Parents in business, kids in economy

Andypandyboy

For me, the fact that if anything untoward happened I would not be on hand, would be enough to mean I would not do it, ever.

silvercar

Andypandyboy wrote: »

For me, the fact that if anything untoward happened I would not be on hand, would be enough to mean I would not do it, ever.

Let's be honest, if anything major untoward happened in the air there is very little anyone can do; if anything untoward happens on the ground everyone aims for the exit(s).

POPPYOSCAR

silvercar wrote: »

Let's be honest, if anything major untoward happened in the air there is very little anyone can do; if anything untoward happens on the ground everyone aims for the exit(s).

Well I for one if in that situation would want to be with my family and face it altogether - as a family.

eDicky

Over twenty years ago I flew BKK-LHR on Thai Airways with the return portion of a discounted business class ticket. My two daughters, about 10 and 12, had economy class returns which I changed to be on the same flight. The flight was so full that they had to sit far from each other, which they actually preferred, while I was upgraded to first class with my gold card.

Mentioning the situation at the gate I half-jokingly asked if they could join me, being rewarded only with a nice Thai smile. But everyone was happy and had a pleasant flight.

agrinnall

duchy wrote: »

I hope that answers your rather odd question !

It's an answer, and I'm not sure that the question is that odd given the number of people also questioning a decision by parents to sit separately from their children.

I don't have children myself so perhaps I'd think differently if I did, but a parent deliberately choosing or arranging to sit separately is the thing that sounds odd to me.

GwylimT

We have done it a few times, it has never been a problem. The furthest we were away from our son actually in the plane was when we were all in the same class on a flight to New York.

duchy

agrinnall wrote: »

It's an answer, and I'm not sure that the question is that odd given the number of people also questioning a decision by parents to sit separately from their children.

I don't have children myself so perhaps I'd think differently if I did, but a parent deliberately choosing or arranging to sit separately is the thing that sounds odd to me.

If you ever become a parent you will find that no matter how you parent there will always be another parent who does things differently. Some parents realise every child is different and one size doesn't fit all but others are convinced it's "it's my way or no way".

I'm not sure most thirteen year olds can be regarded as children in the sense they cannot be left alone when most will be travelling up to an hour without parents sitting next to them to school every day . You wouldn't put a five year old on a bus alone though. Some children are capable and indepedant at 13 others couldn't be trusted and parents know the capability of their own child mostly although like everything else there are exceptions. Some parents wouldn't allow their teenager on a bus into town alone or even let their kids sit upstairs on the bus whilst they sat downstairs (which is probably the closest comparison to the sitting in different sections of a plane).

In my case I noted it was a night flight . Do you feel at age thirteen parents should sleep in the same room as their children ? I'm not a fan of attachment parenting taken to such extremes personally?

My son has travelled since we was small and knew how to behave. It was interesting you immediately assumed he didn't know how to behave on a plane. The assumption of the childless or perhaps you've just seen too many children who were never taught how to behave on planes!

tomtontom

GwylimT wrote: »

We have done it a few times, it has never been a problem. The furthest we were away from our son actually in the plane was when we were all in the same class on a flight to New York.

But it will not be a problem until something goes wrong. Worst case scenario and the plane goes down - your child is nowhere near you, and they know it. Or there is an emergency evacuation and you can't check your child is ok.

Both are unlikely to happen, but by their nature are entirely unpredictable. I certainly wouldn't be happy to know I chose to separate myself from a loved one for the sake of a few hours comfort.

GwylimT

tomtontom wrote: »

But it will not be a problem until something goes wrong. Worst case scenario and the plane goes down - your child is nowhere near you, and they know it. Or there is an emergency evacuation and you can't check your child is ok.

Both are unlikely to happen, but by their nature are entirely unpredictable. I certainly wouldn't be happy to know I chose to separate myself from a loved one for the sake of a few hours comfort.

Rather dramatic, I assume then you would join your child when using the toilet and also make them follow you when you need to go? Did also note that when we were in the same class it was also the furthest apart we had been in a plane? Even then a plane is fairly small, it isn't exactly a hardship!

I also assume I shouldn't have been letting him fly on his own from six upwards because I wouldn't be sat next to him.

silvercar

tomtontom wrote: »

But it will not be a problem until something goes wrong. Worst case scenario and the plane goes down - your child is nowhere near you, and they know it. Or there is an emergency evacuation and you can't check your child is ok.

Both are unlikely to happen, but by their nature are entirely unpredictable. I certainly wouldn't be happy to know I chose to separate myself from a loved one for the sake of a few hours comfort.

I hate to spoil the drama, but if a plane is going down, whereabouts you are sitting is irrelevant.