Here’s a story that really got under my skin…a passenger was not at all happy that a couple brought their two-year-old toddler into first class and tried at least three times to get them sent back to economy class before being shut down by flight attendants. I wish flight attendants had sent him back to economy class!
Man Becomes Upset When He Sees Family With Two-Year-Old Toddler In First Class, Tries To Get Them Thrown Out
A mother shared about the incident on reddit:
- A mother, father, and their two-year-old were flying cross country for Thanksgiving
- The couple decided to splurge for first class “due to a nice pay raise my husband recently got”
- Shortly after boarding, another first class passenger began glaring at the family
- Next, a flight attendant came up and asked to see their boarding passes to “make sure we were seated correctly”
- Upon confirming they were seated in first class, the flight attendant said, “Cool, y’all are good”
- Before takeoff, a different flight attendant onboard came up to the couple and again asked to inspect their boarding pass
- The flight took off, the husband fell asleep, and the child began coloring
- Suddenly, the mother felt a tap on her shoulder – it was the passenger that had been glaring at them
- He said that children are not allowed in first class and that the family needed to move to their “real” seats
- The mother refused to engage, instead calling for a flight attendant
- The man stood waiting in the aisle next to their seats until a flight attendant arrived
- When a flight attendant showed up, the man was told to sit down and stop bother this family, which had paid for their first class seats
- The child stayed seated and quietly playing throughout the flight, only getting up when “she had to go potty”
- While deboarding, the man again came up to the mother and called her a “fat c*nt” and said, “I pay too much money for first class to be surrounded by children.”
Let’s stop and pray. God, give me self-control, because I’m not sure I would have been able to resist punching that jerk in the face. Amen.
While we don’t know the airline or the route, I’ve seen people like this before and I cannot believe it went this far. I wish the flight attendant had downgraded him.
On reddit, the mother wondered if she was an a**hole for booking her toddler in first class.
The answer is no, even if the two-year-old had cried. Because what’s to say she would not have cried more in economy class? No one likes a crying baby, including me. And as a parent with a young child, few things are more stressing than when your baby cries onboard. Paying for first class gives you a larger seat, more personalized service, a nicer meal, but not the guarantee of silence.
As for the behavior of the man, I can only hope that miserable jerk finds peace.
CONCLUSION
How deliciously ironic it would have been if the flight attendants sent the man back to economy class. “Sir, we’re so sorry about the child near you. For your own safety and comfort we’ve found you a seat far away her…in the last row of the plane.” Whatever your view on children in first class, you have no right to approach another passenger and hassle them. The mother showed admirable restraint in this situation.
It’s ironic that this guy was causing more problems than the toddler he was so upset about being near him
Age and maturity are not always linked. It is not a question of does a child belong there, but does childish behavior belong there .
Very true.
Stuart!!
Lol, there’s no way this story is real. A lot of the stuff on subreddits like this are just creative writing exercises for people.
Agreed.. just idiot writers trying to get a rise.
Let us pray we never encounter the entitled filthy scum in a dark alley where our sins might be hidden (or maybe rewarded for taking out the trash!
Why did the flight attendants asked to see their boarding passes? That is worst than the jerk. I was never ever asked to show my boarding pass when seated in first class. Thankfully, my two boys (now teenagers) always flew international paid business class and we were never asked to show our boarding passes to the flight attendants. Don’t they see on their paperwork that a family of three have those seats? Ridiculous. As for the jerk, thanks God I never met him because if he directed himself like that to my wife we would have been the first one to deplane. From the window.
When I was younger I was asked for my boarding pass a few times. Not too long ago a younger guy sat next to me in first. Not too long after he took his seat, a FA asked for his boarding pass and he ended up having to do the walk of shame back to coach…
Well, this was not a young person. It was a couple and a kid. Also, they could easily see on their papers who should be sitting there. Very very bad.
You must have a limited definition of “young person”.
When I got promoted to an upper level position several years ago, I started to fly in premium cabins thanks to my employers and having the financial ability to do so. I first dressed casual and that led to a few instances where the FA would ask for my boarding pass or some snob would ask the FA to check my boarding pass because to them, it was strange that a black person dressing casually was in a premium cabin. After these incidents, I started dressing at least business casual when flying and never got this again. Also funny how this only happened on US carriers and not on places like EK, KE, JL, and others I flew during that same period of time.
Point is, I understand why FAs sometimes do this to prevent self-upgraders, but they can check who’s in a premium cabin or not and it’s sad that some people in society still judge people based on only physical appearance.
You wrote this: While we don’t know the airline or the route, I’ve seen people like this before and I cannot believe it went this far. I wish the flight attendant
Then you left it bland. You wish the flight attendant had done what? Attention to detail
It has been updated.
Jason, since Matthew didn’t say it, I will:
Thank you. Thank you for pointing out the error. I’m not trying to be snarky here, but you deserved the common courtesy. Probably saved me from reading it and wondering the same thing. 🙂
Not nice.
My wife and I are childless yet we both understand that children are part of society and will be all over the place.
While we both would prefer that say the local brewery had a cutoff time for kids, we understand that parents want to have a drink too
The guy clearly had a few screws lose to even make a deal about the child.
Clearly if the story is true the man has not spent much time out and about or else he would see kids in all kinds of places that one would never ihave imagined 25 years ago.
You write the following and leave an incomplete sentence: While we don’t know the airline or the route, I’ve seen people like this before and I cannot believe it went this far. I wish the flight attendant
What do you wish if the flight attendant?
The first time wasn’t enough?
FA should have asked to see the man’s boarding pass
There are places where very small children are appropriate and places where they’re not. Premium airplane cabins are in the not appropriate category. Once the child can communicate verbally and can eat with limited assistance, they absolutely should be allowed in premium cabins.
Don’t you think a one-size-fits-all approach is a bit much considering so many young children behave so well in premium cabins?
Glad to see you back in your normal form again. I will admit that it’s tough no matter what and there’s a ton of subjective bias on the topic. When I was a child, my family considered decorum and good manners when in public to be vital and that definitely colors my perspective. Ultimately, there are likely exceptions but the problem is telling which people should get an exception when making a reservation.
Show me the statistics. Your personal observations and experiences with your own kids don’t count as fact or the prevailing trend..
actually, since it’s legal to buy a ticket for a 2-year old, then they can fly up there. It really doesn’t matter how you or anyone else feels about it.
Look up appropriate and look up legal. Not the same thing. Or are you okay with a stranger on a flight rubbing their feet on your face? Legal but not appropriate.
STFU. You don’t want to have children next to you? Fly private. First class (even international first class) has one simple rule: you pay, you get a seat. If you don’t like that, if you don’t want to be “bothered” by children, then don’t be in a public space where children are allowed. It’s that simple.
Oh, btw, I pity your parents. You were a child once, in case you don’t remember. Entitled adults tend to forget they were crying, whining babies not too long ago…
You certainly have the whining down pat. Actually, childishness as well. Your attempt at a viable contribution to the discourse is STFU? You’re pathetic.
Christian, of course you’d say that. Never mind the rest of my comment. Why bother engaging with any of it when you can focus on just the first word. And you have the nerve to call me childish. LOL.
Shhh. Grownups are talking.
Glad someone realizes that there are places that aren’t appropriate for children. To many entitled people who selfishly feel the need to bring children into places they don’t belong.
Hey wetwipe, I fly international business all the time with 2 small kids (since they were 3 months old). I pay for the ticket, they get to fly. If you don’t like it, you can either buy private, or buy a good set of ANC headphones. Since you fly business/first, should be an easy buy. If not, I guarantee, my kids won’t annoy your entitled ass on a private jet.
Sounds like a premium cabin is not the place for you.
Douche’
I’ve seen assholes like this before. Some time ago I was at the gate waiting to board. Standing next to me was another passenger who happened to be black. An older couple walked up and the woman said “excuse me, we have to go in front of you, we are first class” to the other guy. His response was ‘its ok, I am too’. The woman opined to her husband “he must be military with an upgrade”…
Lady, you aren’t first class, you are just sitting in the pointy end of the plane.
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment (and I REALLY hate children in the front, but know they have a right to be there and would never disturb one or their family). I do wonder. Are FAs actually allowed to send you back to economy? I know the airline can, but can a flight attendant do that? Asking because I really don’t know, no skin to get under 🙂
As a former flight attendant for a major U,S. international airline, I can report that there are no circumstances where cabin crew can upgrade or downgrade a customer once the cabin doors have been closed. Should a customer from any cabin cause a disruption, altercation or engage in harassing behavior toward another passenger or crew member, there are a set of escalating protocols designed to stop the behavior, up to and including being removed from the flight. At times like these, the offending party is placed under the constant supervision by all cabin crew and, if necessary, spoken to by the Captain in command of the aircraft. If the Captain believes that the offending party represents a threat to the safe operation of the flight, she/he will divert to the nearest airport and the aircraft with be met by law enforcement and the individual and their bags will be removed from the flight. Usually a dressing down from the cockpit goes a long way to silence an overly entitled passenger hell-bent on creating drama in the cabin. Bottom line – lap infants, toddlers and kindergarteners are all welcome in premium cabins on commercial aircraft when accompanied by an adult who can supervise their behavior and assist them in an emergency. Don’t like it? Fly private.
I’ll take “Things that never happened” for $100 Alex
Boohoo. I had a very similar example on a BA flight from LHR to SJC in First a few years ago. An hour before boarding, there were just three seats assigned. Two were for my wife, myself and my 1-year old. When we boarded, there were 5 seats taken – obviously, a couple other people had been upgraded.
A few hours into the flight, the man one seat ahead of my wife and child started huffing and puffing, and started verbalising (to nobody in particular) his annoyance that there was a kid behind him “in first class, how dare they(!)”. At one point he had the cheek and the nerve to ask out loud (again, to no-one in particular) whether “that kid” was sick or had some sort of problem, and questioning if we really needed to fly. As if there was any other way to get from London to North California. Mind you, all my child was doing was walk up and down the aisle, without making a fuss.
Of course, his criticism couldn’t withstand minor scrutiny. I called him out. Loudly. I told him I knew for a fact he’d been gifted an operational upgrade, which he didn’t deny. I told him I had paid cash for our first class tickets, which he had not. And I told him if he had such contempt of children, he just shouldn’t fly commercial, and lease a private jet instead. And I strongly implied that, if he continued berating my family, we’d have more than words.
The FA in charge of First (who wasn’t the CSD) couldn’t have been more gracious. He de-escalated the whole situation, took me to the galley, offered me drinks, gave the offending pax a stern word, and asked me to let him know if he bothered me again. Turns out the FA was a former copper, and knew how to deal with hecklers.
When I went back to my seat from the galley, the lady in front of me (the only other paid F pax), who’d heard everything I told the idiot sitting next to her in the middle seat, flagged me down, gave me a thumbs up, and winked at me.
So this whole “stories that never happened” is just plain wrong.
I’ll take “things that didn’t happen” for $200, Mike. Next time, add a line about the entire plane standing up and applauding.
It must be Sam Chui off camera
There are places that are off limits to children, any premium cabin business and first class is one of them. Airlines need to set a minimum age for all premium cabins. At the same time airlines need to have a section for families with small kids, preferably in the back or convert part of the rear cargo hold that is sound proof so the rest of the passengers can relax.
Amen Dr. Rob!
What is so special about airlines? Why not do the same for trains? Or why stop there and not include long distance coaches, ferry boats, city buses etc?
How much extra do you think people would be prepared to pay for such a service?
In some country it is already like this for train.
I pity you, your parents, and your kids (if you have any). Premium cabins on commercial flights aren’t off limits to kids, no matter how strongly you feel about it. You pay, you fly; it’s that simple. You don’t like kids? Don’t fly commercial: you always have the option of flying private. So stop lecturing the rest of us. If we can afford to pay for several first class seats to fly with our children, rest assured we will continue to do so.
I’m glad you fell like you’re important enough to make others around you suffer because you want to bring children into an area not appropriate for them. Thanks so much for thinking of others.
Guess what. The airline thinks different than you. They will sell me 4 tickets with a bigger smile than sell you 1. Why? Kids are still paying customers, and I have pay the airline for 4 tickets in total, while you pay for 1. That’s how much the airline thinks about you and your whining.
Get a better pair of headphones.
Okay, so does drug dealer, your point?
This may exist in your mind, but reality is a different matter.
The airlines willingly sell premium cabin seats to children and even to adults traveling with a lap child. Clearly the airlines (literally all of them) feel that those seats are not off limits to children.
You’ve established in your mind that you don’t like children near you when you’re in a premium cabin, and you (and some others) are trying to enact a form of unofficial “clubhouse” rule that excludes them. Realize that when there are no children present in a premium cabin, it is not an indication that you are correct- this is a form of confirmation bias that exists within your mind.
Based on your comment I would prefer they set a minimum emotional intelligence or even iq. Then I would never be bothered by sitting next to your over entitled self
During online check in for domestic Japan Airlines flights you can see where lap infants are seated. I’m not completely sure if this is a good idea or not.
I and my wife are about to fly a 5 and a half our flight to Mexico in AC domestic business with not one, not two, but THREE children (one 6 year old and a set of 10 month old twins)! I was initially a bit apprehensive about booking business in this situation, reading all the horrible stories (including this one). But then I asked myself, why should I make decisions based on what others think or feel? If one doesn’t like kids around them in any public setting (first class cabins or otherwise), they should really not be living on our lovely planet, which is full of kids!
Now, I can’t wait to meet one of these entitled jerks on our flights. Straightening up one jerk at a time!
This didn’t happen, but it’s a fun story. Children are in the front of the plane all the time.
Another one sided account by an entitled mummy who is distraught that not all the world worshipped her snowflake the way she does, oh how mean of the nasty man.
I’d ban the under 25s from first and the under 18s from business. At the same time I would allocate seats fromt he back in economy for people traveling with children, the younger the child, the nearer the back and allocate adults from the front in economy.
You must be one sad, lonely SOB.
And here you are, replying to him.
Mike your problem isn’t that you have a different opinion, in fact, I agree with you. It’s the name calling that puts you in the immature, emotionally unintelligent group. Use better words, and people will respect your opinion (and you) a lot more.
Would you apply the same standard to Prince William and Princess Kate when they are traveling with their kids? Just asking.
You’re free to try to start an airline with those rules.
The fact that no one has done this before you should be a clue to you that there isn’t enough of a business case for it to succeed.
When someone starts an airline with those rules you are more than welcome to fly on it. Until then you need to go by the rules that exist, not the rules you wish to exist.
Surely the problem isn’t paying too much for first class, but paying too little for a private flight. I haven’t got kids and I generally find children annoying and/or exhausting, but I struggle to comprehend how someone could believe that scheduled airline flights cease to be public transport if one chooses to sit in the front of the plane.
On the other hand, if anyone wants to start a campaign to ban, say, under-12s from public buses, trains, boats, planes the world over, I would consider joining them.
After working as an agent for an airline for 44 years I realized that passengers in first class are not necessarily first class passengers. The man in this story is a perfect example.
Well said.
You are right there sir.
Like all the money in the world can’t buy a shred of decency, some people can buy a first class ticket but not some class for themselves.
It’s not about age. It’s about behavior.
I’ll take a four year old behaving well over a forty year old behaving poorly.
I’d take a child behaving poorly over a mature adult behaving poorly any day.
Whether the story is real or not, I am disappointed at some of the folks on this forum that would put children in the cargo hold.
Such people are toxic for society and need to be corrected at every opportunity.
A parent has as much right of taking their children with them in first class as anybody else. You don’t like that, please feel free to fly Private or drive.
Entitled much much much??!
Although I don’t believe for one second that that child wasn’t disruptive not once during the whole flight it doesn’t matter because they pay for their seats and that guy has absolutely no right to ask them to move or even talk or bother them. What’s surprised me even more was that the woman and child were accompanied by their husband who didn’t not only threaten to knock that guy’s front teeth out but stop the harassment.
Now you know what we pee ons feel like sitting in the econocrush class. Money talks loudest. Poor guy needs to charter a plane.
Best part is most of the fools complaining here about kids fly US first, which is dirt cheap and not much better than international premium economy. They spend a few bucks more on a ticket and belive the world will dance around their whims. Guess what. No one cares. You’re not better becuase you have a bit more cash. Funny, the family flying 1st/business has more, they bought 3 or 4 or more tickets not 1. But they are not sitting there whining.
If you want to solve the no kids issue with $$$ go fly private. 😉
I know the toddler had their own seat, but I will add that since our son was born (8 months right now) we have only flown 1st or business because its way easier to get a lap infant to play/sleep in the bigger seat.
We’re less disruptive by being up front, belive me.
We always travel with our toddlers first class or business class internationally. A while back when my first born was about 9 months old (and she’s an amazing baby on board, mostly relaxed), a gentlemen on a Swiss ZRH-MIA flight came onboard with his girlfriend/escort/something (older older gentlemen) and as soon as he got on board he started rattling loudly – oh my god these people with kids, why am I paying for business class, she’s going to cry the entire flight. I politely told him if he has issues, go talk with the FA. All other pax were shocked by his response. Shortly after, he was moved to the front section (before grunting and complaining more). I told the FA they should have moved him to coach.
I am a first officer for one of the major airlines. If I was the pilot on that flight and saw that person, I would have asked the gate agent to remove the pax as he might cause issues in the air, unnecessary trouble.
Best way is indeed to ignore. But man, if I was the father and he would touch my wife and say that… I couldn’t stay quiet. People are losing it.
Funny enough, when flying first class on both Lufthansa and Emirates, passengers just wanted to take pictures with our kids. It’s a shame the minority always causes so much headache.
Your article is a prime example of white privilege and a culture of entitlement. We waited and went through so much to have our single little one, more than most. And though we “may” fly with them, we chose to wait until they were old enough to travel without being in distress. We waited until they were capable of understanding inside voices. For them, this meant almost age 3. Even then, we won’t be those millennials who fly first with them because it is, frankly, rude.
But before our child, we flew first class a lot. Rarely did we encounter a disruptive adult (when we did, they were always white people), but many times we encountered parents (always white or non white privileged groups) with lap children in first class. The kind of parents wearing designer labels head to toe. And naturally, the kiddos cried for 5 hours, the toddlers yelled and jumped and kicked. Always. This also happened in coach, and it’s rude there, too. One exception: the Japanese. Those kids seem to follow their parents lead! Unlike most Americans, they’re actually polite!!
But here’s the thing, many things are allowed on planes. Coughing without covering, chewing open mouthed, skinky food, smelly people, dirty bare feet, flatulence, obnoxiously loud and usually southern adults, pda, you name it. It’s all rude, but that’s your right. But just because you “can,” doesn’t mean you should.
Barring an absolute emergency or unplanned move that isn’t drivable, there’s never any need to take infants and toddlers on a plane. Planes are not like buses. They cost a whole lot more. And the whole “get noise canceling headphones” and “fly private” showcases a the largely toxic, entitled white parenting culture that has become the norm in the US, along with the erosion of mutual respect. You can actually wait a couple of years and instead do local trips with your little ones.
As a brown American , I’ll tell you I’ve never encountered this nonsense behavior on planes from black Americans. This attitude of “flying first class with my baby is my right and I’ll tell you off if you don’t like it because I fly 1000 x a year and I paid for thre seat” is the attitude of white privilege. It’s self centered and rude, and the reason the US has become such an exhausting place to live. White privilege doesn’t care that for many flying first is a treat, and that your kids do not belong there yet.
Another very important thing. Kids aren’t young for long. And the dangerous of having precious cargo on your lap because you’re too
entitled to purchase a seat for your baby (though obviously you can afford those first class tickets), well….. after what we went through to have our child, I would never risk a child’s safety like that. There’s an enormous lack of education in this area.
Omg enough with the self pity… white privilege… I see many African Americans flying with their babies in first class and intl business class.
Enough already with the self pity. We’re in 2023. Grow up.
Why thanks for mansplaining/whitesplaining it to me, Ole Roy. I bet you also think black people should just get over it because all lives matter.
So Roy can´t reply you because he is a male and white and you are brown?? (how do you know he is white by the way?)
Small children may actually travel better in first class where they can maybe stand up in front of their seat, lay down more comfortably, and not so easily reach the back of the seat in front of them.
One size doesn’t fit all. If the child is not disruptive, it’s OK to fly up front. If it’s basically a tourist destination (Venice, for example) and most of the passengers will be up, also OK even if the child is not impeccably behaved. Ditto if it’s under, say, 5 hours. But on an overnight route where most first or business class travelers are flying on their way to business meetings (NY-London comes to mind), even though it may be permitted to book very young children up front, ask yourself how you’d feel if you could not get the sleep you needed.
You pay, you fly. End of story. That said, control, ie raise your kids. I live in Europe- kids are everywhere, frequently late at night & often in what most Americans would consider “adult spaces” and 9/10 times no problem and the 1 is not often very much of a problem. Maybe b/c many more environmens are just fine for families. Kids by and large live up to examples & expectations. Try that.
The family paid more than the man did. They should have insisted he be sent to coach!