Some airlines no longer let babies and small children board first

[royalcassel]

What's that all about ? Has anyone else had this experience recently ? I found it quite challenging. Surely it's better for the little people to be seated first to enable everyone else to board quicker ?

Haven't seen this in years

Easyjet were still doing this a few months ago - families with children under 5 were next after the priority boarding folk

It hasn’t been a thing for so long I’d forgotten it ever happened. Must be 15 to 20 years.

I find they don’t announce it, but if you ask they do

The last couple of flights we were on, early boarding meant standing at the front of the queue for the buses. First onto the bus, last off! Plus about 2/3 of the passengers had priority boarding (it came in some deal with a luggage allowance) so it was absolutely meaningless.

We just hang back instead.

Yep - I last recall it in 2009. In fact, it was the one flight I ever remember it happening on.

Some long haul scheduled flight airlines still do this, we’ve had it recently with those, but not had it with any others but companies like TUI do those with buggies first on some flights.

I much prefer it, means you can leisurely get on board and find your seat, leisurely get the DC settled and put bags in overhead lockers etc without anyone else waiting or pushing around you, get seated and then plane fills up around you whilst DC are doing some colouring or watching something, we have found it a massive bonus

Never seen it either!!

Wouldn't have liked it when mine were small

This! I board as late as possible!

Must be dated now

Yes it’s linked to drama politics! Obviously it’s Trans women 1st, men 2nd, women & children last, due to their safety and well being not being as important as the entitlements of some men. Unless you speak out soon we won’t even get a seat!! Ticket to Gilead anyone?

And? 🤷‍♀️

Same with Jet2 flight i was on this week.

but like others, i would want to be on the plane last not first.

As a mother of 3, it never crossed my mind I would be on first because I have/had small children?!

KLM still does it - short haul flight from Edinburgh to Amsterdam a month ago.

Why the fuss! Unless you need special assistance as I do, I’d rather not need, Parkinson’s makes life hard so tho, so needed

I don’t have small children any more but we were often called along with other travelling with under 5’s to board first - never really understood it as it wasn’t ideal to have them sitting there longer than everyone else!
Surely you’d board families with small kids last so that they had less time to wait and get restless really. Saying that mine were all easy travellers and once on could get them set up with films and headphones and they’d just sit watching until they fell asleep.

I think it makes sense to board as late as possible with a baby or toddler - otherwise they are bored and screaming before the other passengers have even finished boarding.

I have never understood why anyone would want to board first (let alone pay for it!). It’s so much easier and quicker when most people are already seated.

Oh ok. So it wouldn't cross your mind if you were asked to board first ?

I fly Lufthansa a lot, they always ask. Also the last BA flight I took, they also asked children to board first.

Same with easyJet I think and Wizair a couple of years ago.

My usual airline is Lufthansa, I fly 4-5 times a year and always go first because that's what they ask of me.. I thought every airline does it. Also always get to go to priority family lanes at security and same at passport control. Not because I ask but because I am told to do so.

Sheesh

I think it's a good decision to be honest. Passengers in first class are paying for comfort, and crying children aren't it.

That said a better solution would be making some flights child free completely

I've traveled long haul haul, multiple times with three preschoolers and older ones. We never boarded early. I had no problem lining up with everyone else. No problem.

Safer from what, exactly?