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It's nearly 20 years but British Airlines had this in a covert way at least on domestic flights: I tried to book for 2 adults and 1 child and got "no seats". Wh

It's nearly 20 years but British Airlines had this in a covert way at least on domestic flights: I tried to book for 2 adults and 1 child and got "no seats". When you entered 3, 4, 5 adults seats were available. As a father I was not amused: The reputation damage has costed BA many flights tickets from my family and UK tourism at least one journey to the country. Probably more. I don't deny that children can be disturbing: But 99% it's their stupid parents' fault. Instead of interacting with their children they concentrate on the so-called entertainment system or nowadays their so-called smartphones. Their has been recent research that generation Z has lower social skills and more mental health problems than the previous generation that grew up mostly without electronic devices. Of course it's only a correlation, but causality seems pretty obvious to me.

petre 3y ago
I travelled with a group of adults on a couple of beers heading to a bachelor party. Despite continued excuses, I find most children more tolerable. And I agree that it's almost always the parents' fault.
- pipes 3y ago
  So a crying baby is the parents fault? A crying toddler is the parents fault. Before having kids I might have agreed with you. Since having kids, I know it's not always the parents fault. Read any book on raising kids you'll see parents don't have some magic remote control over the children.
brnt 3y ago
We don't need to assign blame you know. Many things aren't anyone's fault. I don't think most parents want their kids to be noisy of whiny either, it's just how kids often are! Plus, they've just been inserted in a confining and boring environment, perhaps for quite a while, it is only natural that it upsets them a bit. I don't like being in a plane either, I just have the benefit of self control and understanding that it'll be over soon. Kids just don't. Not a whole lot a parent can do about that.
- vladvasiliu 3y ago
  I'm not a parent, but I do seem to notice a correlation between annoying kids and parents being glued to their smartphone, scrolling facebook or whatever like no tomorrow. I also understand that it's hard being a parent, and sometimes you need some time to do something, anything, else. But the issue is that you're not just letting your kid scream in your house, where you're the only one bothered. You're in an enclosed vehicle with many other people who had no say in the matter and didn't know beforehand what they were signing up for. I think it's your responsibility to make sure you're not a PITA to them. As an example, where I live, there usually are cinema showings where children will show up. You know that if you go and there are a whole bunch of rowdy kids, you won't be seeing the movie quietly. But you know this going in, and can choose to go some other place or time. When you find out there's a screaming brat on a plane, it's already too late for you to make any choice.
mattkrause 3y ago
Perhaps the only seats left were in an emergency exit row? Depending on the country and airline, passengers seated in the emergency exit rows need to be at least 12 (EU, UK) to 15 (US, Australia) years old. The IATA definition of “child”, for the purpose of fares, is under 12. Thus, a narrowbody jet with 3-3 seating could have room for up to six adults but not a single child. That said, exit rows usually get snapped up quickly so this may be unlikely.
- SilverBirch 3y ago
  Also possible the only seats left are seats in the middle of a row and they wouldn't let you book a child seat without booking an adult seat immediately next to it.
  - mattkrause 3y ago
    That makes even more sense because the middle seats usually go last!
drt5b7j 3y ago
> I don't deny that children can be disturbing: But 99% it's their stupid parents' fault (...) electronic devices Tell me you don't have children without telling me you don't have children. My kid is 2 years old and never touched a phone in his life. Still, some times he cries for reasons we don't understand or know how to address, or maybe for no reason, as children have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years before phones where invented.

petre 3y ago

I travelled with a group of adults on a couple of beers heading to a bachelor party. Despite continued excuses, I find most children more tolerable. And I agree that it's almost always the parents' fault.

pipes 3y ago
So a crying baby is the parents fault? A crying toddler is the parents fault. Before having kids I might have agreed with you. Since having kids, I know it's not always the parents fault. Read any book on raising kids you'll see parents don't have some magic remote control over the children.

brnt 3y ago

We don't need to assign blame you know. Many things aren't anyone's fault. I don't think most parents want their kids to be noisy of whiny either, it's just how kids often are! Plus, they've just been inserted in a confining and boring environment, perhaps for quite a while, it is only natural that it upsets them a bit. I don't like being in a plane either, I just have the benefit of self control and understanding that it'll be over soon. Kids just don't. Not a whole lot a parent can do about that.

vladvasiliu 3y ago
I'm not a parent, but I do seem to notice a correlation between annoying kids and parents being glued to their smartphone, scrolling facebook or whatever like no tomorrow. I also understand that it's hard being a parent, and sometimes you need some time to do something, anything, else. But the issue is that you're not just letting your kid scream in your house, where you're the only one bothered. You're in an enclosed vehicle with many other people who had no say in the matter and didn't know beforehand what they were signing up for. I think it's your responsibility to make sure you're not a PITA to them. As an example, where I live, there usually are cinema showings where children will show up. You know that if you go and there are a whole bunch of rowdy kids, you won't be seeing the movie quietly. But you know this going in, and can choose to go some other place or time. When you find out there's a screaming brat on a plane, it's already too late for you to make any choice.

mattkrause 3y ago

Perhaps the only seats left were in an emergency exit row? Depending on the country and airline, passengers seated in the emergency exit rows need to be at least 12 (EU, UK) to 15 (US, Australia) years old. The IATA definition of “child”, for the purpose of fares, is under 12. Thus, a narrowbody jet with 3-3 seating could have room for up to six adults but not a single child. That said, exit rows usually get snapped up quickly so this may be unlikely.

SilverBirch 3y ago
Also possible the only seats left are seats in the middle of a row and they wouldn't let you book a child seat without booking an adult seat immediately next to it.
- mattkrause 3y ago
  That makes even more sense because the middle seats usually go last!

drt5b7j 3y ago

> I don't deny that children can be disturbing: But 99% it's their stupid parents' fault (...) electronic devices Tell me you don't have children without telling me you don't have children. My kid is 2 years old and never touched a phone in his life. Still, some times he cries for reasons we don't understand or know how to address, or maybe for no reason, as children have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years before phones where invented.