Should 1st class babies and children stay in 1st class?

[user30]

Long haul flight, economy on lower deck, business/1st class on upper deck.
From the moment the fasten seat belt signs went off there were between 1 and 7 women (I would guess nannies but I do not know) juggling babies and toddlers in economy as well as badly behaved children aged 3-7 running around and making a huge mess in the bathrooms. I was on the front row and was repeatedly tapped and asked to tuck my legs under my seat to give them more space.

Cabin Crew seemed irritated (at one point 2 children threw handfuls of rice down the stairs onto a Cabin Crews head!) but only said something when a boy started throwing (unused) sanitary towels at economy passengers.

AIBU to think that everyone including children should stay in their own section of the plane? It was a nightmare and I am very tired so may be a bit cranky 😂

God lord!! I would told those kids off myself! The little gits!

I told one of them off when they repeatedly stamped on my foot but he just laughed at me and carried on his throwing game in my personal space. I have never seen such badly behaved children and I was a teacher for 18 years!!

The crew should have stepped up and asked parents to control their children. No matter what class children and parents fly.

So they were seated in 1st Class and just using economy to play in?

I'd have asked them to put the seatbelt signs on and send them back to their seats. I can't believe that they tolerated it. What airline was it?

We've just flown long haul economy and I literally rugby tackled my 5 year old to stop him running through 'the curtain' and told him that's where they keep the angry people. He was placated by 3-4 unnecessary trips to the toilet during the flight in the end.

So yes I'd expect the same from first class passengers although not calling economy angry 😅

So are you saying that they were coming up from economy with the children? There's no way this should be happening, I always thought that you had to stay in your area/cabin.

Did you approach the cabin crew? If not why? I would have been livid, it costs so much to fly Bus and 1st, you'd expect a relaxing flight!

@NuffSaidSam Yes, the minute the seatbelt signs were off they all came downstairs, I was surprised but the Crew seemed used to it. It was Emirates. I asked for and was denied a second glass of wine because I was not getting any sleep 😂I felt sorry for the Crew but also annoyed they did nothing.

The literal opposite of this. I was in economy.

Tbh I would complain. I wouldn't expect anything to happen but it's not okay the crew don't handle this.

First class shits should stay in first class toilets seats. Some of the passengers there would have them gagged and bound behaving in seconds.

I knew it'd be Emirates. I don't think this would be accepted on any other airline!

@Kipperthedawg awww love Kipper - what a character, he'd have been so chilled with screaming kids everywhere eh? 😂
Re "angry people', I actually said to the stamper "stop stamping on my foot or this big man (pointed at DH) will get cross" but the little brat laughed. TBH I have no idea if he understood English 😂It wasn't the kids fault tbf- the parents were all upstairs and it was entirely their faults!

I knew without reading to the end it would be Emirates, Etihad or Qatar!!

There are some families here with really effective parenting in public places but they are greatly outnumbered by nannies who fear they will lose their jobs if they remonstrate with their charges.

@NuffSaidSam why do you say that? I had no idea there was a difference like this and am interested if you know why? Thanks

Emirates only allow one glass of wine? I thought they were the all inclusive of the skies?

I was literally about to post the same thing. Having lived in the Middle East for almost fifteen years, I saw a lot of this type of behaviour. I can imagine the cabin crew would not feel able to challenge the behaviour.

@MorrisZapp it was a night flight - they served dinner and a glass of wine then it was water only in economy 😂I don't know if this is normal - the flight was hellish 😂

I have had great flights with Singapore airlines on this route, I will stick to them in future! I found a slightly lower priced flight with Qatar but won't use them after this shameful debacle: www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/25/australia-demands-answers-after-women-taken-from-qatar-airways-flight-and-strip-searched

The fact I am a parenting coach who was travelling for work made it hilariously ironic as well 😂

I guess the parents / childminders were having a lovely peaceful time in first class 🫣
But I do partially blame cabin crew for not telling them off, most of the blame of course is on those who were supposed to be supervising those children.

Before I even finished reading - I knew it was going to be Emirates.

It’s cultural - absolutely nothing will change that.

So first class parents send nanny and children down to economy so they and their fellow first class travellers aren't inconvenienced by them?

We had this recently with Qatar Airways! There were kids from business that kept coming into economy like a million times to see their nannies but it was so annoying as we were sitting at the front middle aisle so they kept walking infront of us to get to the other side, often without asking first! A couple of times whilst I was trying to sleep so woke me up and we had bags for the baby there plus the bassinet so it was just so annoying them clambering all over us! I wouldnt choose to sit there again. They were also very loud and just generally a pain. Cabin crew also seemed irritated but couldn't really do much really. So yes I do think they should be made to stay in their cabin

I have experienced similar. Sadly I was at the bottom of the stairs and the woman who was run ragged by the kids asked ME to stop them running upstairs and said I was the nearest so it was my job to stop them.

Nope! Not my circus, not my monkeys!

Then I'd tell off the parents!!

Bet the cabin crew would jump at stopping me going in to first class! 🤣🤣