To not pay for DSS to travel Business Class?

[Donewithitt]

Looking at booking flights UK to Australia for DH and I. We weren’t sure if DSS (18) would want to come as it’s to see family. Mentioned it to DSS and he’s keen to come, and might stay for longer. We are only going for 2 weeks due to work commitments. We are ready to book now, DSS hasn’t worked out what he wants to do yet. AIBU to book DH and I business class flights now while they are still reasonably priced then DSS can travel in economy once he knows what he wants to do. Also we won’t be paying for his travel forever so want him to realise that!

Not if you are doing something together.

They are spending two weeks together on the trip - 24h at the start is neither here nor there (and DS might travel back separately anyway)

They would say that wouldn't they? Who is going to say they hated it but sent their children anyway.

I pay for my DC in FTE to travel business if they’d are traveling with me.

if they are traveling on different flights to accommodate their schedules they fly economy.

eldest is finishing up FTE soon and I’ve already started managing expectations about once they work if they’d want to join our vacations then I’ll pay economy if they’d want to upgrade that’s on them.

my DC think I’m a big selfish meanie (as do some people on this thread clearly!) but I have too many colleagues who are paying out 100s of k a year for adult DC who’ve never had to stand on their own feet to want to go down that route.

@Thegodfatherreturns

Of course you can have different needs as a family! People are not attached at the hip! DS is 18, not 8. He’s not even sure he wants to go! So if he decides of course he can go economy. We said to ours a few times - go in economy and you’ve got money saved for holidays with friends later. Or whatever they wanted. It wasn’t a bottomless pit of money and they learnt to choose priorities for them. At times it wasn’t coming with us at all! Not as children, but 18 plus. There’s no harm in families making decisions that suit them as individuals.

We wouldn't dream of flying a different class to our kids, when they are coming on holiday with us! One in business, all in business (same with economy if that makes more sense for that particular flight).

Also I fly long haul business or first pretty much monthly (so 24 flights a year) and on virtually every flight there is a family split between classes.

This is hysteria.

OP has said she will pay business class now while it is relatively affordable.

If the 18 year old cannot commit now, he can still come but doesn't get the Early Bird benefit of a bigger seat with more leg room. He still gets to come but the same amount of money buys a less good seat.

@SpanThatWorld It’s not just a bigger seat and more legroom - it’s a lie flat bed! Bliss on that sort of trip!

Still the same principle though. Early bird gets the worm.

Yup, you’re definitely right and it’s a fact because that’s what you “think”

I thinks it’s shocking you are so opinionated and judgemental about how other people choose to both spend their money & bring up their family, but I guess that’s the point of the internet!

He’s 18 and getting a free holiday for him and maybe his gf judging by the updates, to Australia. And he doesn’t fancy committing to it when the flights are cheap. Pp are right, it’s a cruel cruel world for ops dss.

@SpanThatWorld Yes. Agree. No decision for early prices, take the consequences.

At 18 (hell at 38 now) I’d be over the moon if my parents gave me a free economy flight to Australia. YANBU at all to have him in economy, and I would do exactly the same for my biological children. A free holiday around the world for an adult with is hardly neglectful parenting. I find the responses that putting him in cattle class makes you the wicked stepmother staggering.

@BeardieWeirdie Agree. It’s a generous offer. I don’t know why parents are so clingy.

Cattle class 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

The poor poor boy!

Selfish offering to pay for a holiday in Australia?

Really really selfish they are!

The ridiculousness of that comment, so funny. 😆

What an awful thing to even think about doing!

Would it be awful to go and not take him at all?

We are unlikely to ever be able to travel business class so it’s really a moot point, but my view is I think if DC are about say 14 or under it’s pretty tacky not to be seated with your DCs and that includes leaving them with nannies in economy.
For teens under 18 I would offer them a cash incentive to sit in economy and see what they wanted to do ( that’s of course assuming I could afford the upgrade easily if they said no to the bribe).
For 18 and over personally I would think a paid for (economy) and all expenses covered trip to Australia is generous enough.
But then I don’t know how it feels to be in the position where you could afford to pay £5000 for a business class seat rather than that being the total cost of a great holiday.

Not selfish at all to pay for a holiday in australia but yes selfish to pay for different class in the same flight indeed. Read a post darling

@Bubblesgun The 18 year old might not think like this at all! They might take the economy seat quite happily.

We've always used airmiles and just had to pay taxes. DH had Global Status with a certain airline for many years pre COVID so we were fortunate enough to have subsidised longhaul family holidays every 2/3 yrs. The DC experienced business longhaul cross Atlantic flights twice in their early/mid teens (before GCSE's/A levels) but otherwise it's all been economy. I don't feel rich enough/too tight to pay for business/first class with my own money just yet. We do plan to once the DC have finished uni and we take early retirement - I want to visit Australia/NZ for a few months and pay to fly Business for just us two!

Air miles and 2 for 1 companion vouchers on amex, to reduce the number of miles needed to fly a family.