Yet another reason to fly Alaska Airlines (credit card, how much)

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

And they do have a premium "no kids" service, it's called First Class.

I've never been on a flight where the first class seats were truly separated from the coach seats. On those flights, the noise would be the same, you'd just have a little more room.

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by Kayela

I certainly agree with Alaska on that incident, but to be fair I also see lots of kids behaving very well, and I've flown with plenty of unpleasant (rude, whiney, confrontational, argumentative, entitled) adults I wished they'd kicked off.

This. Kids cry on occasion, and I always feel bad for those parents, because usually they're mortified. But I fly 50,000 miles/year, and have seen a lot of bad behaving adults (refusing to turn off electronic devices, getting out of their seat when we're taxiing, drinking too much).

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

And they do have a premium "no kids" service, it's called First Class.

I've flown in First Class with kids present, and I think in every instance they've been perfectly well behaved.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

Spoken like someone who obviously doesn't have kids.

ETA: If you don't want to fly with other people, I suggest a private plane.

It's not other people I have a problem with. It's

1) Screaming kids
2) Kids that incessantly kick the back of the seat without their parents putting them in their place
3) Self-righteous parents who think that their little miracle is a joy to all of us, or that they are so important that 100+ other people should just have to deal with them.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by Lamplight

I've never been on a flight where the first class seats were truly separated from the coach seats. On those flights, the noise would be the same, you'd just have a little more room.

International flights will, which is a big reason why on international FC is all I'll fly - and yes, will speak up if someone shows up in there with an infant. I explicitly remember a Qantas flight where some woman got on board with a newborn in FC (somehow, she had secured a last minute upgrade) and before the door was even shut, the rest of us in the section had seen to it that she was sent back to coach, as the kid was wailing before the door was even shut and it was a 14.5 hour flight.

[rainforest338]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Man, I hate that I have to share MY planet with 7 Billion other people. Who do they think they are, driving on my roads, going to my grocery store and hiking on the same trails I want to hike on. Get your own planet, everyone else! This one is TAKEN!

I dream of my own planet. It is actually a pretty cool place--it is Old West themed, so may not be for all!

I know kids need to move about through society too, but it really seems the attitude has changed regarding some courtesy. When I was a little terror I was left at home with a babysitter while family went out to do things like dinner/sight-see/movies. It wasn't until a certain age when I was included into these activities--basically the age when I could be controlled. Now it seems, more and more, people start the inclusion with newborns. I had to stop going to group get togethers with coworkers because they kept bringing their rugrats everywhere--places like Applebees or Outback on a Friday night. The kids scream/cry, drop stuff, spill drinks, etc. and the parents were thinking it was cute. They had to take a picture or video of it and post it on Facebook. I don't know, guess I'm weird in that I would be embarrassed if it was my kid causing a ruckus and detracting from the evenings of others. But it is situational, I know that in McDonalds or a Disney movie kids are supposed to be there going crazy.

[ajones1026]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

Or maybe, understanding that kids will be kids, parents should just not put them in a situation like that in the first place if they're too young to handle it. If you have a kid who can't handle an airline flight, drive or take a train. I have noise canceling headphones out of necessity, but it's pretty outrageous that people with kids just *expect* me to go shell out $350 for a good pair of them so as to find a workaround with regards to dealing with their kid. Talk about selfish.

In this particular instance, you can tell the father was one of "those" parents....the ones the rest of us can't stand. "Sure, my kid was wailing and refusing to put on his seat belt and gnashing about, but that's not a big deal. It's no reason to throw us off a flight, cause he's my little angel!". To say nothing of the fact you shouldn't give a 3 year old a pacifier because it can cause bone and joint issues as well as impede speech development. A few shots of Benadryl, on the other hand...

Seattle to Miami nonstop on a 737 is what, 6 hours? The other hundred and some odd people who paid for a fare have a right to not be subjected to 6 hours of screaming and wailing, moreso than the parent who bought their kid a seat has the right to subject everybody else to it.

This infuriates me. I had to book a last minute flight with my 6 month old for a funeral. So you're telling me that I should drive or take a train just because I have a child? We have as much right to be on a flight as much as you do.

Furthermore, when children are crying/screaming/making noise it's typically for a reason. You obviously do not have children, and I hope you never do with that type of insensitivity.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by ajones1026

This infuriates me. I had to book a last minute flight with my 6 month old for a funeral. So you're telling me that I should drive or take a train just because I have a child? We have as much right to be on a flight as much as you do.

Furthermore, when children are crying/screaming/making noise it's typically for a reason. You obviously do not have children, and I hope you never do with that type of insensitivity.

Yes. Or hire an au pair. Or get your husband to watch him. Single with a 6 month old? Well, maybe you don't get to go to a funeral, because that's a sacrifice you make when you're a single parent. How does your "right" to be there trump over A HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLES' right to not spend 6 hours listening to your kid screaming? See, this is the big gripe I have with newish parents today - they feel it's their right to impede on everybody else around them. Are you going to reimburse me the hundreds of dollars I spent on a ticket because you ruined my entire flight? Of course you won't. And yes, they typically cry for a reason. Boredom, fussiness, don't like the loud noises of the engines, pressurization issues, and a million other things that mean a kid shouldn't be in that situation.

No, I don't have children, but when I do, I'm not going to take them flying until I know they can handle it. I've already had this conversation with mah woman, and she's in total agreement. But yes, clearly it's best to not have people who have respect for others around them and don't think the world revolves around them and that they can impede upon the peace of everybody around them bearing children. I mean, gee, that might result in the kid not being as self-righteous and obnoxious as the "other" type of parent.

There are places where your kid should be, and places where it should not. You'll never see me on a Disney cruise. You'll never hear me utter one word of complaint at an amusement park. Children's CGI movie? Won't spot me in that theatre. Why? Because those are kid domains, and I respect their space (or at the least, tolerate them if I happen to be in their domain). Airplane? NOT a kid domain.

[Seacove]

The secret to flying with young kids is from the first flight, buy them a seat (even an infant) and put them in their car seat. They're used to their car seat, it's safer, and it's familiar to them. Put activities, snacks, toys in different zip lock bags. Every time they get bored, take that bag away and pull out a new one. Happy quiet flyers that fall asleep in their car seat just like the car.

[seattlenextyear]

Dear Grandma,

Sorry we can't visit you for the next nine years. Yeah, I know, you've been wanting to see your new grandchildren. But we can't fly until the kids can promise us that they will never scream again. See, there's a few people out there that are paying $600 to sit in a cramped seat on a noisy airplane and watch a fuzzy little tv set in the seat in front of them for 6 hours. We would just feel TERRIBLE for adding to that noise level a little bit if Junior gets a little fussy. I mean, grown adults shouldn't have to put up with CHILDREN!

Anyways, hope you don't die anytime in the next nine years. We'll send you a Christmas card!

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Dear Grandma,

Sorry we can't visit you for the next nine years. Yeah, I know, you've been wanting to see your new grandchildren. But we can't fly until the kids can promise us that they will never scream again. See, there's a few people out there that are paying $600 to sit in a cramped seat on a noisy airplane and watch a fuzzy little tv set in the seat in front of them for 6 hours. We would just feel TERRIBLE for adding to that noise level a little bit if Junior gets a little fussy. I mean, grown adults shouldn't have to put up with CHILDREN!

Anyways, hope you don't die anytime in the next nine years. We'll send you a Christmas card!

Dear grandma,

You're retired. I work 40 hours a week and raise a 7 month old. Why aren't you flying up to visit? And you're not terminally ill or anything, right? I mean, you were like 30 when you had me, and I'm 30 with junior here....I mean, 60's still considered young enough to be active, right? Oh, it doesn't matter, I'll just be "that person" and impugn upon everybody else's comfort and sanity. I am, after all, the center of the known universe."