How to tell my son on a plane he's a daddy?

[6grandc]

My son is on a plane dashing to Athens where his partner has gone into labour 16 days early. The baby has been born whilst he's airborne. My daughter has tweeted the airline with no result. Is there a way to get a message to him. Would be lovely and might make up for him missing the birth!

He should have been quite prepared to miss the birth at only two weeks pre due date!!

How exciting!!! Maybe call the airport?

@Pondlifeandfrog

Oh my gosh how exciting, I would keep ringing the airline with the flight number and his details until you get through- there must be a way they can radio the pilot to get the info to him. Try sending direct messages too to the twitter account and Instagram account. In my experience airlines respond more quickly the direct messages rather than public tweets. Check that they don't have a separate customer service account as that might be the one actively responding to queries. Or you could contact the airline the other side to make a sign or something or get the news to him that way?

Rather than announce it on the plane id just wait till he gets to the hospital and walks in to the baby so he doesn't have any feeling of being gutted he's missed it which he may have between being told and getting to the hospital.

He has a business to run but she wanted to go home to have their second child after a bad first experience - I understand that. She was a few days late with no 1 but this is 16 days early and he was arriving on Friday for 6 weeks so he's hardly been uncaring. He flew out there with them and flew back for two weeks in which he has been flat out.

Aegean said "there is no procedure for this" when we got through. My daughter who is a journalist also tweeted them. I read on a forum that BA do it all the time ... oh well. Hopefully he will get a lovely phone call when he lands and his father in law is waiting to take him to the hospital.

Have his FIL hold up a banner announcing that he is a dad. Like the ones that just have a name on

I think it's up to his wife to tell him that, OP. But congratulations anyway!

Thanks @Ilovecats my daughter also sent Aegean a DM on Twitter. We will see.

Lol @Pondlifeandfrog it could have been for work you can't stop everything.
Maybe have a banner made with a pic of the baby for when he lands

We have asked not to be sent any photos until she meets her father so he is the first in this side of the family to meet her. It's all good, healthy Mama, healthy baby, he will be sad but it's one of those things.

Oh annoying they don't have a procedure, hopefully they get back to the DMs! X

I think it is for him to find out when he gets to the hospital. Your excitement is understandable but personally I think you are overstepping boundaries.

I’d spend the rest of the flight feeling really upset that I’d missed the birth. Wouldn’t it be better for him to find out when he arrives and is handed the baby for a cuddle?

DD3 arrived 2 weeks early when DH was on the other side of the world.
It happens!
Just give him the good news when he lands

I would call the airline and airport. They might get a message through.

I think having it announced on a plane, with lots of people looking for a reaction, would be awful.
If he will be gutted about missing it why would you want it announcing for everyone to know he didn’t get to see his baby being born?

If he will be gutted about missing it why would you want it announcing for everyone to know he didn’t get to see his baby being born

Agreed. This is all so bizarre. Just wait till he lands.

Just wait till he gets to the hospital. He will find out soon enough

Would he prefer to have a family member tell him? I know I'd prefer that to hearing it from someone I don't know. Is he worried and therefore you think he'll be happy to know all is well now instead of waiting until he lands?
Maybe have it so that when he turns his phone on there's a picture of baby and a little message to open?

Does Mum want this to be done or does she know about it? If it's with her blessing, I think it's really nice!

I would definitely let him know. I would be terrified that he would be breaking the land speed record to get to the hospital in time for the birth and have some horrendous accident - which could have been avoided if he knew that the child had already been born and all was well.

Air traffic control aren't really about passing on these sorts of messages to planes. But it would be reasonable to ask for him to be told by a member of ground crew when he lands in Athens.

My only concern would be that it's you rushing to tell him before his wife can tell him, but as I said, if it's with her knowledge and consent, then it would be lovely to have the pilot announce it.

Do let us know if Aegean make the announcement!

Congratulations :)