Is this your version of the perfect flight? Relaxing quietly in first class, reading a magazine? No disruptive children screaming or kicking your seat? That's the dream of some recently surveyed fliers in the U.K. The Business Travel and Meetings Show polled 1000 business travelers about what annoyed them most about flying first class. 74-percent said children. This is not a new topic for debate but it continues to rile people up.
Business travel writer David Richardson likes the idea of keeping kids out of first class. “I definitely think introducing an adults-only cabin or service is a good idea and it would work well on high-frequency routes so that families could be accommodated on other services.” He suggested that airlines such as British Airways or Virgin Atlantic add an adults-only cabin.
I have no problems with kids on a plane. My frustration is when the parents expect everyone else to take care of their children instead of themselves. AND new mothers - babies scream on the descent because their ears get clogged due to the pressure. You'd scream as well with that kind of build up. Bring a bottle; give a toddler something to suck on. Help them out.
I also think flying with your children on a business trip can be beneficial to them. In my book, The Woman Road Warrior: An Expert Guide to Domestic and International Business Travel, I talk about how many woman road warriors take their children along on the road. It allows the kids to see Mom balancing family and work demands in a new context and how well it can be done. And they learn travel skills such as how to pack and take responsibility for their belongings. It also is a chance to practice their manners – how to quickly clear the airplane aisles when they get to their assigned row or how to store their items in the overhead bins immediately and take their seats. All good lessons for future road warriors.
See you on the road!
Kathy Ameche
Traveler-in-Chief
Labels: British Airways, business traveler, children, first class, fliers, flights, Kathy Ameche, Virgin, woman road warrior
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