Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Babies need a ticket for the Olympics!

53 replies

Murtette · 04/11/2011 16:58

Was anyone else aware of this? Out of the various events we applied for, we were allotted two tickets for the swimming. Now it appears unlikely that I'll be able to go as I have a due date of mid-May so DC will be around 2 months by the time of the Olympics and, according to the 2012 website, everyone entering the venue will require a ticket, whatever their age. I just rang the ticket helpline and was told that further tickets will be available for certain events in December and I should try & get a ticket for the event I'm going to for DC then but I should be aware it may be in a different seating area.
Theoretically, I could leave DC with grandparents for the morning (although more likely to be 5 - 6 hours by the time we travel there & back) but, I hope to ebf (as I did with DD) and worry that this DC may be as reluctant to take a bottle as its sister was in which case I won't be able to leave it for that long. Expecting grandparents to travel to Stratford & hang around outside with DC and call me when s/he needs a feed seems a bit much!
I'm telling myself that I won't have to worry about making a swift exit if DC cries but that's not much comfort when I'm feeling this cross and disappointed.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

thegingerone · 04/11/2011 17:07

I'm in same boat except we realised that baby (Due in a few weeks) wouldn't be going to an evening event without a ticket. Which seemed OK when I was a few weeks pg but now I'm beginning to worry about my breastfeed baby not settling at my BIL and SILs house. Obviously my baby will be 8 months or so and not as "breastfed" as yours.

My other obsence worry (and I shouldn't really share this) is that if something happened to us (DH, two other kids and myself) that my baby would be left alone. Now THAT is crazy preg mind!!

I doubt that the evening event we're going to ,will be releasing any more tickets so I guess nearer the time I need to decide if I CAN leave baby or miss out on a once in a life moment with my other two babies (8yr and 5yr)

Mum2be79 · 04/11/2011 18:18

How stupid.

It isn't as if babies will be taking up a seat or be interested in the events you'll be watching. I wonder if the press know about this as it will leave the Olympic people who made this pathetic decision a laughing stock!

meglet · 04/11/2011 18:22

I can't believe they'll enforce it for babies in slings.

Actually, I can, but I hope common sense prevails.

lottiegb · 04/11/2011 18:32

What, this is nuts and I feel a loud complaint coming on!

We applied for tickets whenever the first deadline was (April?), were awarded two for two events, paid for I think in June. Given that I conceived in late June, how could we possibly have known to buy a ticket for a baby?

Given there is no practical imposition on the organisers (we don't need any more space and they'll have changing facilities anyway) I'd regard this as madly unreasonable. I'll be interested to see the wording in their T+Cs at the time they sold us the tickets.

Just the sort of thing that presses my 'strongly worded complaint' button and yes, if true and not dealt with reasonably, this deserves bad press.

Whether we want to take a five-month old along is another question - but we'll be making that decision, not some hyper-officious organisers (who I've defended to date, about allocation of tickets, on the grounds of plaintive people not understanding how probability works in lotteries... another topic!).

FlipFantasia · 04/11/2011 18:33

This is so freakin' stupid. We did actually realise it when we were applying - (though I had just had a MC and didn't know if I'd be pregnant again).

We'll have a baby of four months old (due late March/early April). I'm thinking that me and DH will take turns - as in I'll be outside with baby in a sling for a bit and then we can swap. Not as much fun as watching together but since we've no family in London it may be the only way we get to see anything!

notcitrus · 04/11/2011 18:33

I can't believe this! Going to email them and if necessary take it to DCMS and other relevant ministers.
I'll have a nearly-5-month-old who wasn't even conceived when I got tickets! And more importantly won't be able to sit up let alone occupy its own seat. If airlines can cope with babes-in-arms, I'm sure LOCOG can.

RiaMelia · 04/11/2011 18:46

Oh my gosh, seriously?!! I'm due next month so will have a 9 month old- can't they just sit on our laps? And how can they tell you to 'be aware that it may be in a different seating area- do they really expect us to leave a baby in a seat by themselves? THink might have to send angry email!

edwinbear · 04/11/2011 20:50

I was pregnant with this baby when the application process started, (due in 3 weeks), so I did think to buy the baby a ticket, but I really resented doing it. I can't imagine a 9 month old baby is going to be very interested in dressage and since we'll be taking a 3 yr old as well, I hope the baby/children's facilities are up to scratch.

Original poster

Murtette · 04/11/2011 21:44

Ria - I may be prepared to spend several thousand pounds to buy DC a ticket in a VIP area and then abandon it there whilst I go & sit in the cheap seats with DP. Its several hours since I first found this out and I am still spluttering about it.

OP posts:

pootlebug · 04/11/2011 21:48

Oh FFS. The only thing we got tickets for was one of those where children 'pay their age' - so £3 for my three year old, £4 for my four year old. Therefore I assumed that £0 (i.e. no ticket) for my zero year old who'll be 3 months at the time would be fine, but it sounds like not. Arghhh.

muslimah28 · 04/11/2011 21:57

This IS totally stupid. But just thought I'd add that when I went on a tour recently the lady said they may be issuing ground tickets only which will be available later, and they might do a 'Murray mount' type screen for such ppl. It was all speculative but if they do this, then maybe someone can wait closer by with baby than you might be thinking right now. Not ideal and totally stupid but a possible way round not going or spending loads on an extra event ticket.

notcitrus · 05/11/2011 09:14

Have emailed them as follows:
"Is it true babies under one year are banned from the venues unless they have their own ticket for a seat?
I find it hard to believe that infants who may be breastfeeding and unable to sit up, not to mention weren't conceived during original ticket allocation, have to have their own seat but am told this is the case!

Please could you confirm as I can't find anything about accessibility for parents of babies on the site.
Many thanks."

Will let you know what response I get - we're supposed to be going to two 'pay your age' events with kids aged 3 and 4 at the time, and if I can't be with them and MrNC it's going to seriously suck when one of them decides it's too noisy/needs a wee/wants to have a run outside etc.

MarathonMama · 05/11/2011 12:09

Please let us know notcitrus, where did you email? We too are in the same boat, we've got quite expensive athletics tickets and I'm loathe to miss it because I didn't pay for a dc that wasn't conceived at the time! I too am planning to bf so can't see how I can go unless this is the nonsense I hope it is!

Original poster

Murtette · 05/11/2011 14:44

This is what it says on the website buts its not exactly advertised. Its in FAQ which is under Tickets/ Help. tickets.london2012.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35162/session/L3RpbWUvMTMyMDUwNDIwMy9zaWQvdDVRemNtSWs%3D

OP posts:

MarathonMama · 05/11/2011 15:06

I have also emailed this:

I have just read your policy on babies at olympic events and see that they must have a ticket! Is this really correct? I am currently pregnant and the baby wasn't even conceived when we applied for tickets. I see that more tickets are going on sale but I assume we may have to apply for a ticket for the baby in a different area, which doesn't make any sense at all.

I will be breastfeeding, the baby cannot sit alone in a separate area, I am not paying £700 for the baby (who will be 3 months old) to attend.

This policy is discriminatory to mothers, especially those who are breastfeeding. Airlines cope with babies on laps why don't you?

This infuriates me so much!

notcitrus · 05/11/2011 15:14

Thanks murtette - that question didn't show up when I did a search for 'babies'...

Feeling a stern letter to some Chief Execs/Perm Secs coming on - especially given the inability to apply online and requiring use of a premium rate 0844 phone number (deaf access, what's that?)

If someone is going alone and then has a baby, according to that policy they'd be expected to pay and put the baby in a seat miles away from them! Madness!!

thegingerone · 06/11/2011 14:46

Good point ladies about the "unconceived" members of our families. I'll stay quiet about the fact that I knew I was pg and we did in fact apply for a pay for age ticket for all three of our kids, including the 9 month old for day time events. We didn't get any of the "kid friendly" events. We were lucky enough to get an athletics evening event so our two big kids are actually going on full price adult tickets as it is! Gosh I do hope we can get our bf (or not bf!) little ones in. It is crazy form the point of view of time frames that we should have predicted the arrival of a baby. It's none of their business if we were all ttc and suddenly became pg or had a unexpected pg.

Original poster

Murtette · 06/12/2011 14:04

So has anyone had a response to their email other than the initial "we will contact you as soon as possible"? I haven't and its over a month now since I emailed them. Its still annoying me & I'm not sure what to do next.
Hope you and your bumps/babes are all well.

OP posts:

LackingNicknameInspiration · 06/12/2011 23:38

Hello
Just read this and am similarly to everyone else - I'll be in the same boat with DC3 who wasn't conceived when we were allocated tickets. And I should probably break the news to my brother and sis in law who are coming all the way from Hong Kong with their first DS who also wasn't conceived at the time.

I would be very interested to hear what responses people get and would definitely contact my MP if it doesn't appear satisfactory. Also wonder if it's worth approaching someone like Radio Five Live given the amount of Olympics coverage they have - particularly if no one can get a reply?

Good luck - and well done for spotting it, OP.

PopcornMouse · 07/12/2011 14:36

Time to phone the Mail? :o

notcitrus · 07/12/2011 15:08

I got a 'you need to send your question to a different email address' and with stuff happening I haven't.

Time to write to all sorts of people...

Caddie08 · 07/12/2011 15:12

I've just found out that my due date is on the day that we have Olympics tickets! Bad timing, I was really looking forward to it (though I'm sure having DC2 will more than compensate :-)). I wonder if I can get a refund??

tilder · 07/12/2011 15:39

Am in the same position as well and will be very interested to see how this works out. I emailed last summer (am due in Feb) and was told there would be no 'babe in arms' tickets. Their phrase. Was also told that there would be additional tickets going on sale that I could appy for to cover the baby, but these would be allocated first to those without tickets. So unlikely to be me then. Crazy idea. At the moment, looks like I won't be going and my ticket won't be used. It did take several emails to get this response though so they might not have thought about it enough to have a standard response at the time.

Surely there is a way to get them to see sense here? Are they really going to turn me away if I arrive with one ticket plus a baby in a sling?

TheChristmasTreeSurgeonsMate · 07/12/2011 15:46

Just read that link - how bizarre. I wouldn't have thought they need to over-extend themselves with efforts to get you a nearby seat, though - obviously the baby seat is going to be empty, whether it's next to you or not.

MarathonMama · 07/12/2011 17:30

No response to my email either, surprise surprise!

Flip

1 2 3