To think that it is ok to jump the queue when with an infant?

[Eole]

DH, DC (3 months) and I were flying for the first time today to see family, long expected break!
We had booked priority, lounges and everything we could to relieve a bit of the stress.
Priority queue was quite long to check in luggage and we started queuing nicely.
Another mum came along and told us we could jump the queue which we did gladly as baby started stirring a little bit.
However it enraged some of the people in the queue, literally shouting that it was very out of order and that was no such thing as baby class, and what is wrong with you people etc.
Interestingly, every other step in the airport (security, customs, boarding) we were invited nicely by the staff to jump the queue.

So YANBU, of course you can jump the queue when with an infant
YABU no, you should queue like everyone else

We’ve been abroad twice this year, and both times on the foreign side we’ve been ushered through separate queues with DS3. I presumed it was because they wanted the kids /pushchairs out of the way! We weren’t the only ones - all families were sent down a different (much quicker) queue.

No such luck in the UK though, queue like everyone else lol.

I've never understood why people queue up to get on the plane anyway. It's not like you'll get there any faster if you're the first to get on 😅And potentially it's easier to just stay seated by the gate with your child until other passengers have boarded (more space, easier to get to your seat once others are already sitting down on the plane).

That said, if they have a policy in place where they let people with infants jump the queue then that should be fine.

Jump the queue and ignore the moaners.

You are not being unreasonable, can't believe the poll score tbh. Getting a baby settled on a flight is paramount to everyone having a good flight...!

It's nearly 20 years since I first travelled with an infant; the next one was slightly over 1 the first time he flew. Priority at check in for very young children was definitely a thing then, at least for long-haul. (we were visiting grandparents)

What posters largely seem to be missing - apologies as I haven't read the whole thread, just dipped in and out to get the gist - is just how much extra luggage you are likely to have to juggle when travelling with a baby, and if they are a non-walker you are likely to be short of hands. If an infant is upset / needs feeding / needs changing while you are trapped in a long queue, AND you have your hands full dealing with your stuff anyway - what are you supposed to do? It makes a lot more sense expediting the process of checking luggage so that small children's needs can be met realistically.

I was recently helping my mother at Heathrow; with special assistance booked for her journey. At check-in we found quitely literally a queue to join a queue to join the actual queue (with staff managing the transition points). She was able to sit down while I fetched a wheelchair, then I stood in the 2nd half of the queue till it was nearly her turn. Worked ok - not a solution that would have worked with small children.

The checkin desk for Premium economy had a short queue some of the time. The other side of the business check-in desks, they were clearly checking in families with infants quite separately. Totally appropriate I thought.

Some airlines invite any parents with small children to go first even before the first class and business passengers on some airlines.

It's not jumping the queue - it's the airline's policy.

I had a major meltdown at LAX after travelling for 13 hours with a 2.5 year old and a nine month old ! They said hand baggage was slightly overweight- it was full of baby milk, nappies, wipes etc as we were doing 2 x 13 hour flights back to back Auckland to Heathrow. I saw red and lost it a bit and started flinging items out of my bag asking which of the items they thought i could do without on a 13 hour flight !

I’d be very pissed off if you went to the front of the queue just because you had a baby.

You do know the plane can't take off til everyone has boarded? It's not like the OP can pinch your seat either.
I'd be more than happy for people with babies or small children to board first, also anyone who needs extra time to board for whatever reason.

It never ceases to amaze me that people jump up and queue as soon as boarding is announced. If you're that bothered about standing a few minutes longer to allow those juggling baggage and a child to board, , just sit down and wait til the queue goes down.

No because the point is that those with disabilities need a clear isle to get down. Same with children. It's easier when the plane is empty.
If you loaded able bodied people first it would be impossible to get those with disabilities in. It's also sometimes not the most dignified affair transferring from wheelchair to the plane buggy thing and then into the seat. Not nice in front of a plane full of people.
Remember too that whilst they get priority boarding they are also the last to leave the plane. So it works both ways

In 1st more time to drink champagne and get into your pjs?
In economy more likelihood of ending up with your bags somewhere near you in the overhead?

The problem is that everyone is taking the absolute maximum hand luggage now and if you wait until the end you will have no access to any overhead luggage near your seat. If you are with small kids and might need several changes of clothes etc for a long haul flight it's difficult.

This was the queue for checking in luggage. Getting held up by entitled individuals like OP means less time for everybody else to have a leisurely coffee before actual boarding.

@Echobelly she pushed in in the check-in queue. This has been pointed out by so many posters now. I think people who don't read the thread or at least the OP posts are wankers.

It means your bag goes in a locker above your seat. If you wait until everyone else has boarded, it may end up 10 rows behind or relegated to the hold

I’ve had several kids. It didn’t make me special and able to queue jump. Often people will say to you to go ahead but you don’t presume. Sometimes airlines will specifically call people with babies and young kids to board first and sometimes they don’t, appears to be no rhyme or reason even on same carriers. If they didn’t so Cody this and you just queue jumped thinking babies/children made you special I would think you were a right CF, I would yell at you but would have special words reserved for you in my head.

It did turn out to be airline policy because staff made a show to make us go through.

Maybe not. My friend figured out that the staff will do anything to avoid a scene (our carrier anyway, it’s not a budget one), so you can have an economy ticket and board with the priority and business queues, they just pretend they don’t notice. I only do it when travelling with them as they grab my arm and drag me along. Once the person behind us pointed it out (likely because I was arguing with my friend saying it makes me uncomfortable) and my friend just said ‘sorry, we didn’t realise it was x queue’ and the staff smile sweetly and say ‘no problem, have a great flight’. No way we would kick off but no way they are risking a scene that may rumple their smiling faces either.

I should have specified, okay to be in wrong queue if you can get away with it, not okay to jump the queue you are in😁.

Common sense and dignity would do 😀

For those at the back.
She wasn't getting on the plane.

I always left it until late to board with small children…. Less time for them to be difficult in a small space, when they can walk around in the airport!

This is the for checking in. Not boarding.

BA have called me next at check in on multiple occasions while travelling alone with a young child.

Oh I've just read the rest of the thread. Noticed my point was been said already!! 😆

Having queued up for 4 hours at security in Amsterdam recently, I would never begrudge someone with an infant, toddler or even children under 10 from jumping the queue.
There’s some miserable people on here who thinks its BU!

YABU. What’s so special about you?

The baby wouldn't have a clue where it is. Different for people with disabilities.