It is never okay, even during turbulence, to change a baby’s diaper on your airplane seat. Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight were treated to the nasty stench of feces after parents decided it was a good idea to change their baby’s diaper right on the seat.
Delta Passengers Experience “Horrendous” Odors From Baby Diaper Change In Airplane Seat
As shared on reddit:
“The people in the row in front of me are changing a poopy diaper in their seats. The smell is horrendous. Anyone ever experienced this? There’s no reason not to do this in the bathroom.”
Thankfully, I have never witnessed this…and I consider myself fortunate.
What would drive such low-class parents to think it was okay to change their baby’s diaper at the seat?
If this ever happens to you, it is essential to alert a flight attendant immediately. I cannot imagine a scenario in which a flight attendant would not immediately (and forcefully, if necessary) instruct the passenger(s) to take the baby to the lavatory to complete the diaper change.
Hey parents, do you know that lavatories are equipped with changing tables? Use them.
The smell may be the most offending part, but the bacteria could cause illness and the “poopy” (as the passenger called it) could end up smeared on tray tables or seat cushions…which we know are not cleaned after every flight.
That’s a good reason to wipe down your seats and tray table as well…
But what if there is turbulence? What if the seat belt light is on? (there is no indication that is the case here)
Then you wait…a soiled diaper takes more than a few minutes to cause any harm to the child.
This is an easy one: there is NEVER a circumstance to justify changing a baby’s diaper in an airplane seat.
Does everyone agree?
The parents can’t win, apparently. If the kid’s diaper isn’t changed and he or she is fussy until it is, then the situation is viewed as a misbehaving child and clueless parents. If the parents change the diaper, then they’re viewed as inconsiderate. FAs aren’t going to give parents permission to get up against the seatbelt sign, especially with an infant. Far too much liability there, too. With turbulence and the seatbelt sign on, these parents did the right thing based on what we know.
I’ve smelled foul body odor and other rancid smells from adults nearby and, unlike the changing of a diaper that last mere minutes, that was for the entire flight. It’s clear this perspective is written by someone without kids.
Incorrect. I have two young children who fly to Europe three times a year and have since they were born.
The smell of an open diaper is exponentially worse than a closed diaper and more aggravating than a crying child.
I sincerely cannot believe you are defending these parents.
NO and NO.
Premium.
How could the passengers tell it was the stench of the diaper and not the general stench of Delta, the worst airline in North America?
And infants should not be allowed to fly. Whichever politician proposes this as a bill has my vote for life.
I was on the upper deck of an LH 747-8 last summer when the parents sat a few rows back from me decided to change their baby’s diaper at the seat. Seatbelt sign was off at the time – no issues with access to bathrooms.
After the stench spread through the cabin, flight attendants sternly informed parents they were not to continue at the seat and instead directed them to the bathroom.
I was astounded that someone would even want to do it at their own seat, given the availability of a changing table on board!
Lol, I can just picture the LH flight attendants doing that!
You are not allowed to change a baby on your seat. You must use the bathrooms changing table. It’s unsanitary to change them on the seat! How would you like that seat on your next flight after parents changed a dirty diaper in that seat then they put it into your seat back pocket!! That is exactly what they do!!!! NO it’s not allowed no Flight Attendant will tell you that’s ok!!
Agree 100% Tammy!
Knowing the habits of US airlines… perhaps the seatbelt sign had been on for a prolonged period of time, as it commonly is.
Also, overuse of the seatbelt sign (a form of crying wolf), in addition to increasing the likelihood of gross situations like this, increases the likelihood of the sign being ignored when there’s actually dangerous turbulence.
Last Nov I changed my 18 month old grand-daughter on an AA flight and her feet hung over the end of the change table. A year later it would be an impossible feat.
Not to change modes of transportation but right now we are on a Princess cruise ship, there is one change (for babies) on the entire ship. There are no tables in any cabin or washroom. The choice for mom is a concrete and carpeted floor or a sofa or cabin bed with a plastic pad between baby and surface. Any smelly diaper goes into plastic until disposed of.
The baby’s mom finds that the baby shxx is disgusting and sometimes smells. I remind her that it is composed of natural products that are biodegradable and washable.
Put yourself in the shoes of the parents. Airplane lavatories are gross even when “clean”. Have to side with Steve.
I think this is a much bigger issue than parents changing a baby diaper on their seat. This is about a rotten society that has lost the ability to respect others. People just don’t give a shit and only think about themselves. Unfortunately, I think it is much worse in America than in other places but we have a generation that never heard the word “NO” so they think they can do whatever they want. This won’t end in a good way.