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 ?

If you have small children and a booked seat I would never board first. I wait till the last minute to board.

We always intentionally board as late as possible so we're on the plane for the least time possible with our two young children

Long haul flights still do iirc. Last I did was in March...

I found it handy when travelling with 3 when flying solo. It meant I could lumber on with the three and get them settled and have space in the overhead locker above the seat. Ceased to be important when youngest 2 were around 3-4 as then they were more than capable of carrying their own bags and stuff.

Yep, we always board as late as politely possible - that plane’s not going anywhere without you if your hold baggage is on it

Surely anyone with small children knows boarding last is far superior. Make them run around as much as physically possible in the terminal to wear them out a bit. (4 kids here, flew with 3 under 5 on my own a few times due to I'll health of parents - that was a lesson in energy management!)

I book special assistance. My son has ASD and we can manage his needs better if we avoid the queues to board and he’s safely tucked into his window seat whilst all the hustle and bustle goes on around him.

Airlines did used to routinely ask for those with additional needs or with small children to board first. I find now that I need to speak to the airline staff before they begin boarding to alert them to the fact that we need to get on first.

Even with special assistance I find other passengers absolutely desperate to get on before us. I don’t understand it at all. I’d much rather waltz on last and have minimal time on the plane, with or without kids!

I fly a lot and some airlines do, some don't. Sometimes I prefer to get the kids on the flights and settled first, sometimes I'm happy to hang back until the end. It depends on how the kids are as to how I feel about it. It is difficult flying with children, especially alone, and every little bit of help is noticed and appreciated. Lots of European airports fast track families through security and I very much appreciate that.

I have never understood that thing airlines do of inviting parents with young children to board first. When ours were small, we wanted to board last.

always hated being made to board first with kids cos by time everyone else was settled the kid was ready to kick off.

Maybe the airlines have started to realise that

I don't think I've personally ever seen this be a thing, nor did I ever board first when I was a child myself. I did see many airlines allow people with disabilities/wheelchairs board first, however.

I don't see why they're boarded first anyway - it's longer to sit in a cramped space.

I used to try and board near the end with my 3 - it's not like the seats are going anywhere.

Didn't know this was a thing. Recently we queued first. Staff asked we wait inside as we have a baby and everyone else waited in the hot sun. Then we were called to board first.

Are you British OP?

I'm from the continent, fly frequently and based on my experience when departing from European cities most of airlines (bar Ryanair, of course) give priority to families traveling with small children, at different stages like check in, fast track queue and boarding. To me it's just common courtesy to provide this option (no one can make you board first if you do not wish to) and flying from the UK is quite a culture shock.

It's just a reflection of British public attitudes to small children and their families (and mothers in particular). As evidenced by some pretty revolting comments in this thread...

I fly regularly, both in Europe and transatlantic, and every airline I've flown with asks families with young children to board first.

Ryanair make you pay for a family fare and that usually gets families on as priority, but I avoid them like the plague usually.

Why is it common courtesy? Having children doesn't mean you're entitled to board first. I never expected it when my child was young!

I’ve been on a mix of airlines and have found the ones who used to have priority boarding for families no longer do. With young children, boarding last is a far superior option. We never went for priority boarding even when offered.

If they really wanted to help families with small children, they would board them last when the plane is genuinely close to taking off. One of our last flights, the plane sat on the tarmac for close to 2 hours after being fully boarded.

I work for an airline and we don’t let children board first infact in my airport I don’t think I’ve ever heard calls for children to board first . We let special assistance go but that’s it. If someone asked me and I could tell they were struggling then I’d say yes but if not board the plane the normal way.

Surely most of the time it’s prudent to book specific seat anyway so you know you’ll all be together? And then what does it really matter when you get on?

I'm surprised at the majority of responses. We have flown with a few airlines all within Europe with young children and they have all either announced parents with small children to board with or after the priority ones, or in some cases no announcement made but on being spotted in the main queue, a staff member has pulled us out and taken us to the front.

In most cases we had a pram and logistically it makes sense for them to get us through the gate earlier if possible so they have time to get the pram onto the plane. Twice our pram has gotten lost...

We get special assistance as our ds is disabled. I dislike being marched to the gate and being supervised there until the doors open tbh. You can't mooch and the last flight we went from check in to the gate which was weirdly behind its own security with no loo so no way to get to duty free, toilets or food. We don't ask ask for assistance to get off as we wait until everyone else is off. They do still call others who need assistance at the gate. But that's,a bundle of 50% of the flight.

But as with small kids there is faffing at the seat for us.

Who doesn't faff with a baby unless it's a short flight?

Well, I did say it's common courtesy in European countries so there must be a reason why you didn't expect or can't comprehend it.

I'm off to bed so have limited time for a lesson in bon ton, but prioritising children while traveling in Europe is part of a range of social niceties, like letting people get off the bus before getting on and giving your seat up for the elderly.

The UK is a European country!

What did you find quite difficult about it?

I’ve been offered it before but why at the time (when they were toddlers or on my lap) would I want to do that for any longer than necessary!

some families do do an enormous amount of faffing about but that’s not everyone and most people want to get going so are as efficient as possible.

I fly under special assistance. I don’t board first because I do not want to be on that plane any longer than necessary - and I love flying! Now I’ve had my daughter nothings changed, I still don’t want to be on any longer than needed.

Virgin Atlantic and BA used to allow it a decade or two ago when mine were babies. With a baby I think it can make things easier because of all the paraphernalia you might feel you need. Getting the bag with baby food and extra wipes etc stashed in the overhead locker just above your seat and/or a baby seat strapped in without being knocked by other passengers is helpful for more than just the passenger with the baby.

For slightly older kids, toddlers and up, who are curious and want to run around, in my experience it would normally not be such a good idea except, again, for the added utility of being able to get bags stored nearby.

I think there are safety reasons for putting small kids at one end or the other of boarding - I frequently see them knocked and hit by other passengers who just don't see them. This also happens on trains and busses, but they don't normally have people swinging cases down from overhead lockers.