Business Class With Kids

[CockneyGit]

Greets & Treats Y'all,

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the score with taking a child (2years old) on Business Class. Are airlines generally OK with it or is it frowned upon a little bit.

Any advice, experiences would be good.

Cheers,

[GungaDin]

Everything would depend on the behaviour of the 2 year old.

[scorecard]

Everything would depend on the behaviour of the 2 year old.

Interesting question. I've flown business class maybe 100 times and not often seen kids, and never had a problem with kids, except one which I'll explain later.

I guess there's two sides to the 'argument':

- Some businessmen like to work on serious stuff (me included) during the flight and would therefore like some peace and quiet.

- On the other hand, unless the specific airline has a policy of no kids in business class, then the businessmen have to put up with whoever sits next to them, or within the business class section,

My own problem was not with small children, it was my 18 year old son who was traveling with me many times and had done many business class flights.

He politely asked the TG hostess for some Coca Cola. The reply was "Go and ask in economy class".

I objected and asked why he had been given the said reply. Answer was "It's not appropriate for children (he was 18 years old) to ask seniors (puuyai) for service.

I objected further and the purser eventually came, she was quite aloof and claimed there had been a misunderstanding, which was not true. I demanded he be served his drink, which was eventually delivered by another hostess.

Later another hostess again approached me and asked "Why were you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family".

[sahprite]

Later another hostess again approached me and asked "Why were you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family".

What an absolute classic line. This sums up everything bad about Thai and why I choose other airlines all the time now.

[geriatrickid]

Later another hostess again approached me and asked "Why were you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family".

What an absolute classic line. This sums up everything bad about Thai and why I choose other airlines all the time now.

Know what the worst part about that line is? The people saying it actually believe it.

Unless one flies on TG, it's hard to believe this can happen.

In response to the OP, none of the airlines have an issue with kids, unless you are planning to take the 2 year old on your lap. You should check seating configs. The business class seats particularly on TGs are not as accomodating to lap carriers as economy. For example if you are sitting with your partner and have the child between you, you can raise the armrest. You can't do that in business because you have those stupid hard plastic islands between the seats. It might be easier to take an economy seat for the kid if you plan on eating. The tray tables in business are pull ups, which means no lap sitting. Usually the tray comes down in economy which makes it a little easier.

Most importantly of all, there are a lot of grumpy coots in business that will start scowling and howling as soon as the child makes a sound. I know, because I'm one of them.

[alyx]

Hey

I have seen some kids on a plane in Business class (todlers and teenagers) then it is certainly allowed , but it was a bother every single time (but then again I do not like kids, especially the one whose parents do not understand why their chidren should behave differently, same goes for restaurants)

Having them seat in economy must be a greater bother to passengers flying that class

Off topic but I would like to add

Regarding the behavior of the stewardess: I have never ever seen any flight attendant (I guess you are refering to Thai airways) asking a passenger to get their drinks or whatever themselves

: Puyai???? good family???? There is no such a thing when it comes to flight attendants; furthermore I have always seen them kneeling down when engaging a conversation with one of the passengers so, without doubting your account I would certainly love to hear the other side of the story

[rohitsuk]

Everything would depend on the behaviour of the 2 year old.

Interesting question. I've flown business class maybe 100 times and not often seen kids, and never had a problem with kids, except one which I'll explain later.

I guess there's two sides to the 'argument':

- Some businessmen like to work on serious stuff (me included) during the flight and would therefore like some peace and quiet.

- On the other hand, unless the specific airline has a policy of no kids in business class, then the businessmen have to put up with whoever sits next to them, or within the business class section,

My own problem was not with small children, it was my 18 year old son who was traveling with me many times and had done many business class flights.

He politely asked the TG hostess for some Coca Cola. The reply was "Go and ask in economy class".

I objected and asked why he had been given the said reply. Answer was "It's not appropriate for children (he was 18 years old) to ask seniors (puuyai) for service.

I objected further and the purser eventually came, she was quite aloof and claimed there had been a misunderstanding, which was not true. I demanded he be served his drink, which was eventually delivered by another hostess.

Later another hostess again approached me and asked "Why were you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family".

What a pity her, "famous family" did not teach its pig-ignorant daughter common courtesy to say nothing of a little nolesse oblige. If she is too "good" to serve the coke fine, leave the job to someone who's head is not too far up their own backside to do it.

Even if I had been considering flying Thai, which I most certainly am not since the outfit has turned itself into a pathetic joke in recent years, this would most definitely have convinced me not to do so.

Thai - smooth as flint !

[David006]

Back in the days of first class my ex and I often I used our FF points ( gained through economy travel) to fly Canada to NZ , Oz, Hawaii etc on the now defunct Canadian Pacific..great service ...sheepskin covered seats etc..... our young twin boys we stuck in economy and they loved it

( independence and fawning hostesses...lots of in flight "goodies") .

In later years when in their teens they flew business when we "negotiated" upgrades...spent most of the time down the back.."soooo boring up here". Now one of 'em is purser on a premium Arab airline in Kuwait and advises me that has very few problems with kids and many of his "upmarket" passengers behave more like children...lol

[clip]

aylx, i agree with you , i have flown thai air now for 25 years,econ. and businness and have always admired how the thai inflight are so much more efficient and courtious than their north american counterparts so i too find this story hard to swallow , cant imagine an inflight telling him to get his own drink in in the cheap seats when he is a business \traveler

[CockneyGit]

aylx, i agree with you , i have flown thai air now for 25 years,econ. and businness and have always admired how the thai inflight are so much more efficient and courtious than their north american counterparts so i too find this story hard to swallow , cant imagine an inflight telling him to get his own drink in in the cheap seats when he is a business \traveler

Not quite sure how this answers my original question, but anyhoo thanks for generally putting my mind at rest on this thread.

Regards THAI, my attitude to flying with thm is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! Have you seen their prices..?? Still got only the one screen in the cabin etc. etc. Terrible airline..!!

[IMA_FARANG]

Everything would depend on the behaviour of the 2 year old.

Interesting question. I've flown business class maybe 100 times and not often seen kids, and never had a problem with kids, except one which I'll explain later.

I guess there's two sides to the 'argument':

- Some businessmen like to work on serious stuff (me included) during the flight and would therefore like some peace and quiet.

- On the other hand, unless the specific airline has a policy of no kids in business class, then the businessmen have to put up with whoever sits next to them, or within the business class section,

My own problem was not with small children, it was my 18 year old son who was traveling with me many times and had done many business class flights.

He politely asked the TG hostess for some Coca Cola. The reply was "Go and ask in economy class".

I objected and asked why he had been given the said reply. Answer was "It's not appropriate for children (he was 18 years old) to ask seniors (puuyai) for service.

I objected further and the purser eventually came, she was quite aloof and claimed there had been a misunderstanding, which was not true. I demanded he be served his drink, which was eventually delivered by another hostess.

Later another hostess again approached me and asked "Why were you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family".

Alright I believe you...but I have never seen that kind of behavior from any stewardess...including on Thai.

I have had a stewardess politely tell me she could not bring me a drink (water or orange juice type drink I mean) because they were about to serve the meal...and as soon as they could they would bring me my drink.

I've also had a stewardess politely tell me the seat belt sign was lit...and would I please return to my seat until the seat belt signs were turned off...and they would bring me my drink as soon as they could.

And as someone truthfully said...stewardesses/flight attendents are usually ruder in the U.S. than on Asian flights.

I have seen a Singapore Airlines stewardess become quite angry with a male passenger. He wanted a magazine, which she was passing out. He reached for the magazine while leaning over her and...he claimed accidentally...braced himself with one hand on her bottom. She was not amused.

But as for children,,,young children I mean...in business class...they are expected to behave themselves and the parents are responsible for their conduct. If they are disrupting the flight and passengers are complaining...either in business or economy...the airline personel can insist that the parents discipline their children.

[tw25rw]

aylx, i agree with you , i have flown thai air now for 25 years,econ. and businness and have always admired how the thai inflight are so much more efficient and courtious than their north american counterparts so i too find this story hard to swallow , cant imagine an inflight telling him to get his own drink in in the cheap seats when he is a business \traveler

Not quite sure how this answers my original question, but anyhoo thanks for generally putting my mind at rest on this thread.

Regards THAI, my attitude to flying with thm is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! Have you seen their prices..?? Still got only the one screen in the cabin etc. etc. Terrible airline..!!

Always the cheapest on my route LHR-BKK-SYD/BNE. What does the one screen reference have to do with business class? I fly them between London and Australia twice a year and they're fine.

[roiethome]

Before I retired last year, I was averaging about 60 flights a year, mostly with Thai, I always found the service from the stewardesses to be good in both economy and business class, and never had any problems as previous posts suggest.

Personally, children in business class are fine, as long as they sleep on the overnight flights, say to Europe as most passengers will take these flights to sleep and be ready for the next day upon arrival.

[PattayaParent]

Why should the airline be bothered?

They're in the business of selling you seats and if you want to buy one in Business Class and they sell you one then don't worry about it.

[harrry]

THe airlines will sell anything. Personally it doesn't bother me if kids fly Business class asI always fly First Class.

See I can tell lies like some other TV members.

[Ricardo]

I have no objection to fare-paying kids in First, but once myself got bumped at the gate to Economy on an Air-Afrique (remember 'Air Tragique' ?) flight out of Lome (Togo) to Paris-CDG, to make way for a local government-minister's brats on a freebie. Having a full-fare ticket, courtesy of my employers, I was not amused by this. However my senior-colleagues, remaining seated up-front, smuggled me the occasional extra-libation as required !