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?

Crying babies will typically settle more easily when you stand and rock them. That's generally what people do, isn't it? Get on their feet and sway a bit. The only place you'd sensibly be able to do this on most planes without blocking the aisle would be at the back of the cabin. So it seems a bit daft to have chosen that particular spot to try and avoid babies.

Babies cry. People with babies can fly business class. Crying babies need some help and movement to get them settled. It's just one of those things, albeit annoying.

Yes that’s incredibly rude of them. I don’t impose myself on others so I just feel I should be afforded the same consideration.

If I could afford First every time, I absolutely would - we flew to JFK last year on First, only 8 seats in the cabin and absolutely impeccable in terms of relaxation and service. But, it’s extremely expensive so can’t be justified unfortunately.

I guess I just expect people to be considerate of others in not congregating but hey ho I guess life’s not like that

Yes of course I appreciate people in economy may also have to work the next day!

But from an airline’s perspective I can imagine that they might find a better market for their night business class flights if they guarantee they are child free. People may be more willing to pay the premium for a quiet night. This is one of the reasons I never fly business - because I’m not paying that enormous price only to have a crying baby disturb me.

At the end of the day flights are a commercial service and all these potential rules that some passengers want will depend on what’s in the airline’s best interests.

If only 😂 think I’ll just suck it up and let the flight attendant know next time to move people on when they are having conversations as well as holding their crying baby above my sleeping area!

Are you genuinely saying that you can’t see the difference between you, as an adult, deliberately standing and having a chat next to a sleeping child for no reason other than to be an arsehole, and a parent with a crying baby moving around the cabin which actually is to prevent them from crying?

Fly privately.

Sorry but I think given the cost of business class there should be a ‘no children under 7’ rule. Parents/people these days are so selfish and self centred they don’t give a toss about anyone else. How very rude to stand in one area of the plane when people are trying to sleep, ignorant behaviour but it doesn’t surprise me.

Walking the aisles is normal.

Standing in one spot is odd. Was there something about your particular seat placement that allowed the parents to be standing, but not impeding the flow of traffic?

Honestly I’d pay double for child free flights.

If child-free flights are ever a thing, I will be on the first flight!!!!

Im a flight attendant and i believe that children under 10 should be banned from business/upper class. Most people book these seats so that they can work or get plenty of rest! A screaming child or even a toddler just being noisy/running around is extremely disruptive to everyone…us included. Its incredibly frustrating when people have paid a lot of money to get some sleep but instead have to listen to a noisy child.

I was long haul crew for several years some time ago. On a long haul flight with a ‘heavy’ flight crew, they would always take their rest in 4k (club), assuming there were no flight crew bunks. I remember several captains saying that if a baby started crying near the seat, then try and keep them as far away as possible and they don’t want to be disturbed. 🤣. Still makes me laugh now.

No I’m saying the parent is imposing that noise upon me, by standing next to and above my sleeping area, presumably so as not to wake their partner who is sleeping.
My intention would not be to wake a baby at all, i am saying they are being inconsiderate to move their child away from the seat so as not to wake their partner, stand next to my seat and prevent me sleeping.

If I then made noise next to their seat, because I don’t want to wake my partner, would that be fair?

Im talking about a toddler having a tantrum right above the sleeping area i am trying to sleep in. Then other parents joining with their children and all having a chat.

Inconsiderate in the extreme

Totally agree with this. I'd never take a baby or toddler in business. Can't believe people move around the cabin with a screaming baby. So typical of so many entitled people nowadays.

I don’t recall having to put my children in the bassinets in business when they were tiny. We just had seats for them and they would lay flat strapped in. I think only take off and landing did I have to attach them to me.

So really you could end up setting next to a baby anywhere.

In the post-Covid world, I can attest for the people-repellent powers of the cough, @Tiredannoyedflyer. As a chronic asthmatic, I am only ever one cough away from disaster at the best of times so no major method acting required.

Whenever I have someone sitting too close for comfort on public transport and I just need them to fuck right off, I let my lungs do their thang. It’s not full-proof, of course, but I seem to have quite a high cough-to-fuck off conversion rate.

Children under 2 sit on laps and can have a bassinet if available… they aren’t restricted to where they can sit.

i feel you’re unfortunate, but in the wrong. Anyone who flies takes a chance that they might not get a perfect journey. Delays? Change of plane? Landing elsewhere? Etc etc

You are always better off in the middle of the cabin in my experience as front with the bassinets and back near the loos are always areas people congregate.

Moving around with a screaming baby is far more likely to settle the baby that just sitting with it on your lap.
What do you think people should do with screaming babies on a flight? The options are somewhat limited.

No airline is going to say no to taking parents money and filling those seats.

I want to fly first with them but just waiting for them to get older as it’s not practical having to pass stuff to children further away than the business class setups.

'i am not suggesting those with children shouldn’t fly business.
I am.'

Me too! I'm stunned that parents are flying business class with babies and small children. I assumed it would be adults only, or at least over 16s.

Except babies cry, the moving around often settles them, and every single seat on a flight is “next to” somebody.

They can’t jump out of the plane when their child cries, the walking helps.

Get some headphones and suck it up

That is a perfect idea 😂

I think the noise would be easier to cope with if they weren’t standing over you, which I would also find intrusive. Book a window seat in future maybe?

There were quite a few children, including a heavily pregnant lady with her husband and toddler around 2.5 years old, they had 3 seats almost next to each other.

I felt extremely sorry for Mum who had to almost exclusively care for him whilst dad was oblivious- each time the seat belt sign turned on she had to negotiate him into his own seat as she couldn’t get a seatbelt round her tummy and him.

They would have paid nearly 10k for those 3 seats, mind blowing as the child would not have known the difference. To Mums credit she managed to avoid him disturbing others via any means possible including bribery 😂