Babies on planes (a question, not a rant!)

zagfles

tberry6686 wrote: »

Jumping to conclusions a bit are we. Personally on a long haul flight I will generally be working on my laptop or sleeping, neither of which can be classed as boorish, drunken or annoying to other passengers.

There are many destinations in the US that are mainly used by business travellers (from the UK). For that matter I didn't even mention the US.

The fact is, on a flight that is mainly used by business people then the sound of a baby screaming is very unwelcome and yes not all babies will be screaming, some will be very good but it is not possible to predict. Tourist flights, few people will even care (and I do take holiday flights from time to time as well)

The idea that the OP should make a decision based on the type of traveller they'll be sharing with is laughable. A flight is public transport, you have to share with other members of the public including babies. If you don't like it, use a private jet.

I've flown long haul with babies a few times and have never known babies to scream excessively, I've far more often been annoyed by drunken idiots on stag or hen dos.

zagfles

Make sure the baby has something to suck on during take off/landing eg a bottle, as the change in cabin pressure can hurt their ears.

duchy

deleted posted twice....darn ipad

duchy

No need to be defensive I was pointing out you get awful adult passengers too....not that you in particular are that kind of passenger.

This thread is about flying with a baby to the US so unsure why flying to other places is relevant unless you are trying to expand this thread to a rant about children on planes in general https://www.flyertalk.com has a thread there for that you might like.

Airlines don't have business flights to the US or anywhere else (LCY JFK arguably is the one exception) and even flights to business centres like Frankfurt will have a mix although families tend to avoid the Monday morning 7am flights the business market tends to have to use. I'm not sure what you actually mean by tourist flights . Charter flights ? None to America. LCCs? Plenty of business travellers use them too. None fly to the US unless you count Norwigian who court business travellers too.
Frankly if you are in economy the airline don't care if you are going to a meeting when you arrive or visiting Auntie Iris ....you'll get the same seat and same service in most cases (although there are a few exceptions for example America give free BoB to their top tier frequent flyers in economy). They just charge business travellers more as they usually don't include a Saturday stay or need flexibility. Really business travel is rubbish unless your company value you enough to put you in business.

Not sure why you think a screaming baby is welcome on any flight......do business travellers have different hearing to holiday makers? Mind you most business travellers don't leave home without their Boise headphones which solve the problem anyway.

tberry6686 wrote: »

Jumping to conclusions a bit are we. Personally on a long haul flight I will generally be working on my laptop or sleeping, neither of which can be classed as boorish, drunken or annoying to other passengers.

There are many destinations in the US that are mainly used by business travellers (from the UK). For that matter I didn't even mention the US.

The fact is, on a flight that is mainly used by business people then the sound of a baby screaming is very unwelcome and yes not all babies will be screaming, some will be very good but it is not possible to predict. Tourist flights, few people will even care (and I do take holiday flights from time to time as well)

duchy

zagfles wrote: »

The idea that the OP should make a decision based on the type of traveller they'll be sharing with is laughable. A flight is public transport, you have to share with other members of the public including babies. If you don't like it, use a private jet.

I've flown long haul with babies a few times and have never known babies to scream excessively, I've far more often been annoyed by drunken idiots on stag or hen dos.

Contractors travelling to jobs where they know the site or country they are travelling to is dry so feel the need to drink everything in sight enroute can be a pain too. I'll take a baby next to me over a drunk oil worker anytime !

Back on topic.......OP some airlines offer sky cots but odds are at 9 months your little one will not fit so check what the maximum weight for the baby is for a cot before taking that route.

Gloomendoom

Hmmmm... I have noise cancelling headphones and they struggle to cancel out a nearby baby in full-on PITA mode. The only remedy is to turn the volume up to drown the little beggars out. Not ideal if you are trying to sleep.

To answer the OP's question though, I see very young babies on flights lasting longer than 11 hours. They seem to survive well enough.

leylandsunaddict

I would, but the baby would have to have it's own seat, and use a car seat. It's the only safe way for them to fly. If we couldn't afford the extra seat then we wouldn't fly. They can stay asleep in their seat when the seatbelt sign comes on (as it invariably does. Sometimes for a long time). I wouldn't want to sit for 11 months with a baby belted up to me, especially one that will be quite mobile. I'm sure the stranger sat next to me and the person in the seat in front wouldn't either. You also have to think about how you're going to manage meals etc. You can't use the tray table. Not to mention just the lack of space generally.

That said, when our son was a baby we took him on a 2.5 hour flight and he screamed the whole way. We were the most unpopular people on that plane. If there was a wing seat I would have gladly sat in it :eek: I was mortified. I can't imagine what it would have been like if it was a longhaul night flight.

These days I take earplugs and noise cancellation headphones in case we get a screamer on the flight. It still doesn't stop the noise though.

lush_walrus

It's quite nervy to do for the first time but the first time will have to happen one day regardless, so I would (and did) do it with ours when they were babies. Mine one cried one didn't so it depends on the baby really and even if they do take it badly it's take off and landing where they feel if so length of time in there is better in some ways. A lot do drift off to sleep

duchy

leylandsunaddict wrote: »

I would, but the baby would have to have it's own seat, and use a car seat. It's the only safe way for them to fly. If we couldn't afford the extra seat then we wouldn't fly. They can stay asleep in their seat when the seatbelt sign comes on (as it invariably does. Sometimes for a long time). I wouldn't want to sit for 11 months with a baby belted up to me, especially one that will be quite mobile. I'm sure the stranger sat next to me and the person in the seat in front wouldn't either. You also have to think about how you're going to manage meals etc. You can't use the tray table. Not to mention just the lack of space generally.


These days I take earplugs and noise cancellation headphones in case we get a screamer on the flight. It still doesn't stop the noise though.

11 months ? Nah some flights just FEEL that long :rotfl:

Gloomendoom

Forget car seats, on long haul you really need a bassinet.