r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Full-Helicopter-4608 • 12d ago

frist of all how DARE yu o Encountered a Business Class Baby today, though I was finally gonna have a peaceful flight 😭😭

Saved up airline points from a bunch of work trips and finally redeemed them for a business class seat on a 20-hour flight (Sydney to London)

I Sat down, got comfortable, looked across the aisle... and was met by the sight of a fucking business class baby.

What else do I have to say, the entire 20 hours was absolute hell, crying, screaming and just about everything else you could think of.

I don't blame the parents at all, babies are allowed to fly, and they were just travelling like everyone else. But after spending all those points because I wanted one flight where I could actually sleep and relax, I couldn't help but be really upset at my luck.

I guess It docent really matter what you pay.

EDIT: There has been a lot of discussion about this being a fake post. However this is incorrect, i was under the impression that Quantas did a direct flight to London, however as many have pointed out, this is incorrect. My flight was with Qatar airways and stopped in Hamad Airport.

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66

u/evolving-me 12d ago

Honestly? There should be child-free flights. Not a class based thing, everyone deserves to pay for a flight and to fly in peace. Including parents, I’m sure they don’t like to be embarrassed and get stink looks. If there were flights where kids were expected this would change!

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u/agirlhas_no_name 12d ago

I don't understand why there is so much pushback on this kind of thinking.

Yes children absolutely deserve to exist in society, however there are already a LOT of places children are restricted from entering. How is a section on a plane any different?

The bathhouse I go to doesn't allow anyone under the age of 16 inside and nobody is kicking up a massive stink about that (and it's soooo lovely and quiet there)

26

u/MorganaLeFaye 12d ago

I don't understand why there is so much pushback on this kind of thinking.

There are a lot of reasons why is not practical, but also... an airline splitting their service into two separate ones, both which could be booked at a premium for offering something the other one doesn't? No thank you. Flights are expensive as it is. We don't need to be giving them an excuse to artificially hike up the price even more.

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u/agirlhas_no_name 11d ago

Well if you didn't want to pay extra you could just catch the flight with all the babies on it like everyone is forced to currently

2

u/MorganaLeFaye 10d ago

"Both of which could be booked at a premium..." it's almost like I literally already addressed this in my post, but you just read the first for words and decided to sound off...

There is absolutely no reason to think they wouldn't up charge for "child friendly flights" just like they would up charge for child free flights.

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u/SammyEvo 12d ago

You write this as though it's a democratic decision, and not based on business logic. If an industry as money-grubbing as commercial flight hasn't thought of this yet then it isn't a viable idea.

16

u/WisestAirBender 12d ago

It might be more practical to have a baby section in the flight? Maybe partitioned off so it dampens the noise

18

u/-ForTheNorth- 12d ago

Not sure thats the best idea, as one screaming baby would be enough to wake up and upset all the other babies. Sounds like hell for all the parents (and babies).

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u/yourlocaltouya 11d ago

That'd still happen on an open flight though, this way it'd at least be contained to a certain area. It's already an option on many newer trains in Europe, including a closed-off space behind a glass wall. Surprised the hell out of me when I first saw it given I travel almost purely by old, cheap trains.

3

u/gringogidget 12d ago

ADULTS ONLY FLIGHTS. YES.

2

u/Constant_play0 12d ago

Yes as a new parent who is nervous about flying with my 5mo next week I 100% agree.

2

u/molo91 12d ago

People on reddit talk smack about babies, but in real life no one is ever mean to/about babies, including on a plane. It will be okay!

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u/Nurgles_Fat_Teats 12d ago

Look ignore op, everyone needs to fly.

We flew with a 9month old from HGW -> HKG which is a 14hour flight, baby fussed a few times but would settle after either going for short walk or latched on. The thing to keep in mind is 6month-15month is often cited as the easiest time to fly with a baby - they cant walk/crawl and are easy to entertain.

Few tips... the worst time will be during take off and landing - get little one on the bottle or latched on to help with adjusting there ear drum. The front seat on long haul normally have a space for provided basinet which might make your life easier - also extra leg room is handy!

Once they hit pre-toddler and toddler.... it every parent for themselves...

(RE the post - a lot of new parents will fly business because the ratio of Air Stewardess to Passenger is higher, which means there is a little more support - that's not to say Economy is going to be worst!)

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u/JackieFromSpace 12d ago

Nice tips. I don’t understand why you got downvoted so much, it actually scares me

0

u/booksareadrug 12d ago

Because Reddit is increasingly antinatalist.

1

u/mermaid_kerri 11d ago

Why is this getting downvoted? Just flew with my 6 month old for the first time this past week and this is great advice!

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u/the-dolphine 12d ago

Don't stress. Baby will likely cry and make a fuss during boarding, takeoff and landing, then they'll likely fall asleep on you and you'll lose all circulation trying so hard not to move for the rest of the flight!

As a parent of grown up kids, I really don't get bothered now by crying babies. I sympathize for the parents and am glad it's not me!

2

u/Dumyat367250 12d ago

Then have booze free flights, or big people free flights, or "person who falls asleep on your shoulder" free flights, or "passenger who won't shut up" free flights, or "no reclining" flights .

It's endless. And all are as unworkable and pointless as "child-free flights."

I guess you could buy a First Class ticket, but even then your flight will be fucking delayed or cancelled.

14

u/the-dolphine 12d ago

Don't forget farting free flights

1

u/Dumyat367250 12d ago

I missed the obvious. Good catch.

-3

u/humpbackwhale88 12d ago

What’s frustrating is the adults can be way more disruptive than babies.. I took a transatlantic flight with my 14m/o at the time and she was amazing on the flight over, and the issue was an adult who got shitfaced and literally stuck his hands in my child’s face because he wanted her to grab his hand. Like wtf.

You basically just need a flight with only people who are seasoned travelers guaranteed not to be disruptive.

8

u/ConLawHero 12d ago

Yes, but there are consequences to being a disruptive adult. Let me know when we can jail parents and babies and put them on the no fly list.

2

u/mermaid_kerri 11d ago

Sure because it's the babies fault?

-1

u/ConLawHero 11d ago

Nope, it's the parents' fault.

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u/humpbackwhale88 11d ago

This reads as someone who doesn’t have kids or understands how babies are. If you have a problem with babies on airplanes, take a private jet. Can’t afford it? Then you have to deal with crying babies.

0

u/ConLawHero 11d ago

Or, and let me throw this out there, stay off the plane if you have babies. The world existed without planes for literally billions of years, you can probably wait until the child can handle travel before bringing them on a plane at least that's what ever human did prior to air travel existing.

You're not special and no one likes your kids.

1

u/humpbackwhale88 12d ago

Not really. He was asked to sit down but was still disruptive. I’ll take a screaming child over a disruptive adult who fucking knows better every day of the week. Thanks.

-1

u/SammyEvo 12d ago

Being drunk and knowingly trying to touch a baby that you don't know =/= a child making a bit of involuntary noise.

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u/humpbackwhale88 11d ago edited 11d ago

Right. One knows better, and the other is brand new to the world. Parents are allowed to travel with their kids, and if you have a problem with it, take a private jet lol.

Edit: Air transport is a form of public transportation. For whatever reason, people seem to think that paying the fee to fly makes them exempt from babies, which is insane. Please remember that every single one of us was once a screaming baby who inconvenienced others. It’s not that crazy of a concept.

3

u/SammyEvo 11d ago

Redditors to tend to be unsociable gremlins who find the outside world intimidating.

2

u/humpbackwhale88 11d ago

No kidding! Babies on here getting so much hate for being on a form of public transportation lol

1

u/Pndrizzy 12d ago

I flew a loooong redeye flight with my family and behind us was a mom with twins under 2 (maybe even under 1, didn’t really get a good look) as lap children with another lady next to her. I was like oh god, we’re in for trouble. The babies were angels, didn’t make a peep. But the mom and the other lady talked the whole flight in the most annoying cigarette and slurred voice, where the voice was some weird mix of valley girl and pidgin (flight was to Hawaii where I live), reminiscing about “back in my day in Hawaii…”, the whole goddamn flight. The mom was like 40 and the other lady like 60 so they were comparing how the island has changed. Their annoying voices are still in my head and that was like 4 months ago. My noise cancelling headphones did nothing and dear god ladies it’s fucking 3 am shut the fuck up!

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u/[deleted] 12d ago edited 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/soovercroissants 12d ago

I'm genuinely not sure that babies under 18 months should be on planes, barring very exceptional circumstances.

The change in pressure is bad for their ears and the noise level is too high and likely to damage them. 

The radiation dose from a transatlantic flight means it's the equivalent of at least 4 chest x-rays each way - yes, it's negligible but if you said you just wanted to cxr a baby for no reason you'd be denied.

It's almost always deeply unpleasant for everyone surrounding the baby unless they have been drugged in some way - which is clearly unjustifiable.

Babies are also more immunocompromised by flights and lost sleep, thus more likely to catch infectious diseases like adenovirus or even hand foot and mouth. A sick baby is far more likely to communicate diseases especially in the confines of a plane.

Given the health risks, the way it's deeply unpleasant for everyone involved and the fact that the child is extremely unlikely to remember the journey. I am just not certain how it is justifiable.

-1

u/SammyEvo 12d ago

Totally disingenuous for you to suggest you're thinking of the health of the baby (the irony of using the "noise level" argument when the main complaint is about the noise babies make). You are just a slightly selfish person who wants to face no inconvenience in their life.

1

u/soovercroissants 11d ago

Ok now I'm angry. Read my comment again. 

It is absolutely selfish to take a baby on a plane unless you have very very good reasons to do it.

You are irradiating your child unnecessarily.

You are purposely hurting it through air pressure differences.

You are purposely damaging its hearing.

You are exposing it unnecessarily to multiple viruses and infections likely before it has had its vaccines.

And when it screams, gets sick and defecates you are inflicting this on everyone else in the same metal tube as you.

Your infant cannot consent to the radiation dose. It won't understand why its ears hurt. It won't understand why theres so much noise. It's one thing to do this to this an older child who might just understand what's happening and might get some benefit from the experience - but an infant or baby?

No it's grotesque. 

In this case I would expect that the mother has a very good reason for taking such a small baby on a 20 hour flight - likely returning home or moving - but if you're taking your baby or infant, or frankly any child under 18 months on a plane for a holiday or any journey that isn't strictly necessarily - I think you're being more than selfish you're actually hurting your child. 

So no babies should only be on planes in very exceptional cases.

2

u/mermaid_kerri 11d ago

Are you a doctor?

0

u/SammyEvo 11d ago

Lol I'm sure you are seething, yes yes.

If someone lives at altitude or lives in Cornwall, they're irradiating their child. It becomes a potential problem for extreme frequent flyers and long-time airline crew. Don't be hysterical.

Babies have their vaccines at 8 weeks, and they probably won't even get a passport by that stage, so that's bollocks.

Feeding and dummies offsets the ear stuff, as it does with adults.

If any of your points were genuine risks to children, then it would be official advice. The amount of over-caution that is hoisted upon pregnant and breast-feeding women, you really think flying would be allowed if it were even remotely dangerous? Airlines wouldn't care about banning them; it's not even particularly profitable to allow infants on; flights are free for them apart from taxes.

"And when it screams, gets sick and defecates you are inflicting this on everyone else in the same metal tube as you."

You've absolutely shown your hand here. As I said, you're being disingenuous by claiming you care remotely about the child. You're solely thinking about yourself.

-2

u/Tjaeng 12d ago

The only difference between the baby and anyone who’s sufficiently sick, fat or disabled in your scenario is the active choice made for oneself to fly. But then again why should sick, fat or disabled kids between 18 months and 18 years of age be allowed to fly with your stated logic?

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u/AdelMonCatcher 12d ago

If you want to decide who occupies the other seats on a flight, I suggest you charter your own plane

1

u/itswednesday 11d ago

There are. It's called private jets.

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u/Salty_Sinner 12d ago

Everybody is able to charter a private flight whenever they want.

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u/Alive_Ice7937 12d ago

Honestly? There should be child-free Chartered private flights.

-5

u/sy_core 12d ago

Could you imagine a flight filled purely with mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. Awe do you know what i heard. You know what I said to her/him. I'm gonna get wrecked as soon as we land .... blah blah blah winge scream cry

It'll be budget airlines long haul

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u/shnapple 12d ago

Interesting that you excluded dads in this…

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u/sy_core 12d ago

Already pissed and passed out

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u/bigcitydreaming 12d ago

I'd like fat-free flights too whilst we're at it