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Should babies be banned in first class?
An international airline has banned infants from first class on its Boeing 747-400 jets. Malaysia Airlines' new rule comes after officials received several complaints from passengers, NBC affiliate WHEC-TV reports.
Travelers with babies will now have to book seats in business or economy class, which are equipped with bassinets.
Routes affected by the ban include long-haul flights from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, London and Sydney.
In February, several airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were considering creating children-free flights.
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Having just flown first class on Delta with a screaming baby beside me, my only question was "why the hell did I just pay Delta money to fly like this". I second the ban!
Maybe you should just stay inside your home, or perhaps buy a private jet. As long as the parents are willing to pay for the extra space, they have as much right to be there as you do. Screaming babies, smelly socks from your neighbor who just took off his shoes, loud talkers, oversize seatmates, and arrogant, intolerant jerks- you encounter all of these things when you use public transportation. It is one of the inconveniences of being a human surrounded by other humans. Either suck it up, or drive, and then take a cruise in a private room if you need to cross any oceans.
Anyone who takes a baby on a flight without a 911 emergency is being cruel to that baby. The noise is painful, the pressure changes are beyond painful. The risk for infection to an immature immune system is vastly exacerbated. Only a self centered, me first type complete would be so rotten as to take a baby on a plane.
I agree 100% with SEIU. The pressure changes are bad enough on me and I'm 53!
Completely agree!
BRAVO NICKSTER!! Huge premium to fly first class - and then to have to put up with a monsterous noise the entire flight?!!?! And why would anyone want to have an infant in first class? If they can afford that, they can afford a charter..... Bravo Malaysian Airways for this wonderful, sensible step. I hope many more airlines follow this excellent example....
Hell yea they should be banned, it's not like the people can get away from the screaming and crying, and they pay good money for first class ....
So if I have limited vacation time, and I want to take my baby to see family that lives 2000 miles away, it's child abuse if I take the baby on a plane? When my son was a baby, my only other option would have been to drive BY MYSELF, which would have meant staying in a motel every night and taking 4 or 5 days, at least, to get to my parents' city. It just wasn't feasible.
Once a baby is allowed in 1st class it's not longer 1st class for the rest of the passengers that paid that price. Sincerely no offense to parents, but you want the best possible chance at having a good flight and babies in 1st class greatly reduce that chance. Whoohoo!!!
I agree. Paying for a First class ticket is meant to allow you to be more comfortable in exchange for paying alot more money. Sitting next to howling, crying infant defeats the whole point of buying a First class ticket.
VickiC
Just try to be a PARENT to your child and when they get loud, attempt to do something about it. I and most others I've discussed this with do not mind a noisy baby nearly as much if the parent is at least trying to be respectful of those around them. What we do mind is when the baby is screaming for hours and the parent sits there doing nothing with a "Hey, I have to deal with my kid, so now you have to deal with my kid" attitude.
I like that this airline is at least trying to guarantee an enjoyable flight in first class (even though I personally wouldn't normally spring for the extra cost - finally, at least an option is available for the first time).
Many years ago, we had to fly from Florida to Denmark with 6 week old babies. On the flight from New York to Copenhagen. they feel asleep shortly before we left the gate in New York and didn't wake up until we changed diapers in Stockholm. They fell asleep again until Copenhagen. No problems what so ever! We had several people tell us that small babies are very easy to travel with but you do need to be careful if they have sinus or ear problems.
Three years after arriving in Denmark, we had to travel home. Traveling with toddlers is not as much fun as traveling with babies. After flying for something like 17 hours we had to change planes in Orlando before traveling on to West Palm Beach. At that point my 3 year old son was totally exhausted and could not be consoled. As we were waiting for the flight to West Palm Beach and my son was screaming at the top of his lungs, an agent for the airlines approached us and told us that if we couldn't quiet him down they would not let us board the next flight.
I was pretty mad at the time but I was pretty exhausted too. All I wanted was to get home and get some sleep. When I cooled down a bit, I couldn't help but remember times I've flown sitting next to the screaming child (not my own) and I really couldn't blame the airlines. Fortunately, he did calm down and we were able to finish the trip.
No matter what class you're flying, a screaming child will make it miserable. It needs to be controlled as much as possible. Maybe they need a section of the plane just for people flying with small children.
I left something out of my earlier post. The travel was not an option, nor was the mode of transportation.
So what you;re saying vivkic is your needs are more important than the child. How about buying the tickets and bringing your parents to see the child?
Someone above suggested to someone who felt they shouldn't have to put up with babies crying when they are flying first class, that that they should buy a jet.
Well, aside from that being a rather less than bright comment - shall we say - my question is this: If you are paying the arguably outrageous price of first class, which let's face it people pay for because it is a more pampered, pleasant experience, WHY should you have to endure nerve racking/shattering baby screaming? I think it is all find and dandy that people have children - sure am glad my parents did! - BUT, if I had kids, I would be mortified that I was, by my actions, forcing others to suffer through them.
Just because I had 20 minutes of pleasure and now have 20 years (or more) of responsibility ahead of me to the kids, doesn't mean I have a right to share the misery - parents must endure for love of their children.
This can be relatively easily solved; all it is going to take is a little bit of serious thought on the parts of the airlines to find an equitable solution that brings things into a balance, so everyone can be happy. As Hercule Poirot (Agatha Cristie's famous Belgian detective) was often want to say, "Use the little gray cells."
Much ado about not too terribly much!
Brilliant idea! Simply brilliant. People pay to fly first class to get away from stuff such as screeming babies and stinking diaper changes. I hope the airline makes it clear what the age cutoff is so they do not encounter ridiculous lawsuits from sue-happy, inconsiderate people.
I don't blame them... My son is very quiet, especially when traveling - I don't think he'd be a problem - but not all babies are good travelers! Not all parents really care to keep their kids quiet, either... some inconsiderate parents expect others to put up with all kinds of noise, mess, smells, etc. Even the best of parents can't prevent cranky hour. It's just not a good idea to expect others to put up with your kid all the time.
thank you for being a caring and considerate parent.
WOW, Anonymousintheaffirmative! - a parent who actually realizes the rest of the world is not as enamored of their kid as they are. This may be a world first!
You are a gem for recognzing that.
God after reading this I am almost in tears. I'm flying with my three month old daughter in two weeks to visit family. I would prefer to wait, but I have a great-aunt who is 96 and has repeatedly voiced her desire to see the baby. I hate to say the clock is ticking, but if we wait there may not be a chance later.
Its either a two hour flight or a 19 hour drive, so I chose the flight. I dread the withering glances and go to hell stare downs almost as much as everyone else dreads the screaming baby. Any suggestions on how to make this easier for her and for everyone else?
My advice is to make sure your child has something to suck on for the pressure changes. So a bottle or a pacifer. I luckily have children who travel well and were calm relaxed babies so whenever we flew it was drama free. What i think may have helped was knowing when my children were the happiest during certain times a day. My children seem happier in the afternoon around 3 or 4. So i would always schedule the flight around that time. We traveled w/ our youngest for the first time at 3 months also and it went smoothly for us because as you know 3 month olds sleep a lot so he slept the entire flight granted our flight was a short one also only 2 1/2 hours. When your child get older and you have to fly i recommend a portable dvd player. Whenever we travel w/ live by it pop in there favorite show or movie w/ headphones and our 3 yr old is golden the entire flight but like i said we don't take long flights w/ our kids just short flight no more than 3 hours. If we have to go anyway long distance we will more than likely wait until our children are a lil older and can tolerate sitting in a seat for longer periods.
My wife and I travelled with our 3 month old. We booked the earliest flight and gave him his bottle as the plane was taking off (helped with the pressure change). After his bottle, he slept most of the flight. I pray you have an easy and uneventful flight.
To those who whould like to ban babies from flights, what would you like to ban next, short people who can't reach the overhead bins, elderly folks who need oxygen, or a wheelchair to board the plane, folks who have bladder issues and have to get up all the time to use the bathroom... have a little bit of consideration and patience.
If the short people who can't reach the bins or the elderly folks who need oxygen scream at the top of their lungs the whole flight when I'm trying to get some sleep or keep screaming "NO" to their parents the whole flight while kicking the back of my seat for 2000 miles, then yes, ban them too. Consideration works both ways.
JDR1313 - Just don't fly first class!
jdr, please read my post above. If your baby doesn't have sinus or ear problems he/she will likely fall asleep due to the noise of the engines.
I think the airlines having gone crazy lately. Fees for everything, kicking people off for the cloths they wear and in at least 2 cases for being disabled, charging returning soldiers baggage fees, and now no babies in first class. When will the airlines realize that their business is service and specifically serving the passengers. No passengers no business. I found a great site to post about things like this and other travel issues with airlines, hotels and more at airlineslodgingetc.com Check it out.
Carlyt
Its not like they are saying you can't fly on their airline with a kid they are just saying not in first class because why should everyone else be inconvenienced because you can't get your kid to stop crying. Its not fair to everyone else that just want a nice quiet trip especially on a 5+ hrs trip.
I wish people would stop thinking that the world revolves around them
Anyone who takes a baby on a flight without a 911 emergency is being cruel to that baby. The noise is painful, the pressure changes are beyond painful. The risk for infection to an immature immune system is vastly exacerbated. Only a self centered, me first type complete - insert obscenity here - would be so rotten as to take a baby on a plane.
There is no reason why every other First-Class flier should pay a premium only to be annoyed by a screaming baby. If you fly with a baby, you sit in economy. It's YOUR choice to fly with a baby, and no one other than YOU should be penalized for that.
Except for the other poor sods in economy.
Seems like a double standard thing don't it ...... .... LOL LOL LOL .... I don't think that it was intended to sound that way .... :-)
Actually, I've been flying a lot recently (including internationally) and have noticed many passengers with babies and young children in the gate area prior to my flights. Only, I never hear a peep from them during the flight. Why are only my flights pleasant and everyone else suffers from "screaming baby syndrome"? I think people are extrapolating one bad experience on an airline to all of their past and future flights. Let's stop catastrophizing and get on with life. Ageism is discrimination too.
I agree. It's just not a problem, particularly in first class where there are few familes to begin with. Now a ban on jerks of any age? Yeah, that'd be nice.
I think you have just been extremely lucky.
You've been extremely lucky to fly with parents who have learned that if you feed a baby during take off and landing their ears won't hurt and they won't scream.
Sedatives.
Sorry, toddlers as identity politics doesn't fly. Pun not intended.
Ageism has never and will never be about babies. It will be primarily about older people, less (but still) about youth, and not at all about toddlers or babies. You cannot discriminate against a baby. You cannot turn it down for a job or promotion and you cannot hurt its lifestyle or systematically make life harder for it. Babies are not accused of crimes such as shoplifting or graffiti unreasonably, and babies are not fired from their job because "they're slowing them down". It's not generally acceptable to dump a baby in a boot camp or nursing home because you don't feel like taking care of them. Babies are not spoken down to beyond their level of intelligence because of their age.
I can go on. Ageism is a real problem, but not in the way you're using the word.
If someone is willing to pay extra for the extra room, the more comfortable seat, the more personal attention of the flight attendant in first class, why cant the airline guarantee that they wont be stuck next to a bawling infant or a toddler who kicks the back of their seat the whole time? Airlines are not public transportation in the same sense that a city bus is. A bus ticket allows you to sit anywhere on the bus for a flat rate. An airline ticket can vary wildly in price based on your seat location in coach, business or first class. Everyone is not "entitled" to sit in the first class section unless they pay extra for the additional amenities offered there. Why is peace and quiet not an acceptable amenity? I would have no problem paying more for a seat that was guaranteed to not have a child within earshot. The argument about ageism is absurd as well. The airline could institute a no screaming or crying policy that would ostensibly apply to everyone but only result in children being singled out for it. I agree that infants should not be on a plane unless its an emergency and small children who cannot be kept in control should find themselves (and their parents) in for a very long car or boat ride back.
In all fairness to the responsible parents with quiet babies who wish (and have to $$) to travel first class, perhaps they can be granted seats in first class on a conditional basis. If the baby should act-up, they must immediately switch seats with passengers with the least amount of carry-on baggage from economy for the duration of the flight.
That's a nice idea. But can you see it playing out in real life? Imagine the scene indignant rich parents would make trying to categorize the level of "act-up" of their offspring. Their own acting-up would warrant the attention of the air marshal.
On second thought, I'd a) like to see an air marshal own a first class couple and b) love to be the lucky economy traveler suddenly bumped up to first class. So bring it on, airlines.
ohjoy
I completely agreed, some self righteous jerk will probably cause an even bigger scene when they are told they have to down grade because their kid won't shut up.
But on the other hand, I want to be that lucky econo flier that gets to be bumped up lol
They should have a " sound proof area " on the plane , i do not care where or what they fly. Let the parents deal with their kids.
I agree!. I've thought for years that the airlines should seat parents and infants from the back forward, even going so far as to reseat them after the plane has been boarded. Then screen them off from the rest of the plane. That way, all the parents can enjoy each others kids as much as they do their own.
Some churches have "family rooms"....why can there be an area for families? Also...didn't the article say the infants were only banned from first class?? There is still business class if the family desires/needs the bigger seats.
I fly back and forth from the middle east to the US and what I find most annoying are the children that are screaming, kicking their parents, acting out in the worst way. I am astute enough to know that a child's behavior is most likely tolerated or ignored at home and the child is just doing what he normally does at home for attention. If he's terrible at home, he'll be terrible on a flight. It's the parents that need an adjustment. I understand pressure changes, noise are painful and don't mind that when a child acts up. It's the really bad, abusive behavior that I see in children that drives me right up wall. Maybe the parents ought to be screened for stupid behavior!!! I just flew back from the US to the middle east and man......was that a painful flight in the way of screaming fits, abusive behavior, and ignorant, uncaring parents that could have cared less about their child's bad, no, terrible behavior.
Hmmm.....how about some big wig executive family moving to or from Malaysia? They sure won't fly that airline!
Back in the day, when my two kids were babies and toddlers, we moved a lot with my husband's job, and we went first class. Usually no problem, but one flight when we were moving from Indonesia to Japan, my son (then 9 mos. old) was very unhappy. First class was full of Aussie businessmen, and I felt terrible about it. It was a night flight, too (we had booked it because we figured the kid would sleep then, less chance of him possibly bothering others! So much for that idea.) But they were the nicest guys, and sooooo kind to us about the whole thing. They all said, Hey, I've got a kid/niece/grandson, no worries! Thanks, guys!
Most people with babies don't fly at the drop of a hat - they are moving or taking a rare trip to visit family who otherwise would not see a precious child.
Let's have a little compassion for parents. Their kids will be paying taxes to support the adults in their old age!!
And I, as a child free person, am paying high property/school taxes for schools that I won't ever use to support your progeny NOW. I also pay a much higher percentage of my income in taxes than parents. Plus, I've been working since age 16 and pay into Social Security since that age. So let's NOT go there with this "taxes to support old people" argument. I pay WAY more than parents do, and use far fewer services. Anything that your kids have to pay as adults for "old people" will not be as much as I have paid to support them NOW for 18+ years.
Maybe it's the fact that I have 12 brothers and sisters. Maybe it's that crying doesn't bother me. Or maybe, it's just a stupid rule. People with children on a flight have just as much right to be in first class as those who are not traveling with children. They are paying for their ticket just like you. Several people have said 'My child is quiet' on their comment. Honestly...go sit down and swallow that. You can't guarantee that your child won't wake up from a bad dream or something and start screaming. In all seriousness, this is a very selfish decision and I hoped it gets repelled soon. It's sickens me to see and hear of the stupid things we do to each other in this world.
So the one or two families that get on first class should inconvenience the whole first class? Doesnt that sound just a little entitled and self centered? I think it selfish of the parent to think that the other 20-40 people have to set aside the privileges they paid for so that one kid can scream his head off the whole flight. I've been on a 10 hour flight to Tokyo and I can honestly say the brat cried for about 2/3 of the time and it became unbearable! The parent just stay there and kept reading their book!
It's the airlines right to provide whatever level of customer service they want to their passengers. I'm not defending them, BUT if I pay $10,000 for a first class ticket and have to deal with a screaming baby the entire way, I would be PISSED!! I love kids, but all I see here is the airlines implementing measures to control it's level of customer service. If you don't like the rule, don't fly Malaysia Airlines. It's that simple.
I love this Malaysian Airlines policy. It would be great if all airlines have a separate seating area at the back of the plane for people with kids. They're so annoying. I hate traveling with kids around me on flights, kicking my seat back, or screaming for hours, or digging in their noses. Yuck! I never want to have kids. Now I simply need to find me a man who can always afford to fly first class with me :)
agreed
P.S. If he has an equally well to do brother send him my way ;)
This is a good thing. Last time i flew in a first class flight there were two kids behind me. one was a baby who wouldn't shut up and the other was like a 10 year old who kept kicking my chair. i turned around and yelled at the kid, then i yelled at the parents for being such bad parents
I think they should ban infants from planes altogether.
I completely agree. Most parents think that the world revolves around them and their children.
Children up to 3 years should be banned from 1st class. 4 to 17 should be removed if they behave inappropriately.
Alright kids you won't shut up, please step off the plane.
I am the mother of 2 boys yet I believe that the ONLY people who want to allow babies in First Class…or on an airplane…or anywhere, for that matter, ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHILDREN. Get over yourselves, parents. Just because your birth controlled failed does not give you any right to disrupt the peace. We don’t want your screaming, fussing, obnoxious spawn anywhere near us…especially if we are paying top dollar for the privilege of peace and quiet. Drunks can be issued citations for disturbing the peace. So, too, should parents who cannot control their screaming spawn.
Here is something to wrap your brain around, many people choose to have children. Not every child out there, is a result of failed birth control. I can't believe that you are a Mother and would say something like that. Would you like someone to assume that about your kids? By the way what about the Make-A-Wish kids? Should they not be allowed to fly to where they want to go to have their wish granted? They are terminally ill kids who won't get to grow up. Well a lot them won't. It isn't like there is an airline just for them. I mean the young kids, not babies. Yes, there are a lot of brats with parents who don't give a crap, but there are some who try their hardest to keep their child quiet. Now I am not saying that people with babies who can afford first class tickets are entitled to fly first class. Personally, if I could afford it, I would rather charter a private jet for my family and fly that way. Then I won't have to worry about disturbing others.
Yes there is Angle Flight These dedicated volunteers help fly these patients and their families to necessary treatments and other places including Make A Wish kids.
Ah God, why couldn't this be a US airline? One step at a time, I suppose. I would pay lots extra for baby-less flights, though. All cabins. I tend to take a lot of 8-12 hour long hauls and I get migraines triggered occasionally, not to mention regular headaches. I can deal with the ambient noise while waiting for the meds to kick in but screaming babies/toddlers? Nope
NOW we're talkin'! Babyless flights...at a premium. Then, people like myself can fly first class with a child and not have to worry about the prima donnas in first class that think they bought something that I didn't. After all...it is just a plane ticket, just like the ones everybody else in first class bought. A "level of service" is purchased in first class, meals on demand (nice for children that don't live on the airlines schedule), bigger seats, legroom, etc. To throw every traveling parent into the "it's all about me" category is ridiculous, and pure projection. Put all of the intolerant "it's not really all about me" folk on a seperate flight...PLEASE, so it can be all about them, and they'll stop their fussing...until somebody farts on THEIR flight! I'll bet the attrition rate of flight staff for those flight will be remarkable.
Well Frank, I'm sure you will be on the it's all about me plane then. Most likely you'll be the guy cutting the cheese.