WDYT regarding children on a plane

ZombieNates

This weekend, there were two babies on the plane with us. One repeatedly screeched for 3.5 out of the five hours in flight and one cried for about an hour. Also, there were two loud children on another plane, about 5 and 7 years old.  It made me wonder about people's views on traveling with children in general.

If you had to pick an age, how old is old enough to travel by plane, with parents? Does it make a difference if the family is traveling for vacation or something else?

cheeseandrice

Suck it up. normally I'm the first person to get annoyed with screaming kids in public. But, on a plane? There's really not a whole lot that can be done, you know? You can really remove them from the situation

I've been flying with my parents since I was a month old, so that probably affects my opinion. But I don't see any reason why kids can't travel (fly) at any age.

Starmusica

I think kids are just part of what you expect on a plane. It sucks- I've been there, I know. And I've been angry when I've sat through an entire flight with a crying baby. However, parents shouldn't be forced to never travel just because their kids are young. Now as for older kids who are all over the place- the parent should be parenting them. Older children should act appropriately. Of course they are kids and they will act out but they shouldn't be running the aisles (I've seen this). At the end of the day though, they should be able to fly too.

Megbo2012

Funny you posted this, as I had an 8+ hour flight yesterday. There were two babies, and lots of children. We sat next to 3 young boys who were EXTREMELY well behaved agre range probably 4-9? One baby cried several times for a long time. Another baby at the airport with a unicorn ponytail cried and cried and cried and it did not make the 3 hour wait pleasant. 

It made me think that I wish there was some kind of adults only plane or section. People need to travel so it's pretty impossible to say no babies but at least in a restaraunt the baby can be removed. Not possible in a steel tube. 

I would personally avoid flying with my child under the age of 3 if possible. 

Anysunrise

Well, I travelled alone on a plane at 12, with my brothers of 9 and 10, and we didn't cause any issues. On the contrary, it was the jackball kids in front of us that accused me of kicking their seats and their jackball father who griped at me. Still makes me furious.

I'd say with parents, I'd have been fine at any age, but I was a very quiet kid right from the getgo. My brothers were helions if we were alone in the car or something, but usually pretty good in public. 

I'd say whenever they're old enough not to scream endlessly, so maybe like ten? I dunno, all I know is I hate other people's kids.

ZombieNates

I'm okay with blocking out sound with music or the in-flight movie, so it wasn't an issue for me, but I know the guy sitting next to the screeching baby was pissed and had to be moved.  On one hand, the parents were doing everything they could, but at the same time, that sound can be obnoxious.

I guess adult-only flights haven't been tapped because people can buy noise-cancelling headphones? That would be my guess, because otherwise, I think there could be a market for it.

Nebb

I'm not very tolerant of kids, at any age, that are disrupting me. Planes, busses, trains, restaurants, stores. I still think we should go back in time where kids were seen and not heard and everyone didn't have to just "put up with" your loudass brat.

kcscejal

I think kids at any age have just as much right to fly as adults.  I lived in Germany from the ages 1-4, and had to fly back and forth to Washington, D.C. every 3 months to see my doctor, so I'm sure I'm biased, but uh, how else would my parents get me to my specialist if I wasn't allowed to fly?

HappinessByTheKilowatt

I'm a pretty frequent flier, and very torn about my feelings on this. I think there are a lot of kids who can travel perfectly fine on both long and short flights. My issue is more with the parents of kids who travel being totally clueless (but the same can more frequently be said for parents in general). Don't book the 9pm flight if your kids bedtime is normally at 7. Make sure you bring enough to entertain your children for the duration of the flight. If they want a snack, give them a snack for pete's sake-- cramped in close quarters with strangers is not the place to make a point. Also, I flew this past weekend, and a mother had put effing squeaky shoes on her kid, and was letting her run around the (tiny) terminal for the 90 minutes until our flight. That's right, shoes that sound like a dogs squeaky toy, every single time she took a step. At 7am. It was awful and the mother thought it was oh-so-cute. Everyone else was ready to rip the shoes off the kid's feet, myself included. Once I got on the flight, there was a mom across the aisle from me who was changing her kid's diaper right in the aisle of the plane-- exactly what all of us wanted to smell for the next 30 minutes.

That said, a good set of noise reducing headphones can go a long way. Also, I would probably pay more to a company that could promise me a child free flight if I was traveling long distances or late at night. I think a little patience, common sense, and understanding in both directions can go a long way toward peace for everyone.

And I would still rather sit near a screaming kid than the guy who insisted on taking his shoes off and putting his feet on my armrest during my Christmas flight. ::shudder::

cheeseandrice

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:051ad8be-0295-49fc-8b08-e4aba1797da3">Re:WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not very tolerant of kids, at any age, that are disrupting me. Planes, busses, trains, restaurants, stores. I still think we should go back in time where kids were seen and not heard and everyone didn't have to just "put up with" your loudass brat.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]

Well yeah. But you can't really parent an infant, you know?

Now, if it were a 4 year old acting like a shithead on the plane? totally different story.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

I am in the camp of yeah, suck it up.  I will definitely not enjoy sharing a plane with a screaming baby, but ffs, planes are not fun for babies.  They are cramped, their ears get plugged, etc.  I guarantee you the parent or parents are not enjoying themselves.  Yeah, you might not like to have to listen to it but I sure as shiiit promise you the parents are having less fun with the situation than you are.  So what are they supposed to do then?  Not fly?  Get over it.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:051ad8be-0295-49fc-8b08-e4aba1797da3">Re:WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not very tolerant of kids, at any age, that are disrupting me. Planes, busses, trains, restaurants, stores. I still think we should go back in time where kids were seen and not heard and everyone didn't have to just "put up with" your loudass brat.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]
I feel this way also. As far as planes are concerned, I think it's pretty selfish of a parent to bring their baby onto a plane. The reason that babies cry during flights is because it hurts their ears. And babies don't have anyone they need to see. Maybe people other than the baby would like to see it, or the parents want other people to see it, but that has nothing to do with the wants/needs of the baby itself. So they will inflict pain on their baby for their own wants.

If someone is moving overseas, then I can see it as a reasonable thing to do. But I don't think think the majority of babies on planes are there for that reason.

As for toddlers and such, control them or leave them at home!

Knowing none of that is within the realm of reality, I'd like to see adult-only options become available.

mehgank

I also don't think it matters what the purpose of travel is. And I would also pay more for an adults-only flight as well.

I was once on a flight from Abilene, TX to Seattle, WA and there was an army wife behind me with her newborn baby girl. She seemed overwhelmed and frustrated that she couldn't help her daughter stop crying. I turned around and introduced myself and asked if I could make a suggestion. I told her that most likely, her daughter's ears were plugged from the plane taking off, and said that if you yawn in front of baby, she will yawn too, which will cause her ears to pop. She tried it. It worked. And we had a quiet baby for 2 1/2 more hours till we started our descent, and the mommy started yawning for her daughter again.

I don't know why I just told that story, haha, but maybe by putting it out there, somebody will learn from it.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:20447d63-29fd-468d-ac1c-048bc11931bb">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]Once I got on the flight, there was a mom across the aisle from me who was changing her kid's diaper right in the aisle of the plane
Posted by HappinessByTheKilowatt[/QUOTE]
That is fucking disgusting and completely unacceptable.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:0764b937-34ec-4d18-b5cb-36b2a4db1082">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane : That is fucking disgusting and completely unacceptable.
Posted by daffodil_jill[/QUOTE]

Um, okay, then everyone gets to share a plane with a baby in a shitty diaper for hours.  That makes a happy baby that doesn't cry.

celticmyss

I'm much more willing to deal with a crying infant than an obnoxious child. Infants don't know any better and they're going to cry. Parents can try to sooth them but it just might not work. It sucks but it is what it is.

I have no patience for children who are allowed to act like little jerkfaces. Kicking seats, yelling at their parents, and being otherwise obnoxious - they shouldn't be on the damn plane. Just because you like to let your little brats walk all over you doesn't mean the rest of us want to deal with it. This is true in any public situation though. Planes just make everyone more of a captive audience.

I'd be willing to pay a premium for lots of child-free things but that doesn't mean that I think they should be banned from things in general. An age restriction of flying certainly wouldn't work because flying can be essential. You can't exactly drive to see your family in Europe from the US. Plus, as people have said there is a lot more to beahvior than just age. 

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:781b41f9-1c83-47b4-a9bf-f4007f428def">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane : Um, okay, then everyone gets to share a plane with a baby in a shitty diaper for hours.  That makes a happy baby that doesn't cry.
Posted by AllAboutTheBenjamin[/QUOTE]
No, they can take it into the bathroom and deal with it in there. I'm not interested in breathing anyone else's ecoli, especially in an area where eating takes place.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:18964f1c-7170-4e4f-85a4-4a047cd44e69">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]So where are they supposed to change a diaper?
Posted by rachers1017[/QUOTE]

I mean, they can't exactly do it in the lavatory.  And I've seen moms do it on the seats - but I mean, people sit in the seats.

Obviously, it's gross, but I'd much rather deal with a mom doing a quick diaper change so she can at least dispose of the diaper.  If the baby is gonna scream, he'll scream, but I'd rather listen to a screaming baby than smell a shitty baby

ETA - Daff, I know you hate kids.  So I understand where you're coming from.  But airplane bathrooms are not exactly condusive to diaper changing.  There's barely room enough for you to stand in those things, let alone lay down a baby and change its diaper.

ZombieNates

Personally, I can't see myself traveling with an infant. Babies are going to cry and it's not like they will remember a vacation you went on.  If it's not by car, it just seems like a lot of hassle for no good reason to me. For me, you need to make sacrifices when you're a parent because you chose to have a kid--others did not. I don't necessarily think that others should have to put up with your kid just because you want a pretty vacation, kwim?

At the same time, I expect all people to be obnoxious on planes (or in general), so I always bring something to distract myself or block the noise. People generally suck

I think it might be harder for me if, say, I had a funeral to attend out of state, although I think I still wouldn't want to travel with my baby. I don't know, maybe I'll feel differently when I have one.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

There are changing tables in the airplane bathrooms, actually.

Megbo2012

The bathrooms usually have a fold down changing table in them. 

jcg98

My family relocated to Hong Kong when I was 3 and my brother was 6 weeks old.  My mom still talks about the nasty looks she got when we boarded first class (courtesy of my dad's employer).  My brother slept the whole way, just waking up to eat.  My mom says I buckled my seatbelt and asked for a coke.  Ha.

I think it depends on the kid - some babies/kids are really mellow, others not so much.  I feel bad for parents with a screaming baby that won't be comforted, and I hope that won't be me someday. 

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:e7011356-03d7-4e6b-9c5d-40462aaf5dc1">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]At the same time, I expect all people to be obnoxious on planes (or in general), so I always bring something to distract myself or block the noise. People generally suck ;)Posted by ZombieNates[/QUOTE]

I agree with this so much. Traveling has taught me to be a much more patient person.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:49b4a4d9-69fc-448e-b22a-7d2decf85b84">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]There are changing tables in the airplane bathrooms, actually.
Posted by HappinessByTheKilowatt[/QUOTE]

I've never noticed them.

Not saying there aren't - I've just never seen them in my years of traveling.  I don't have kids, so I guess changing tables in airplane lavatories aren't something on my radar.  But even if they are in there, those bathrooms are still effin tiny

ETA - a quick google search tells me that while changing tables are on some planes, they are not on all planes.

Nebb

No one is making anyone take their kids on planes though, that's the parents choice. They are making everyone else miserable for their own means and that's not fair.

maratea

Changing a diaper in the aisle of a plane is not only gross, it's a safety hazard.

How would you all feel if there were a handicapped adult on the plane who had to wear diapers, but was incapable of changing it themselves, so their traveling companion had to change it, and it happened in an aisle?

mehgank

I'm noise-sensitive as it is, so screeching children (infants or toddlers) literally make me cringe. I once stopped eating lunch at Olive Garden because the table next to ours had a squealing little boy in a high chair that they were doing nothing about. It actually made me lose my appetite. I should probably wear noise-canceling headphones all the damn time haha.

And yes, it's possible to change a diaper in the lavatory. Most planes nowadays have those little pull-down changing stations above the toilets. If people can bone in a lavatory, then people can change a diaper in there, too.

Megbo2012

I only noticed it because yesterday someone left one down because when I went to use the bathroom I had to fold it up because it's right over the toilet. I don't think children should be banned from flying or anything but diaper changing should always happen in the bathroom in public, IMO. 

allisong23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:0764b937-34ec-4d18-b5cb-36b2a4db1082">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane : That is fucking disgusting and completely unacceptable.
Posted by daffodil_jill[/QUOTE]

Yep, because a baby who drips crap on the seat  out of a leaky diaper is so much less disgusting.

*eye roll*

kd.joseph

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wdyt-regarding-children-on-a-plane?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:d020c462-dc83-488e-b175-70670687ee4aPost:a219cde0-299a-4160-9931-ead93cd7c620">Re: WDYT regarding children on a plane</a>:
[QUOTE]Sucking can also help a baby pop their ears because it causes them to swallow.  Nursing, bottle feeding or letting them have  pacifier on take off/landing can help.  <--- random shitt I learned from my SIL.
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

Yeah I learned this as well. For myself, I know H's daughter and her husband brought the grandaughter up for Christmas when she was only a few months old. Half the family would never have met her otherwise. She actually did quite well on the plane.

[Deleted User]

I don't care if it's difficult to change your baby in the lavaratory, that is the appropriate location for dealing with feces. Not on the seats where people sit, and not on the tray tables from which people eat. If you can't handle your baby's business in the lav, keep them at home.