable adults, over demanding adults.... The last long hall I did the pilot had to come out of the cockpit to sort out a large group of adults who were kicking off before take off because they were not sitting together. Meanwhile my DS4 was fast asleep at the gate before they shut the door and DS7 was not long behind him. Give me a crying baby any day. We nearly missed our take off slot because of this group of adults which would have meant that we were stuck in the US overnight as the airport was about to close.

When my DT’s were born, their grandparents were still working so it was no easier them travelling than us. Travelling isn’t just to see grandparents but siblings, cousins and friends. I have always wanted my DC’s to be part of their extended family even though they have never lived in the same country. Thankfully international travel is now easy with numerous flight options.

FFS people, none of you have to justify why you're flying instead of your parents. You've paid for your tickets, or someone has, you and your kids have as much right to be there as any Glengarry Glen Ross twat whose bank balance is matched only by their entitlement and superiority complex.

YANBU. We recently flew short haul in economy but our seats were directly behind business class. My 1 yo DD kicked the ladies seat in front a couple of times & cried a couple of times... & we weren't even in business class! Sure she wasn't happy but not much I could do... she's a baby! But it was cramped & if I could afford business class I would 100% would. If the airlines allow children & people have a problem they can take it up with the airline - you're doing nothing wrong.

Sure she wasn't happy but not much I could do...

.... and here we have it - the reason why normal, conscientious parents are viewed with ultimate suspicion and contempt whenever boarding a plane.

But what you think best for your family.

@AllesAusLiebe ahh a perfect parent! Please enlighten me to what you would do differently?

She was sitting on my lap & kicked out at the seat, I apologised - she said it's ok. Probably an hour later she kicked out again. I caught her leg a few times before it hit the seat but she did kick it twice. THE HORROR - BAD MUM! Short of holding her legs the entire flight & inevitably making her more grumpy & more likely to kick out what could I of done?

Crying - babies cry. Especially when they're confined to your lap for 2 hours at midnight when they're tired.

She's 1yo not 7 - limited communication.

Ridiculous that you ask me what you ‘could’ve done better’. I wasn’t there!

Kicking a seat once is an accident. Doing it repeatedly is a massive annoyance and people shouldn’t have to tolerate that as part and parcel of their experience when flying.

@AllesAusLiebe
Doing it twice is an accident as well when it's 2 hours in one seat, twice isn't repeatedly You didn't need to be there i laid out the scenario for you in black & white. WWYD?

@zzzzz that's exactly what I did do! I wish I had video footage of the entire flight 😂 The amount of times she attempted to kick out & the amount of times her foot actually came into contact with the seat - I'd say I won a small battle!

You're a mother, Beautifulblue, some fucker is always going to complain no matter what you do. Just be glad airlines don't yet charge for the massive bag of guilt every mother is forced to carry every day of her existence.