- Some parents pay more to fly in business class to reduce the stress of flying with their baby.
- Flight attendants told Business Insider there was no problem with children in business class.
- But they can understand why other passengers don't like it, especially when it comes to young children.
Traveling with children is not easy, especially on long-haul flights.
To ease the burden, some parents splurge on more expensive business class tickets, which promise extra comfort and better customer service.
Business Insider previously spoke to mothers who swear flying business class with their babies is worth every penny.
But how do flight attendants view babies in business class?
BI spoke to two flight attendants to give their unfiltered thoughts on this hotly debated practice and whether it's worth it.
Don't worry, flight attendants don't care if your baby cries.
Leanna Coy, a 24-year-old flight attendant who frequently shares travel tips on TikTok, told BI that passengers should feel entitled to fly without a baby crying, regardless of cabin class. He said no.
“That's something parents can't control,” she says. “Even if they're crying, that's to be expected, whether they're flying business class or not.”
As a flight attendant and semi-frequent traveler outside of work, she said there are now plenty of options for travelers to reduce the disruption that a crying baby can cause while traveling.
Koy recommends noise-cancelling headphones, which she says have helped her get to the point where her baby's cries no longer bother her.
Lee, a 28-year-old American Airlines flight attendant who goes by @flightattendantbaelee on TikTok and Instagram, echoed Koy's thoughts.
“You can't control young children,” said Leah, who asked BI to omit her last name for privacy reasons. “If they're flying my business class, that's fine. If they're not, that's great, but I'm not picky about it.”
Flight attendants understand why other business class passengers don't want to sit next to babies
Leah said she doesn't have a particular preference, but understands why other business class passengers aren't necessarily keen on sitting next to young children.
“Business class is a more peaceful, quiet space. There are more people who want to get things done on their laptops or just want to be excluded from other people,” she says. “Babies can interfere with that.”
At the same time, parents who fly with their children are paying as much or more than any other traveler, so they have the same right to stay there as any other traveler. , she said.
“They pay as much as you pay,” she said, referring to other business class passengers. “In most cases, business people aren't even paying for the ticket; their company is. So obviously, parents with young children are probably paying more than you did. ”
Infant ticket prices vary by airline. Travel company Skyscanner reports that children under the age of two who can sit on their parents' laps can usually board domestic flights for free. On international flights, it is common for airlines to charge discounted adult fares for infants.
Coy said it's usually not children under the age of two that cause disruption in business class.
“What I think is more problematic is when it's a child as young as 3 years old, kicking the seat and coughing on people,” she said, adding that she recently dealt with the experience as a passenger on a domestic flight. Flight added.
“As a passenger, you would probably be upset if you paid for business class and something like that happened to you,” Coy added.
Leah agreed, adding that serving infants and young children on business as a flight attendant can sometimes feel uncomfortable.
“I'm always shocked when it's children, like toddlers or elementary school students,” she said. “It’s like you’re serving a kid who literally asks for whatever he wants.”
In Lee's experience, young children who fly business class tend to be “very specific” about their needs, but are generally well-behaved and “mature.”
“They have headphones on, they have tablets, so they don’t bother anyone,” she said. “You don't really see kids screaming or kids running around.”
Flight attendants understand why some parents only fly business class with babies
Both flight attendants said they understand why parents with young children who can afford to fly choose business class.
“These cabins are usually much more comfortable,” Coy said. “This will give the baby a more comfortable environment and probably make for a more enjoyable flight. It will also make the mother a little more relaxed.”
Another benefit of flying business class with a baby is that there are fewer passengers on board, which means flight attendants can provide hands-on service to parents with young children, Lee said.
“It's a shame because it's very accurate,” she said. “In business class, we can accommodate a lot fewer people and you're paying for more of an experience. So that's what we offer, as opposed to the main cabin, where we have more than 200 people. There are passengers, so you don't get a personalized experience.” ”
But Leah says parents can make the trip smoother by adjusting to their children's schedules and knowing how to discipline them, no matter where they sit on the plane.
“Special children sit in the main cabin. It has nothing to do with class, economic status or tax liability,” she said. She said, “Some parents raise their children to be very mature and grounded in public, while others don't.”
How a child behaves on a plane is ultimately “a problem for the parents, not the child,” she added.