To feel parents should not move their crying child round the cabin to disturb everyone?

[Tiredannoyedflyer]

I have just flown business on a 9 hour flight, with the intention of getting sleep before arriving.

I purposely chose seats away from the bassinets and towards the back of the cabin as I thought this would be quieter. As it was near the emergency exit; all this actually meant was that every parent with a crying baby or child took them to this area, so I actually got precisely zero sleep! Each seat has its own doors but those standing can look directly down into it so I had a stream of parents with children not only standing by my bed whilst I’m trying to sleep, but also looking down into my sleeping area which I find extremely intrusive.

I am not suggesting those with children shouldn’t fly business, just that they should be more considerate to those seated away from the bassinet seats.

AIBU to feel that parents should just stay in their seat with their child who is crying, sometimes a baby, sometimes a toddler, rather than spread the misery to absolutely everyone in the cabin, rather than those unlucky enough to be sitting near them on takeoff.

When the crying child is taken to stand next to my seat, would I be unreasonable to ask them to move as it’s disturbing me?

Not heard of Headphones or ear plugs?

Yes, neither did anything when the baby is being held almost above your sleeping area!

They're walking them round the cabin as often that's what stops them crying. And in my experience an extra 10 feet from a crying baby makes zero difference. And what about everyone else in the cabin, you think you deserve more quiet than everyone else?

I get it. Crying babies are awful to listen to and you're frustrated.

YABU.

I would politely mention that I am trying to sleep. Hopefully they will move on and let their baby cry over somebody else.

I have never flown business class. But I assume from your experience that it isn't for business - it's just nicer?

I agree, this is taking the walking about to settle a child too far. STanding over your bed is rude IMO.

I'm usually very against people who moan about babies on planes. However I think the parent moving away from their own seat and standing over someone with their crying baby is poor behaviour.

I think if I have chosen the seat (and paid £150 extra for the privilege of choosing it!) away from the bassinets, then I clearly haven’t chosen to sit next to a baby

Even with a business ticket there’s no guarantee of peace & quiet. I suggest you use earplugs and a mask next time so you won’t hear any crying or notice people standing next to you. You can’t dictate who moves around the cabin.

I don’t think the parents are unreasonable for walking their crying child around as the movement may usually be helpful.

I also don’t think you would be unreasonable to politely ask them to move if they are standing by you. I assume you had earplugs/ noise cancelling headphones available?

Its hard on you all, I need my sleep, and if I have paid for a bed on a plane, I would hope to get some, but some flights just don’t work out like that.

Thankyou - and once one had done it, then a stream of other parents for the next 9 hours then did exactly the same thing.
It is literally directly above your sleeping area looking down into it

Can I ask if you think it would be unreasonable if I then stood up, moved to a standing area near to that persons bed and had a conversation with my partner next to them whilst they or their child were obviously trying to sleep (had the bed fully reckoned with a mask and duvet over them) - if that would be unreasonable?

My headphones block every sound known to man including my own snoring. Spend some money on decent ones. It's the only way to block everyone else out.
I can't stick being in a closed space with other people.

They don’t care that you can’t sleep in your business class seat. Hence they are spreading the misery.

A baby cannot help crying.

You can help not intentionally waking a sleeping baby.

There was a ‘stream’ of parents with crying children in business? For 9 hours? Very very unusual flight.

You are entitled to a child free life but not entitled to live in a world without children.

You don't get many kids in business class. I thought parents did the Home Alone trick of sitting in business and leaving their kids in economy class.

Oh wait ...babies.

There isn’t an option to choose whether to sit next to a baby or not, as it isn’t mandatory to book a bassinet and there often aren’t enough to go round. The person in the seat closest to you might be travelling with one, for all you knew when you booked the seat.
If the parents are in an area where economy passengers are not allowed to stand, the crew would move them on.
I think it’s fair enough for those who haven’t ever been babies themselves to complain about crying, but the rest of us have to suck it up.

YANBU.

They’re probably moving the crying baby away from their oh or other dc so they don’t wake them up.

Ob not much you can do about it now, but definitely don’t book that seat again.

I think walking around is fair enough to settle the child but I agree it's extremely unfair to stay in one spot over a sleeping person. I think you probably should say it to staff to ask them to keep moving rather than addressing the parent because you would already be stressed and it could come out wrong.

I think sometimes people think it's equally annoying for the parent of the upset child as it is for those around them, but it is in my experience a million times worse. They might have been so stressed out they didn't even realise what they were doing.

Op, some babies need walking to get then to sleep. Walking up and down the cabin is short term noise to hopefully achieve longer term peace.

I agree, staff should be asking the parents not to constantly stand in one place as that is disruptive for other pax.
Presumably they moved to not disturb the others around them !!

No there were actually loads! Quite a few toddlers where mum and dad have booked their own seat for them near to them, and a fair few families with multiple children.

Im talking about toddlers having tantrums not just babies, and as I said I totally understand this is normal and to be expected, it’s the standing in one position above my sleeping area that I have an issue with.

As a PP said though, it’s probably best to just mention that to the flight attendant rather than to the groups of parents who congregated there directly

I think they move to allow their partner to get sleep or not to wake their other children!

Day flight or night flight?

I would have a lot of sympathy with a rule that kids under say 4 are not allowed in business class overnight, as people in there may well have work the next day (unless it’s a flight to the Maldives or something).

As we don’t have that rule and small kids are allowed on overnight flights - no I don’t think there should be any rule that parents/baby are confined to their seat. Parents need to do whatever is most likely to keep the child quiet which will include walking around, jiggling them etc. I know when booking that emergency exit adjacent seats are likely to get people standing with their babies, so I don’t book them. Now you know too.

Business class in the daytime - nah sorry no right to expect quiet. I can understand some may be on a weird schedule and want to sleep but it’s daytime, people will make noise.