The outrage about babies and children flying business class

[JPT96]

I always see people say that it’s not fair to fly business class with young children and they would be better off in economy. I find flying in business with my kids so much less stressful than Economy. They are comfy and less likely to whinge as we’re not all squashed in a tiny row of seats (plus the can have a proper sleep if it’s an overnight flight). If someone can afford it- why shouldn’t they be as entitled as the other paying passengers to be in business. Also, why is it ok to subject passengers in economy to crying babies. Their journey is stressful enough!

I don’t care what class you are flying in. Parent your children, don’t drink too much, don’t shout and carry on, don’t ruin the flight for anyone else. Surely that is just basic manners?

Lots of things are first world problems. That doesn’t mean people in the “first world” (we don’t really use that term anymore fyi) shouldn’t go on holiday with their families.

If you use “MN threads like these” as a barometer, you would think every MIL was a psychopath, every husband was either an abusive cocklodger or an ardent cyclist with a six figure salary, all children were at least six foot tall, international sportspeople and on track for Cambridge, and front doors are for decoration only 🤣

Screaming rampaging kids in business class is not a major problem. It just isn’t. Some people do not like children, be it in a plane, restaurant, hotel, in swimming pools or even in their own back gardens, regardless of what they are up to.

Yep too 14 month old in business back from OZ, Guy in the seat got on his phone before we left complaining loudly to his wife that a bloody baby was next to him and how wrong it was.
I said honestly once the engines start he will fall asleep - he still does now aged 17! He would wake up when wet and I would feed him every 5-6 hours to keep hydrated.
He whinged so much he got moved by cabin crew to the more adult section at the back of business! after 5 hours of a 12 hour fight he came back, sat down and went you were right - the louts at the back were awful, drunk swearing etc.
DS did not cry once!

Adults far worse behaved in business than chidren as a general rule

PMSL..very true..MN world v RW..although I still don't want to fly with drunk lairy adults or yelling kids. 🙈😂

Less stressful for the baby and its parents. More stressful for everybody else. Shouldn't be allowed imo.

Must be nice 🤣🤣

Do any of the people here who say ‘parent your child’ actually have children? No matter how often I tell my 11-month old ‘please stop crying and sit still’ and how well behaved he is, it won’t work for many reasons, including that he doesn’t understand what I’m saying and that he doesn’t have full control over his actions yet. I don’t think anyone enjoys listening to their baby crying and fussing around, but you can’t always help it. I can feed him, distract him with toys, walk him up and down the plane once in the air (and each of these might also be annoying for other passengers) and eventually he will settle unless his ears hurt but there’s no way of completely avoiding any disturbance.

Not everyone else, only those in business class. It’s less stressful for the other peasants on the flight who don’t need to sit in a narrow row next to a baby.

It doesn’t bother me, once I get in my seat, feet up, door shut I zone out watching films, eating everything and then I sleep.

Better buy a private yet and private villa then 🤷🏻‍♀️

I‘m glad to see that the majority of people agree. We recently flew with our 2 little ones and were given some dirty looks as soon as we boarded. As it happened, they had some food, watched a film and went to sleep for the remainder of the flight (wouldn’t have happened in economy!).

Really? Are you very unpleasant towards people who don’t have children? I really can’t imagine how this could be a quote you reach for often.

I can’t see what about this situation means anyone involved is child free. They simply don’t want to fly with other people’s small children. This would describe many parents.

As it happens I have children and don’t care if other peoples children are flying near me - my own experience of business class is that a man who’s been drinking is far more likely
to to be a nuisance than a child.

I think it depends which business class to an extent and also on which airline.

If it’s long haul with your flat bed seat in a private pod where many of them don’t have an adjacent seat at all and you can shut the “door” and raise the partition (even on your OH) if you’re in the centre two pods.

If it’s the short haul, where the only different is the seat between you and the next person is unoccupied it’s no different to economy really. If we’re talking BA, long or short haul, the seats aren’t the best or configured particularly well. We generally try to avoid BA for this reason.

Other airlines’ business class I’ve experienced are more like BA’s first class. Anyway, we fly a lot and never in business class have I ever been disturbed by children or babies on long or short haul flights. Most people in long haul shut themselves in their pods so you don’t see or hear much at all from the other passengers.

On short haul BC BA flights I have been on flights where other passengers are drinking heavily and standing up together in the isles having long loud drunken conversations.

I’ve also taken a lot of internal flights in India on our travels in economy with lots of young families, and not one person complained or copped an attitude with babies and not one child was irritating. I’d prefer they banned or limited alcohol consumption on flights rather than children

PS the loud snorers in long haul are quite common

If we’re talking BA, long or short haul, the seats aren’t the best or configured particularly well. We generally try to avoid BA for this reason

I posted similar to this about 6mths ago and a poster told me there was a new BA configuration on long haul. I just flew with BA a few weeks ago and it was fab, no more stepping over legs if in a window seat, pods with doors and plenty more space.

The pods are great.

That’s good to hear. We last flew BA long haul in oct 2024 from T5 Heathrow and it was the badly configured flat bed sections. Do you know if they’ve upgraded the whole fleet or is it a wip?

I took my 11 mo in business class for an 8 hour flight and he did brilliantly because he was able to move around in the space we had to ourselves. He could stare out the window, play with his soft toys without being in my lap and then cuddle up easily before nursing to asleep.

Took 10 mo on a similar trip in economy and was thankful the row we were in was empty because she couldn’t sit still and spent most of the 10 hr flight walking back and forth in the empty row when she wasn’t eating and sleeping.

Unfortunately, I do have to do long-haul flights to visit family. It had been a decade since I seen and hugged many of my family members.

This!

The amount of loud talkers on public transport which is what a plane ride essentially is, is annoying. It’s why I have several different sets of headphones, ones that go fully in my ear like earplugs and ones that completely cover the ears.

Babies and children are still learning, adults should not be.

Have BA upgraded their bc to these now?

British Airways are transferring all their business class seats in these suites - just have to check whether your flight is one of the refitted ones.

I wouldn't travel long haul in economy. My 2 and 4 year olds love flying and will happily sit quietly in business. Annoying kids are annoying wherever you sit and it seems even worse that someone should endure economy AND other peoples children.

Okay, I still think other airlines offer a better bc seat long haul but it’s def an improvement

It’s the same as on Air France and Delta One

Okay I’ve not flown either of those, my benchmark is Cathay