Children In First Class

Should children ever be allowed in first class?  My answer is a big, fat NO.  Well, maybe a qualified no.  I say this since I spent hours with children in first class as we traveled across the country last week.  On the first leg, which was an overnight flight, there was a 3 year old in the seats in front of us.  She didn't misbehave, but she didn't use her indoor voice either.  Half way through the flight, somewhere over Kansas, she throws up.  Not only that, but the Clampets had also brought their dog and she threw up on the dog carrier.  So, there was all kinds of drama in the middle of the flight/middle of the night cleaning up her puke.  Clearly not her fault, but none of the adults in first class puked.  If they needed to, they would know that they needed to go to the restroom to do so. 

When business travelers complain about kids in first class, fellow frequent fliers call them elitists, kid-haters or worse.  I always feel for the mother who has to deal with the crying baby on the flight.  As we all sit in coach, I have great sympathy for her and always want to volunteer to hold the little tyke and give her a break.  In first class, it makes me crazy.  People think it is self righteousness or over-inflated self worth and they are trying to decide who can or can't fly on a plane, but I just look at it like I have paid a premium to sit here.

The next flight, there was another under 4 child who sat in front of us with a case of what sounded like swine flu.  The child didn't cover her mouth and blew the germs all over the cabin.  I didn't tell Robert as he is a germophobe and it could have ruined the entire trip.  None of the adults in first class had swine flu, and if they did, they covered their mouths when they sneezed and coughed.

My qualified answer is if the parents have raised their children properly, there should never be a problem on a flight.  When my kids were little, I brought their car seats on the plane and they sat in those on the flight.  Just like in the car, they had to sit in their seats until the plane stopped moving.  I did have them in business class back and forth to Australia.  There was no way in hell I was flying coach to Australia.  I did it plenty of times, and if they wanted me over there to work, they were paying for business.  The kids were perfect.  I know the other people in the cabin cringed when we came on board, but the kids slept for 10 hours, watched movies, ate, and enjoyed being pampered. 

As with everything with children, don't blame the children.  It is usually the parent's fault.  However, toddlers in first class is never a good thing.  Once they hit about 7, you can reason with them (or beat them in the bathroom).  Until then, keep the little ones out of first class so I don't catch swine flu or have their puke roll back on my shoes.