Kids in economy, Adults in Business ! Is this allowed !

[RubyViolet]

Friend is taking her Grandchildren to the USA to holiday with their Dad. Dad lives full time on West Coast, it’s a long flight.
Granny and daughter/ Auntie have bought Business Class returns for themselves but Dad has paid for the 12 and 14 year old to sit in Economy.
Is this even allowed ? I know BA have ruled that no under 14’s can fly unaccompanied now. I don’t know who they are flying with but l can’t help feeling that this is unfair on the other passengers who will have 2 very lively unaccompanied kids amongst them for 14 hours.

@parker231 bit of a sweeping statement. But thanks for calling my family "crap"

Business class is no less environmentally friendly than economy

Actually that’s not true. As economy holds more people, the carbon footprint per head is lower in economy than business.

Ex cabin crew here. We used to all hoik our judgey pants at parents who did this. Mostly from a safety/emergency perspective.

It’s all very well saying that plane crashes are rare, and that there’d be nothing you could do anyway, but actually there are all sorts of minor situations like go-arounds, very bad turbulence, bird strikes taking out an engine, overshooting of runways etc etc that can be quite frightening and aren’t always headline news so you don’t hear about them. I’d want to be with my kids personally. 12 is young to be dealing with something like that.

Aside from the safety aspect, I do think it’s a dick move. Fair enough these are teenagers, but I’ll never forget the four year old travelling in economy while her parents were up in Club. She was a confident, sweet kid, and very well behaved, but the man seated next to her was very uncomfortable with the situation. Poor guy ended up cutting up her food for her - rammed flight, crew were up against it just getting the meals out, mother was told to go and help but she faffed and delayed and complained and took ages to go to her.

The mother even huffed and puffed about being brought down from Club to help her go to the toilet. She wanted the crew to do it.

This was an extreme example, but when I hear/see people putting their kids in economy while they waltz off up to Club, I’m always reminded of that mother.

Leaving your 4 yo to sit alone is not in any way comparable to leaving 2 teenagers so I’m not sure why one would remind you of the other.

Ex cabin crew here. We used to all hoik our judgey pants at parents who did this. Mostly from a safety/emergency perspective.

If it's so important from a safety perspective for children to be seated with their parents then why do airlines don't seat families together as a standard and why do we as passengers have to pay to be seated together? And by seating together I don't mean in the front row or across the aisle.

I know you don't make the rules, but it's a bit hypocritical, I find.

Yes @Chardonnays brilliant point!
I wouldn't even consider doing this with a four year old but 12 upwards, with lots of flights under their belt, absolutely!

why do airlines don't seat families together as a standard

I think there’s a huge difference between seating families within a row or two of each other and seating them in a whole other cabin. I can hardly believe you’d be comparing the two.

And we’re predominately talking long haul here I presume. In which people don’t, in my experience, pay to sit with family members.

So Liverbird with all those minor but quite scary situations outlined by Venus would you be happy for a 12 year old dealing with them on their own, just so you can sit in comfort in business class?

I’m posting from my own perspective of having been in those sort of minor incidents, and seeing how frightening they were for passengers. It doesn’t make any difference to the child’s actual safety, but if it was my child, I’d want to be by their side to reassure them, not behind a curtain.

Personally I think it’s crap that airlines make families pay to sit together, but that’s where we’ve ended up thanks to cheap flights. It wasn’t like that in my day - I am old, and my flying days are a long time ago.

I think there’s a huge difference between seating families within a row or two of each other and seating them in a whole other cabin. I can hardly believe you’d be comparing the two.

What about as a pp mentioned adults are at the back row of BC & then the kids are front row of the next class, separated by a curtain?

Leaving your 4 yo to sit alone is not in any way comparable to leaving 2 teenagers so I’m not sure why one would remind you of the other.

Both scenarios involve parents seating their kids in economy while parents enjoy business class. They are still their kids, however old they are.

What about as a pp mentioned adults are at the back row of BC & then the kids are front row of the next class, separated by a curtain?

This would be an unusual configuration. There’s usually toilets and a galley inbetween.

Of course I can compare the two.

I see an ex air crew member indignant when parents do it, but who's happy to go along with it when the airline does it.

Because families are separated all the time when they travel, except when they pay.

but who's happy to go along with it when the airline does it

Nope. Read my post. Not happy. I think it’s crap.

chune

If I fly biz then my kids do too

I think there’s a huge difference between seating families within a row or two of each other and seating them in a whole other cabin. I can hardly believe you’d be comparing the two.

Oh but that's when they seat you together, you often end up travelling all over the plane. I know we have done.

What about as a pp mentioned adults are at the back row of BC & then the kids are front row of the next class, separated by a curtain?

This would be an unusual configuration. There’s usually toilets and a galley inbetween.

Even if it was widespread, you'd hardly be able to guarantee that set up.

Both scenarios involve parents seating their kids in economy while parents enjoy business class. They are still their kids, however old they are. So does that mean if I travel with family & they choose BC but I can’t afford they should pay the difference even though i’m in my 30s?

This would be an unusual configuration. There’s usually toilets and a galley inbetween.

Unusual but I’ve been on planes that didn’t have the toilet there & the galley is not exactly a huge space.

you often end up travelling all over the plane. I know we have done.

Has that ever genuinely happened to you when flying long haul in economy?

I've never had any issues with seating outside of ryanair/easy jet, which is not exactly what we're talking about here.

No, short haul. Not sure that changes anything.

I never see the point of flying business in short haul, unless work are paying for it. It hardly merits the extra. But perhaps that's just me.

Even if it was widespread, you'd hardly be able to guarantee that set up. Probably higher odds of achieving that set up than actually being involved in a plane crash.

Quick question, DH & I have the master bedroom & the biggest bed. Do all the posters who treat their children equally let them have the masters & biggest beds?

the galley is not exactly a huge space

Very true, but it is too big for you to be able to see or speak to family members on the other side without leaving your seat. Quite different from just a curtain.

@Chune that made me laugh out loud