to want all of my dcs to sit with me on a long haul flight.....

[posieparker]

Flying to HK, 12 hours, with my dcs....7,6, 2 and 7mths alone. BA want the two older dcs to sit accross an aisle from me as another booking may require the basinette that the dcs will sit in front of. I have phoned customer relations but can't get anywhere. It means that one of the older dcs will be sat next to a stranger and behind, potentially, a basinette....which really get in the way.
Anyone got any tips how to improve my situation, we're only flying cattle class but we do this once a year and my parents at least three times.
Or does anyone know the number to get further with BA?

Who on earth is going to abuse a child on a plane anyway and after they had done it where on earth are they going to hide?

I dont want to make light of your concerns but I think 6 and 7 year olds should be aware that people are not to touch them and that they are to yell if someone does etc.

A child being strapped to a parent is less than ideal too. Ideally a baby should be strapped in a car seat on planes, much safer than being strapped to a parent, though perhaps not always possible.

6 and 7 year olds can go to the loo on their own. You will be right next to the toilet.

I agree with Kate. A 7 year old would surely yell for someone in the highly unlikely event that it did happen.

I do think you are being selfish.

posie - thats not BAs fault that you cant take the others to the toilet is it - thats your fault for travelling on your own with 4 dcs. Theres no way around that really is there?

Perhaps the men in tight trousers had eaten too many pies?
And if they were sex tourists, presumably most were looking for nubile ladies who can do incredible things with ping pong balls rather than your 6 and 7 yr olds.....

What difference does an 18 inch gap make to being able to take them to the loo?

I'm not really concerned that my dcs will be abused by a stranger or that we'll crash, but I do want them in the same space as me... with our things close to hand, so that if I'm feeding dc4 then I can still attend to my other dcs.
The plan was that DH would fly out and meet us but we haven't the money and my parents have paid for everything else.

Talbot, if I had dc4 on my lap for the entire flight.

Message withdrawn

I'm sure those two feet will really make a difference.

But just because your 6 and 7 year old are sitting across the aisle it doesn't mean that they are not in the same space as you.

posie it soumds like you need to hire a private jet

why don't you buy a seat for the 7 month old and then you can have the seat next to the other children vacant and use a bassinet for the infant

I am being tongue in cheek about the Thai flight, although you should have seen them.... quite vile en mass..... I then went to Protarus (I think) sex capital of Thailand, it does nothing for ones perception of the men on the flight, big paedophile problem (girls and boys abused btw).

".... and the men were in their 50s, in tight trousers, alone." You're being silly now. Funny though. I shall remember to be very suspicious of men in their fifties wearing tight trousers. Are there any other distinguishing features I should be looking out for?

I went to pataya....doh.

I really think you are worrying about nothing. At least they are sat somewhere near you not halfway doen the plane. Plus some 6 and 7 year olds fly longhaul by themselves (I did).

Q, slacks more than trousers!

Tight slacks!. That really is the limit.

I know I'm being unreasonable really, I just want my own way damn it.

why not put the 7, 6 and 2yo across the aisle
and you sit with the baby?

I would personally pay extra for that configuration. Surely the 7 and 6yos can occupy the 2yo.

...weeps with gratitude that she no longer works in customer service.

Actually I'm upgrading my seat and letting the dcs sort themselves out!!

I thought that you were going to say that they were in different parts of the plane-as far as I can see across the aisle is next to you and perfectly reasonable.Why not take CountessDracula's sensible suggestion?