Would you pay for your dc to fly business class?

[zarmak]

Just that really. DS and his friend are going on their big gap year holiday, and the other boys parents have paid for them both to travel in Business class. It is a 14 hour flight.

Would you ever do that? I just really hope he doesn't get a taste for it.

And in fact swing I think me and DH once paid £100 each for two together (instead of a 3 or a 4) at the front of economy, but that was when we'd got really reasonably priced flights, so it was worth it.

I don’t think I would. I don’t pay for business for me and I earn six figures. I just don’t find economy a huge problem.

Hell no

No, a 14 hour flight is not all that long. Wouldn't consider it for a flight to New Zealand. Work out the extra cost per hour, just to sit on a plane! There are many more exciting things I would rather do with that kind of money.

No! I consider us to be generous parents who have paid for stuff that lots of MNers would be horrified by. But business class on a gap year! No! How much extra was it?

We've never paid for business, only had it when work has been paying.

DHs company flew us all business once. The kids (4 and 6 at the time) still talk about it. It's not been repeated. I'm sure if DS1 gets the sort of job where he has ££££ he would upgrade himself.

Not a chance. He's a child and you'll ruin him and give him aspirations which are not healthy. Ridiculous.

No!

I paid for my own gap year travel and in mind part of travelling when you are you f is roughing it - staying in hostels, cheap and cheerful buses etc and cattle class air travel. You are not likely to meet many other backpackers in business class...

Exactly! One of my DCs funded herself to go backpacking, from working at a part time job, I gave her an emergency fund but that was it. Business class... hahahaha

If you're normally flying on private jets and the poor child would be traumatised by flying commercial in the first place, I guess..
Otherwise hell no.

No effing way

Even if I won 100m on the Euromillions it would be a no.

We’ve flown to the Far East a couple of times as a family - children all 13 and under at the time. I wouldn’t be funding business class travel for a gap year though, as I’d rather put any spare cash into the university fund.

My mum did. I was working in Europe, aged 23 or 24, my grandfather died & my grandmother, to whom I was close, expressed repeatedly that she needed me home ASAP. But the only quick flight available in August at very short notice (hours) was Stuttgart to Heathrow business class. I really couldn’t afford an unplanned business class flight - literally didn’t have the money - so my mum paid as a gift to her own widowed mother. Under circumstances like that, yes, I would pay for my son. A gap year - unlikely, unless air miles as someone said.

I couldn't afford to. I have flown all over the world on 24 hour flights and only one been business one way. I'd not be able to pay for that or want my kids to have an expectation of it in future.

I did but only because I upgraded for £360 so my ds was £36... tbf it would've been much more relaxing if I could have left him in economy... I think at 8 weeks that would have been frowned upon 😂

I just really hope he doesn't get a taste for it.

Why not? My kids have got a taste for it, it certainly spurred them on to realise you have to earn luxury. I think it motives people which is a good thing as they become more focussed on their career and what they want to do.

Only whrn flying with us - it’s the husband’s choice. Wouldn’t pay it for their gap year.

Hmmm.... I know a lad who has been indulged like this. He's now 27 and won't use the NHS, (needed a minor op, parents paid for private) won't work for anyone because he's an entrepreneur. In other words, he's done bugger all his life. He had a Sunday job once at a pub but lasted one day because he's been brought up to expect the best and refuses to work for anyone. Lives off Mum and Dad who happen to have come in to some money. He's the same age as one of my DCs and I;m shocked at how far my DC has come and how far he hasn't.

So as much as kids can get a taste for it and work hard to achieve it, it can backfire.

(a) I can't believe that 'all the other parents' have paid for their kids to go business class for their bloody gap year

And

(b) so many poster are saying, yes if I could afford it I would too

And we wonder why this generation have grown up to be entitled snowflakes and who can't stand on their own two feet and think the world owes them a living.

Er no I wouldn't. The point of a gap year is to actually gain some independence, work out how to budget for it and plan it yourself. I would be so disappointed if I raised a kid who wanted business class flights for any trip, let alone a gap year.

For the price of business class you could probably spend a few more months somewhere like India or Nepal, would much prefer they did that.

FYI, I went on a belated gap year myself in my late 20s, funded entirely by myself, regularly did long haul flights and never went business class, didn't even go business class on my honeymoon.

And yes could afford it if I wanted to but paying several thousands more for the same flight is just not worth it to me and is even more ridiculous for a 19 year old.

Not in a million bucking years unless I was a millionaire or similar. Or there was some amazing deal on - the difference in fare is usually so huge that I don’t think it’s worth the money. How about suggesting the kid goes economy or premium economy and do at Donates the 2-5k difference to Shelter.

And we wonder why this generation have grown up to be entitled snowflakes and who can't stand on their own two feet and think the world owes them a living

^^ This

I can't believe that 'all the other parents' have paid for their kids to go business class for their bloody gap year

There is only one other boy going.

We do. We go to the USA each summe and dh and I don’t want to fly economy and we don’t want to sit separately from our dd’s. So we pay.

Last time I flew long haul last year, I was offered Business Class. It was to S.America. It was another £2,700 each. One way.