Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect priority boarding for infants and young children on even the tightest airline

130 replies

SebbysMum · 09/05/2008 19:57

We flew with a well known budget airline last week. Not sure if MN allows me to say which but no doubt many of you will be able to guess.

We found that it no longer boards children and babies first. Instead those who pay an extra charge get priority. There were two young babies on the flight (mine aged 4 months). The staff were extremely rude and insisted on sending us to the very back of the non priority queue, despite other passagers offering to let us go first.

As a result of this policy we saw a mother sent to the back of the queue separated from her two under-10 children on the plane (until other passengers kindly offered to move).

Is it just me or is this truely the triumph of corporate greed and mindless bureaucracy over common decency?

OP posts:
Orinoco · 09/05/2008 22:14

Message withdrawn

StarlightMcKenzie · 09/05/2008 22:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Quattrocento · 09/05/2008 22:18

Okay, I concede being deeply unreasonable

But how about this for a thought

If your children wail on aeroplanes you have to buy everyone a drink

Sanctuary · 09/05/2008 22:19

We always check in 2 hours before and then stand next to the gate.
BUT
When they call for speedy boarding tickets its 90% of the passengers.So stand and watch them go by with all the other parents and young children waiting at the back.

StarlightMcKenzie · 09/05/2008 22:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Sanctuary · 09/05/2008 22:26

That sounds like common sense to me so that means the airlines won`t go for it.Its their job to make it as stressfull as they can for you .

soopermum1 · 09/05/2008 22:29

i last flew easyjet a few years ago and while we were in the priority area for boarding, the queue of people all grappling to get to the front and glaring at me was incredible.

now i fly BA or BMI only, if you book far enough in advance they can be just as cheap as budget airlines and you can check in online. i now wait til everyone's boarded then stroll on with DS. what's the point in waiting in a queue to board when you can wait til the queue is nearly gone and then just walk on. means DS can walk around a bit more rather than queuing.

i think it's stanstead where they won't let you get your buggy straight from the aircraft, that caught me out once.

we fly quite a lot

skidoodle · 09/05/2008 22:30

LOL @ Starlight

So what you're saying is all parents travelling with children should be automatically upgraded to 1st, even on budget airlines?

StarlightMcKenzie · 09/05/2008 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ReallyTired · 09/05/2008 22:33

We flu with BA about 4 years ago to Maderia and they did as StarlightMckenzie described except that all the families sat at the back of the plane. Childless adults got to sit at the front. They also put the spare seats at the back of the plane so that families with small children could spread out as much as possible.

There were two back doors so it was fairly easy to get on and off the plane. My son got to play with another little boy for the journey. The children were given some crayons to keep them amused.

The only snag is that BA costs more, but the service is better than Ryanair.

SNoraWotzThat · 09/05/2008 22:39

I can never fathom this out, why airlines are so anti helpful.
They sell the tickets, they know who's booked on the flight ie: infant/child/adult fares - each booking has a reference. They ask for all your ages DOB etc. Can it be that hard to work out some seating plan of ensuring families are group seated without making them pay for it or rush around like mad headless chickens with bags and toys flying in every direction?

SNoraWotzThat · 09/05/2008 22:40

Some airlines will not allow infants in 1st.

ChukkyPig · 09/05/2008 23:38

I dunno it was a right bitch though having to hold my baby and folded pushchair while unladen businessmen elbowed me out of the way. Never mind. This is why SAHM stay at home!!

branflake81 · 10/05/2008 06:32

Actually, at the risk of being flamed, I think that some of you have very unreasonable expectations.

I agree that a little extra help for travellers with young children is nice but you shouldn't demand the moon on a stick just because you're travelling with your children.

SheikYerbouti · 10/05/2008 06:45

We went on holiuday to Kefalonia last september when DS1 was 2.9 and DS2 was 12 months - It was a charter airline (we went with Olympic gholidays - can't remember the airline) and they werev excellent

Bristol aorport let us keep the pushchair until we got on the plane, and at the other end, the buggy was out and set up on the tarmac! We were also rushed through the check in on our return flight, as it was 10pm and both kids would have klicked off oitherwise. We didn;t get on ther plane fisrt thjough - I can't think of anything worse.

However, when DS1 was 4 mopnths old I travelled with him alone to Dublin - fucking nightmare. The plane was full of pissed up blokes going on stag dos and the staff were rude and unhelpful (BA) The staff at Birmingham airport were also shit. I also had some bloke shout at me on the plane because DS1 cried for all of 2 minutes. I got toild to "SHUT THAT FUCKING KID UP" All of his mates laughed, whilke I seethed quietly in the seat. If I'd had DP with me, I would have kicked off.

Buda · 10/05/2008 07:22

I don't think anyone is being over demanding branflake!

I fly a lot - it is a different experience with DS than prior to him certainly. But I have never had too many problems. Flying in and out of Eastern Europe - everyone is very helpful. In Sofia airport at immigration, officials will come and get you and bring you to the front of the queue. Buggies always at the door of the plane for pick up.

In Uk I think it is a union thing that they don't bring the buggies/pushcairs to the door - as I found out on flying into UK once when I refused to get off till they got the pushchair. Guy who brought it up told me he wasn't insured to carry it!

I do think Michael O'Leary spends all his time trying to come up with new ways to charge customers for basics. I am waiting for charges for using the toilet and breathing his air. Won't be long now.

arfishy · 10/05/2008 07:22

In all the long haul flights I've done on my own with DD (aged between 15 months and 4) I've always, always wanted to get on as late as possible.

If you're struggling on your own to control a 15 month old who won't sit on a seat and be strapped in the last thing you want is to be there for an hour even before they've turned on the engines. At least in the departure corridor of hell they can run around.

Now DD is 5 I just pre-book the best seats and get on when I like. One nintendo DS for her and a glass of wine for me and they can do what they like - only another 24 hours to kill until Heathrow.

ChippyMinton · 10/05/2008 07:51

you pay your money and take your choice. We've taken the DC several times with ryanair and put up with its limitations for the price.

I get more riled by the airports tbh. The smaller the better.

Gobbledigook · 10/05/2008 07:55

Hmm, I don't know why you would expect preferential treatment just because you have a baby or child with you tbh. I wouldn't expect to be boarded first - I don't think I ever have been. I've made the decision to fly with children and I don't expect allowances to be made.

belgo · 10/05/2008 08:04

Even on the expensive airlines they don't give parents travelling alone with small children a priority to board.

I find that the majority of passengers push in front of me and my two small children in their haste to board. That doesn't concern me in itself (apart form the fact it's extremely impolite), but it is annoying to be the last to get onto a flight and find that all of the hand luggage space above my seats has gone, meaning that I have to put all hand luggage quite a lot further down the plane. That's a hassle when you are tavelling along with two small children because I regulary need stuff for them from my hand luggage.

Gobbledigook · 10/05/2008 08:06

Cant' you have a bag that you place under the seat in front of you?

belgo · 10/05/2008 08:10

no goobidigook, that's not been allowed for several years. At least not on the airlines I use.

Buda · 10/05/2008 08:29

What airlines do you use belgo?

I fly Aer Lingus a lot and also Malev. Have flown Swissair, TAP, and BA in recent years too. Always board first - I hang around the desk if necessary and have been known to embarrass DH by going to front of queue.

DS takes one of those small pull along cases and I always put it under the seat in front of him. They ask you to do that now with heavy bags anyway. And I always have my handbag under the seat in front of me. Never been a problem.

belgo · 10/05/2008 08:32

I use Brussels Airline mainly. Very expensive (in fact too expensive now that I have to pay full price for all of us, I won't be flying again for qutie a while) - no priority given to parents with children and absolutely no buggage under the seats.

belgo · 10/05/2008 08:38

The last time I flew my flight was cancelled (at the very last minute). Again, I was alone with two small children, and pregnant this time. I had to regain all of our luggage and queue up to get new tickets for another flight. Of course no one helped me with the luggage, but it was frustrating to see everyone (nearly all business men) push in front of me leaving me at the back of the queue. We had to queue for more then two hours to get the new tickets - and that really isn't fun with two children.

But I've lived in the real world long enough to know that people are selfish, and I didn't really expect anything different.