Reply to: Babies on Planes

[clearedforlanding]

If they charge you more it's a premium seat. If people consider it a more desirable seat it's a premium seat. But this distracts from the question, why they wanted someone to give up such a seat rather than anyone, so they can be together.

And yes it is reasonable that parents should be able to sit with their young child. If the system doesn't do it automatically, human decency is that the steward(ess) should politely ask people, and someone should offer. In a polite world, the steward(ess) would thank them and give them a free drink if it's not free to start with.
It's like pausing to hold the door for someone with a baby in their arms... you're not obliged to do it but it's still the thing to do.

On our recent long-haul flight, for some reason we couldn't check in to the long 2nd leg of our flight until we got to the airport from our first flight... so the plane was absolutely full and we were all placed in middle seats. My wife is a very nervous flyer who couldn't cope sat on her own for 8 hours so we got someone to switch.

If they charge you more it is ancillary revenue.

Ancillary revenue != a premium product.

It is an an additional charge that gives you a base product, adequate, acceptable or in addition to you needs, calculated within volume weighting loading to a price that is acceptable to you.

The value proposition is a less painful transportation offering. Profit margins are higher on a soft product.

aka, "Would you like fries with that?".

[clearedforlanding]

Air travel sucks at all levels. This is what you are faced with if you have sold you life to walk through the "million pound door". Not quite wall to wall chicks drunk on Krug.

Inspiring...

[greenlake]

We could debate whether an exit row seat is a premium seat. The only premium seat I would consider in Economy is BA's 25D on an A380. At 25GBP it's an absolute steal.

Yeah if you can book it at -364 days.

Lower deck? <shudder>I'll stick to 53A/K thanks.

Seats? Such decadence....

[clearedforlanding]

Holy crap, it's Flyertalk does Contracting! ;-)

****, I have been rumbled. Not on a EF to Mexico on BA F today, I promise.

[BackupBoy]

It's not. And as pointed out earlier in this thread exit row seats are for those without disabilities, over 15, and without an infant on their lap it's a moot point.

We could debate whether an exit row seat is a premium seat. The only premium seat I would consider in Economy is BA's 25D on an A380. At 25GBP it's an absolute steal.

Yeah if you can book it at -364 days.

Lower deck? <shudder>I'll stick to 53A/K thanks.

[BackupBoy]

MF, surely as a GCH you would know that this has been the case for quite a while now, assuming you would never travel in economy:

• Seats on short haul flights in Club Europe start from £14/€17/$21.
• On longer international flights, seats in Club World start from £62/€74/$93.

Gold and Silver card holders can choose seats at time of booking, and Bronze's 7 days before.

You would also know that Row 1 in CE is reserved for GCH as is Row 1 in F (or equivalent depending on metal). Of course F or A ticket holders do not pay for seat reservation, but the front row is indeed blocked unless they are Gold.

Paying for G&Ts in ET is where I have an issue.

(CFL is in an acronym mood)

Anyhow, I will always go out of my way to accommodate parents with children on a flight. It is living hell travelling with children. I am not so sure I would be so accommodating if I didn't fly in premium cabins MH & LH.

Holy crap, it's Flyertalk does Contracting! ;-)

[d000hg]

If they charge you more it's a premium seat. If people consider it a more desirable seat it's a premium seat. But this distracts from the question, why they wanted someone to give up such a seat rather than anyone, so they can be together.

And yes it is reasonable that parents should be able to sit with their young child. If the system doesn't do it automatically, human decency is that the steward(ess) should politely ask people, and someone should offer. In a polite world, the steward(ess) would thank them and give them a free drink if it's not free to start with.
It's like pausing to hold the door for someone with a baby in their arms... you're not obliged to do it but it's still the thing to do.

On our recent long-haul flight, for some reason we couldn't check in to the long 2nd leg of our flight until we got to the airport from our first flight... so the plane was absolutely full and we were all placed in middle seats. My wife is a very nervous flyer who couldn't cope sat on her own for 8 hours so we got someone to switch.

[clearedforlanding]

It's reasonable to expect someone to swap seats but why someone with a premium seat?

It's not. And as pointed out earlier in this thread exit row seats are for those without disabilities, over 15, and without an infant on their lap it's a moot point.

We could debate whether an exit row seat is a premium seat. The only premium seat I would consider in Economy is BA's 25D on an A380. At 25GBP it's an absolute steal.

[d000hg]

It's reasonable to expect someone to swap seats but why someone with a premium seat?

[greenlake]

We can't moan about ghastly babies on planes??? Why do us full fare payers have to put up with their noise? They could put them in the cargo hold.

Better not visit the cockpit then....

[northernladyuk]

To be fair, I believe the crew did consider moving him but felt it was too risky to destabilise the plane's loading to that extent in mid-flight.

They've updated regs now so he's back on:

[shaunbhoy]

I guess if I was left behind on a plane as a baby and sat on by MF for an entire transatlantic flight, I might be like that too.

To be fair, I believe the crew did consider moving him but felt it was too risky to destabilise the plane's loading to that extent in mid-flight.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

Oh yes. Like many from this poster. Like the beggar with sores...

She's there at the bottom of La Rambla in Alicante every day.

Suit yourself whether you want to believe it or not.

[clearedforlanding]

This is starting to sound like the BAEC forum on Flyertalk.

You don't want to be with normal people, tired and fustrated parents etc, for less time than you spend on the tube each week (a lot of you)?

Then do me a ******* favour, fly a premium airline in a premium cabin and stop ******* complaining about it. It sounds like you can all afford it. Maybe a young couple with a child can't.

Hell you'll all be complaining about Alex Cruz taking the flower out of the First class toilets soon.

[northernladyuk]

Yes, but most people in the world are not moderators coping with all the "baggage" that brings with it.

I guess if I was left behind on a plane as a baby and sat on by MF for an entire transatlantic flight, I might be like that too.