Flying long-haul on British Airways with a baby – how is it?

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• CamFlyer says:

  9 Apr9 April 11:35

  As a few data points for BA with children, we have done a few short haul CE segments.
  – BA cabin crew have been universally terrific, going out of their way to help with food & drink, extra meals to help out with a hungry child (who wasn’t satisfied with the snacks we brought), etc.
  – other passengers also mostly great
  – 2 year old, BA twice (outbound & return) seated the child separately from her parents, in CE. When we pointed out that was a breach of CAA regs, check in staff at LHR said that was for the crew on board to sort out, and that they could only issue boarding passes for the seats allocated by the computer (we had CE Avios seats, and I am EC Silver), and that BA would never separate a parent and child (!)–though BA had clearly done exactly that. The ‘supervisor’ at LHR checkin refused to provide identification beyond her first name. On the return, the apologetic Swissport contractor, after initially giving us a similar response, and even being told the same by telephone when she called BA, managed to seat us together after some further clicking on her keyboard.

  We have LHR-SFO in VS PE with a 2.5 year old booked for this summer…will see how that goes.

  • CamFlyer says:

    9 Apr9 April 11:46

    BTW, both agent and supervisor at LHR also told us that they could not physically seat a three person family ‘together’ in CE, due to the 2-2 configuration, even when we repeatedly said that we fully understood that ‘together’ meant seats C, D and A or F in one row, or A and C (or D and F) in one row with C or D in the following row and indeed that was what we had pre-reserved before travel, and that as BA EC Silver/Gold for 15 years I knew very well how CE was configured.

    I guess this all might be good for parents who are happy to let a 2 year old sit 4 rows away amongst strangers, but that isn’t us! We have no intention of flying BA any more than necessary to use up Avios and 2for1 vouchers.

  • pigeon says:

    9 Apr9 April 12:25

    If you had 2 seats together there is no breach of CAA regulations – the crew would get the child to sit with one parent.

    That said, no excuse for BA messing up advance seat reservations.

    • CamFlyer says:

      9 Apr9 April 13:22

      BA put the adults in 8C&D, and the 2 year old in 4F instead of [reserved] 8F.

      • pigeon says:

        9 Apr9 April 13:48

        Yes, the crew will meet CAA regulations by asking one parent to sit in 4F, so that the child is next to the other parent in Row 8. Pushing this point probably just antagonized check-in.

        Of course, what you probably wanted was to sit together as a family, and this is totally reasonable and you were let down. BA should really do better than minimal compliance.

      • Thegasman says:

        9 Apr9 April 15:28

        So the child sits in 8C, one parent in 8D & the other in adult in 4F? They’ve complied with the rules although I understand it’s annoying both adults can’t be together.

        • CamFlyer says:

          9 Apr9 April 15:48

          Yea, though BA decided instead that the passenger in 4D should be moved. And then on board we discovered that 8A and D were assigned to another split family group, and 8F to a passenger on staff companion travel. It was obvious that we had been split up to make room for staff.

• Bonglim says:

  9 Apr9 April 12:12

  At what age is it appropriate to book yourself and husband/wife in to club suite of first…..
  and book child or children in to economy and just leave them there?
  I’m going from age 4
  (just kidding)

  • Thegasman says:

    9 Apr9 April 15:38

    Just checked & it’s 5 as minimum age to be in a different class to parents which is astonishing! I regularly travelled in Y with my brother & sister as teenagers whilst parents were in business & didn’t have a problem with it at all. It’s good to be taught that luxury isn’t handed to you on a plate at that age.

• davedent says:

  9 Apr9 April 12:24

  I’m a big fan of JALs seat map which shows you where the babies are seated.

• steven says:

  9 Apr9 April 12:37

  We flew BA246 last week back from Sao Paulo having paid extra for the peace quiet and ability to sleep at the very front on a long journey in business class .
  We were astonished and outraged that small infants are given priority over all the other passengers and allowed to shout and scream all night .
  One extreme reviewer summed up this highly selfish approach, by saying disgustingly and rudely, “Screw them !”
  We were told that BA were scared of being sued for infringing their rights .
  Well what about the right to quiet and sleep for the 99% of others in the cabin who paid extra to get this privacy and sleep on a long overnight journey?
  They are not all fat, overweight, drunk businessmen, as described rudely and aggressively by one commentator here.
  I think it is summed up in that the minority really could not care less, except for their own selfish desire to inflict their uncontrollable children on the 99% of other passengers ruining their peaceful sleep.

  • Nick says:

    9 Apr9 April 12:47

    +1

    • TB says:

      9 Apr9 April 13:49

      A350 with 56 seats in club. I would never expect that to be quiet 🙂
      Its a club seat with BA. Lol.

  • The Savage Squirrel says:

    9 Apr9 April 12:56

    “One extreme reviewer summed up this highly selfish approach, by saying disgustingly and rudely, “Screw them !”

    Just to be clear, my “screw them” comment is not about all other passengers. Of course parents should make absolutely every effort to be as considerate of their fellow passengers. It was a comment to the OP about feeling observed and judged; about the nasty self-entitled tutters and snide commenters that stress the poor parent out when they are trying hard, making parent, and therefore child, more anxious and less likely to settle and therefore choosing to make things worse for themselves and everyone else. idiots, and completely unnecessary. For those people I repeat “screw them”,

    “We were astonished and outraged that small infants are given priority over all the other passengers and allowed to shout and scream all night .”

    Give a step-by-step guide how you would not allow babies to cry. I’m sure the world would love to know 😀 😀

    “who paid extra to get this privacy” You didn’t. It’s an open public cabin, not a private booth, and clearly advertised as such.

  • Tim says:

    9 Apr9 April 12:58

    Take a private plane next time otherwise put up with what is public transport

    • TB says:

      9 Apr9 April 13:36

      +1
      Some self entitlement people thinking club or even 14 first class seats with BA etc should warrant them a hotel style peace and privacy experience. Funny. Get yourself in Emirates new first class – that’s basically a little room. Can’t hear much in there. If you were getting disturbed in there, I’d be with you on it. Until then, it’s open to anyone and everyone who wants to pay for it. Yes, keep (we have 2) in order but things happen, and a plane isn’t the best place to sleep, never mind a small kid who is probably out of sync. It happens! Someone paying a few grand for a seat is not exactly the biggest deal in the world. Get off your high horses!!!!

  • Andrea says:

    9 Apr9 April 15:37

    This (usually) helps: ask for a complaint form, you’ll be asked why, you state that you purchased a level of comfort with your ticket which does not include the environment you experience. I always state that I understand (I don’t but it keeps the conversation friendly and constructive) that they may feel reluctant to talk to parents and that I would like to make my views known to BA. In the majority of cases they will talk to parents because they do not want to be mentioned in a letter which states that you – as a frequent flyer – had a very bad experience and that the crew did nothing. If there is no reaction, send the letter to BA (don’t hand it in when you depart, it may disappear never to see the light of day. You can’t do anything with babies but toddlers and small bored children are a different matter.

    • MrDr says:

      9 Apr9 April 19:13

      I know I’d respond very well to such advice.,😁

• Rma says:

  9 Apr9 April 12:51

  As a well travelled parent and grandparent, because of work and family living in different continents, the worst time to travel with a baby is the stage before walking when all the baby wants to do is crawl. Aircraft floors….. ugh. If you can avoid long haul travel at this stage, do so. I agree with many of the other comments that adult passengers can be as antisocial as children but for badly behaved children, blame the parents.

  • Brian says:

    9 Apr9 April 17:49

    Yep 12 months to 3 years I’d suggest – essentially the time when random extreme tantrums can occur!!

• Magic Mike says:

  9 Apr9 April 13:25

  Aside from the whataboutery of comparing with disruptive adult passengers, those can be restrained or arrested for their behaviour. Children not so much.

  I am not a fan of children in premium cabins, but understand why it is sometimes necessary. For babies, please do not change nappies in the seat though, gross.

  It’s the uncontrollable older kids who have been brought up in the style of the Modern Parents from Viz who are often the real issue!

• Alastair says:

  9 Apr9 April 14:26

  I was the first contributor this morning and the thread went very much as I thought. Those that have babies or children in one camp and the others in the second. I was treading carefully as I have two young grandchildren and perhaps have a foot in both camps.
  When children, of all ages , are involved those with parental responsibility can often see nothing or nobody else. Sometimes to the detriment of other people.
  Everyone had paid for the enhanced place on my plane, there were no businessmen or drunks but the crew didn’t have the time to treat everyone equal.

• Will says:

  9 Apr9 April 15:16

  In CE, it seems like a complete own goal to me to not allow 2 parents and one child to book a row of 3.

  I’ve often thought a half avios centre seat for a child would be very nice feature.

  We now book economy in preference to CE as you get the row of 3.

  As a data point, recently flew Oman air long haul with a baby, they seated us in non bassinet seats despite at least 2 rows with bassinets being empty when we boarded. We were also very late at the airport so likely last time check in.

  Moved ourselves on the aircraft after take off which the flight attendants were fine with.

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