Business class with 3m old on night flight?

[Onelifeonly22]

Hi all

We are expecting our first baby and will be travelling o see family when she is around 3m old. It means a 6.5hr BA night flight on the way there (departing 8/9pm, arriving local time 6.30/7am, but our time 2.30/3.30am), 2-3hr layover then another 2 hour flight.

I'm not a good sleeper and only manage to sleep on flights if I have whole row to myself to lie down! I have never flown anything but economy but I have enough air miles to do the long flight business class (the return flight is a day flight so economy will be fine!) for same price as economy (using 75k avios)

Is it worth blowing all my Avios on this? I understand there are some bassinets but you can only 'request' so not guaranteed. Baby may also not settle in a bassinet so I may have to have her lying on me and then I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway as it wouldn't be safe (I'd be more comfortable but perhaps not enough to justify using my air miles?!).

I need to book now as Avios flight availability limited - otherwise I would wait to see nearer the time what our baby is like and what her sleep is like.

My partner will be travelling with us but doesn't have the air miles - he could pay but doesn't think worth it. He is fine with me using mine to do this before anyone thinks this is terrible of me (also in my defence, I have done this overnight flight a lot this year to facilitate his job and we will be going to see his family!)

Thank you!

No I don’t think it is worth this avois in all honesty. Especially when it would be just you and baby in business class as your partner doesn’t have the miles and won’t spend the money. The extra pair of hands in economy is worth more than the flatbed IMO especially as you’re guaranteed a disturbed night anyway since baby may not settle in the bassinet, if they do settle in the bassinet and the seatbelt sign goes on you need to take them out and hold them using the lap infant belt if you’ve been given one and trying to cosleep with them if the bassinet isn’t a hit isn’t comfortable because it’s a mini single bed. I’d personally go premium economy and get the pair of seats together right at the front since those are the bassinet seats and you’ll have loads of legroom. The recline on the seats is pretty good too and the cabin is quiet so there’s a decent chance of sleep.

I would go Economy 1) to have your partner with you and 2) fewer death stares and less tutting when your baby cries!

Just go economy, you will be used to sleepless nights by then (sorry) and since you wont sleep in business anyway as you will still be holding the baby, you might as well go in economy. You could consider buying a economy seat for the baby and their car seat (most non UK airlines let you) in addition to your seat, so that you have a bit more space. I used to get a bit of sleep that way by draping myself across the carry handle for the car seat. I also think babies are a lot safer strapped into a car seat than in a parents arms

Having travelled with similar aged infants both solo and with another adult. Go in economy with another adult. Baby may not sleep/be restless so the business class bed may be redundant, and just simple things like going to the loo on your own, meal service, etc is a challenge. Having another pair of hands/take in turns to be in duty is way more important

I'd go in business and leave the baby in economy with DH if he was wanting me to do an overnight flight with a 3mo to see his family...

I'd go in business and leave the baby in economy with your husband.

Or save the Avois and get an American Express card, put every spend on it and you will get a 2 for one voucher so in the future you can both go in business using the same amount of points.

I just did a night flight in Premium Economy on BA and managed to sleep for 6 hours. The seats are much bigger and recline more.

Ok that seems to be unanimous! Though I am tempted by @coverp 's and @Movinghouseatlast suggestion....😆 I will check out the cost / availability of front row Premium Economy! Thank you all!
ps. I had a companion voucher through my Amex but it expires before then so using it on a different flight before then to reduce the price - I was only able to use it for Economy though..

Why would this not also happen in economy?! It does.

It would be massively selfish to take a baby into BC overnight

Because people in economy have not paid several thousand pounds for a lie flat bed in order to get a good night’s sleep before the work they need to do the next day.

Go business and hope for a bassinet. I flew alone to Sydney with a 3 month old and it was a doddle. He pretty much fed and slept for 24 hours. I did have a bassinet in business. If you're staying awake I'd enjoy it all while baby hopefully sleeps.

It's quite a different story in a few months time!

To be fair on some airlines the BC is just ahead of the economy bassinet rows so babies don't really care who turns left or right if they get their lungs going 🤣.

I did consider whether it was selfish to fly BC with a baby - the reason I felt ok doing it on this particular flight is that it is a route where I am confident most people in BC are visiting home and it is paid for by their company/air miles. There are usually a few teenagers in there on the way to/from boarding school as well (have to walk through on way to economy 😆 ). I would feel much more uncomfortable if it was a holiday/honeymoon destination where there is more chance that people are doing it as a treat. It is an interesting question though as people in economy may be spending more of their income on the flight than those in BC. However, I do totally get the point and it is worth bearing in mind how awkward I would feel!

Given the unbelievable amount of snoring that ran through the cabin on my last BC night flight and the toddler that physically ran through the cabin, the 3 month old twins behind us were the absolute least disruption

You can’t meet anyone’s gaze in BC so you don’t need to worry about death states 😂 It’s public transport, if people don’t want to encounter other members of the public of any age on a flight then they’d better go private. There are usually little kids in business. I’ve never been disturbed by one. Snorers, drunks, some guy in front of me in F who stayed up all night eating are another story though. But goes with the territory, on public transport you encounter the public!

I just wouldn’t go business because the extra pair of hands is in DH is the most valuable thing for an easy flight. And we were expats when DD was little so I have direct experience- premium economy as a family definitely beats solo business class!

You’re missing the point that companies often pay the business class fare because their employee actually needs the rest in order to work the next day. It’s not just expat workers getting a courtesy trip home to visit their families. It’s actual business trips.

Premium economy with your partner and a bassinet at the front

i can’t imagine anything worse than spending money on business class and finding a newborn there

Why? Do the plebs not deserve a night sleep. Most business class travellers getting their tickets paid for anyway.

Go economy and request the bassinet - they are placed in the extra leg room seats! I always managed to get one

I think you'll want your DH there to take turns holding the baby.