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Original poster

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

331 replies

RubyViolet · 27/07/2019 13:48

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.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 27/07/2019 19:39

Money seems to be the deciding factor here. Everyone in support of it seems to agree that it’s a reasonable cost saving measure. Yet they won’t make any cuts to their own seats...

There are posters who've explicitly said they would all go economy (regardless of whether they could afford some adult seats). Personally our family would do that. But that doesn't mean that this grandma and aunt, paying separately, should have to.

WaxOnFeckOff · 27/07/2019 19:55

I took my two away for a last minute week away on my own when they were 15 and 16 and we were scattered throughout the plane as there was no opportunity to book seats together and at that age and for a 2 and a half hour flight, i really wasn't that bothered. DS2 took the initiative to buy himself a cider from the drinks trolly...

Frolie · 27/07/2019 20:21

This is totally a thing. When I called Virgin Atlantic last year to book our Xmas flights to Barbados, I was asked whether I’d be putting the children in economy and we’d be business class?! I was quite shocked and said no, we’d all be flying business, and asked whether it was normal to fly in separate cabins to our children. The Virgin lady said it was absolutely normal! I personally would only fly all economy or all business as my family. What if something happened to them mid flight or they became unwell?

VivienneHolt · 27/07/2019 20:59

They're 12 and 14, they'll be fine.

Durgasarrow · 28/07/2019 04:12

It makes perfect sense to me. Why should a 12 year old fly business class?

ivykaty44 · 28/07/2019 04:20

Surely if they wanted to sit together they’d have to pay, so why wouldn’t it be allowed to sit in different parts of the plane?

OooErMissus · 28/07/2019 04:24

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.

Right. Grin

SoupDragon · 28/07/2019 11:54

What if something happened to them mid flight or they became unwell?

I imagine they'd come and find you. You're only metres away, not on a separate plane.

SoupDragon · 28/07/2019 12:03

I don't, because DD feels carsick in the back.

Yes, that's why I said "most adults".

spam390 · 28/07/2019 12:08

They're on the same flight ffs, so why would this be a problem ?
It's no different to them sitting upstairs on a bus and the adults staying downstairs, they are still in the same place, just different seats.
What if they were going by boat, would people still expect kids that age to no leave their side ?

I'm at a total loss trying to understand why anyone actually has a problem with this as I would've thought the kids will be delighted at being together in coach, a bit more of an 'adventure' but with parental back up close at hand (i.e on the same plane).

I can see how folks might be worried about kids that age travelling totally alone, but that's not what's happening is it ???

CrisisCrunchie · 28/07/2019 12:23

Have done this with my older DD’s when they were 16 & 14 ... they didn’t want to sit with us! 😂

LaurieMarlow · 28/07/2019 12:27

I think it’s a fairly shitty thing to do personally, but each to their own. Plenty of shitty people out there.

AwesomeSauce4 · 28/07/2019 12:28

I don't particularly have an issue although I wouldn't do it myself. We either all fly BC or we all fly economy.

I don't agree that BC is wasted on children. Their legs may be shorter but the experience isn't any different for them. You're treated just that much better, can order food and drinks any time you want, it's a much more comfortable travel for them, and they get to stretch out. Don't get me wrong, we fly economy most of the time as a family but when we can afford to fly business class then I'm not going to complain. I would never EVER put my children in economy whilst we did business though. All for one and one for all!

Nanamilly · 28/07/2019 12:30

Why should a 12 year old fly business class?

Because that’s just the way it is for a lot of people. The fly business class as a family.

LaurieMarlow · 28/07/2019 12:33

Why should a 40 year old fly business? 🤷‍♀️

spam390 · 28/07/2019 12:34

Ooooohhh, there's a few clingy parents on this thread I think.

The kids in THIS thread are 12 and 14 years, not months :)

An emergency is a remote possibility, just as it is in everyday life. I'd assume my kids (at 12 and 14 years) would be able to do their own oxygen masks and follow the instructions given by airline staff.

As kids grow, they need to adjust gradually to more freedoms and more trust. It seems to me that sitting in coach together gives them the trust they should be able to be given at that age, and if you can't trust them by that age, something's surely amiss :( But if it's for the parents peace of mind only, then that's not right. Children shouldn't be held back from developing their own skills/ independence just to stop parents worrying. Worrying is just part and parcel of having kids, but you have to put up with it and learn to let go, a little at a time, otherwise your child will be unable to cope as an adult if they've never had to.)

Archie1411 · 28/07/2019 12:38

Look at it this way - The adults are paying for themselves and, having travelled economy to the west coast, I would go business class if I had the cash. Dad is paying for the kids, so may not be in a position to cough for business class. Other option - adults don't want a long flight with two bored kids to deal with so are distancing themselves. Either way, looks pretty selfish to me

DownByTheRiverside · 28/07/2019 12:39

At 12 I was delighted at any opportunity to travel without fussy, controlling parents. And that was without inflight entertainment or personal gadgets.

LaurieMarlow · 28/07/2019 12:39

It seems to me that sitting in coach together gives them the trust they should be able to be given at that age, and if you can't trust them by that age, something's surely amiss

Why do they have to be in less comfortable seats than their parents to build that trust?

Surely it would also work if they sat across the aisle from their parents in the same class?

It’s funny, I’ve never come across a family who had their kids in business and themselves in economy? Yet surely that would build the ‘trust’ too?

The bottom line is that if you do this, you’re valuing your own comfort more highly that your kids. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but admit it.

Archie1411 · 28/07/2019 12:40

Additional thought - not you, not your family - butt out!

MemorialBeach · 28/07/2019 12:47

I see the issue of who would put oxygen masks on the children has been discussed, but what about if there is an emergency evacuation? Would granny and auntie in this case or parents in other examples given evacuate themselves from business class and just hope that children manage to get themselves out without panicking /tripping up /being knocked over? Or would their family/parental instincts mean they would be trying to push their way down the aisle back to economy, past others all trying to get out, to make sure the children get out? If children are across the aisle from you, or a couple of rows back or forward it seems feasible to do this, if they are in a while different class, potentially many rows away parents will be have a lot of people blocking their way and may be blocking people's route to the exits.

While strangers would probably put an unaccompanied child's oxygen mask on, in an evacuation scenario (possibly quite chaotic) when survivial instinct and panic kicks in (and when they may have their own family to help) I am not sure they could be relied on to help evacuate someone else's children. Even if children are old enough to probably be OK to evacuate themselves successfully, would parents really be happy to leave them to it and not want to ensure they got out?

BlueJava · 28/07/2019 13:11

It's not something I'd personally do for a holiday as we'd like to be all together. However, if I am on a business trip and flying business class (paid for by work) I have sometimes taken one of my sons if it's school holidays. I can't afford to just buy 2 business tickets so I ask them if they'd like to come and fly economy, or whether I go alone. They always choose to come.

Aroundtheworldandback · 28/07/2019 13:37

we Had that dilemma this summer. I have a bad back so me and dh would only go business on a long haul. Adult kids and their partners coming with us but would be seriously expensive for all of us. Luckily “kids” could not come till day after dh and I go, so problem solved it’s premium economy for them. There is no way I could sit in comfort on the same flight while my children are cramped, daft as that sounds.

SoupDragon · 28/07/2019 19:07

Plenty of shitty people out there.

And the majority of them don't fly business class.

24hourhomeedderandcarer · 29/07/2019 00:37

laughing my arse off at the assumption that 12 and 14 are going to be small and not going to need the extra leg room

i have a 5ft 2 8 y old(yes 8) and a 6ft 3 14 y old

so no, not all kids are average sized

and to answered the post i think its a shitty move as its showing the kids that they are not deemed equal enough to the adults and adults deserve better than them

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