I ran into something frustrating on my recent Air France flight and want to discuss how old is too old when it comes to pre-boarding for families with “young” children.
Pre-Boarding With Children – What Should The Age Cutoff Be?
One benefit to traveling with my family is that we generally get to board the plane first no matter what class we fly, which allows me to take unobstructed photos of the cabin that are instrumental in distinguishing my trip reports from others. I don’t let airlines know I am coming, so traveling with my kids is a great way to take pictures almost incognito.
Anyway, I lined up to board with my two-year-old behind me in her little Jetkids Bedbox ahead of my recent Air France flight from Los Angeles to Paris. There was another family who lined up to board at the same time…a father with his two children. One looked to be an 8-year-old, the other a 10-year-old. No exaggeration.
It’s not my business who Air France allows to board early, but I really do not understand why an 8-year-old and 10-year-old require additional time to board?
And boy did they board aggressively. I thought I could sidestep around them to get my cabin photos but they bolted down the jetway like I do when I’m traveling solo.
When I reached the cabin they were already sitting in their seats. As a result, they are in my picture:
As a father of two young children, I certainly appreciate pre-boarding because the way my two-year old dawdles along it does take more time to board and would certainly act as a bottleneck to those boarding behind her.
Getting parents or guardians traveling with young children situated early makes so much sense.
But I tend to think by age five the benefit should no longer apply. Air France does not even mention pre-boarding with families on its webpage discussing boarding procedures. United, the airline I fly most often, explicitly limits pre-boarding to families with children two and under (though never actually enforces it).
Two strikes me as too young to cut off pre-boarding, but once children hit five or six, they generally are able to wait in line and board with everyone else.
CONCLUSION
I thought it was interesting that a father took advantage of pre-boarding to board first with his 8-year-old and 10-year-old on my Air France flight to Paris. While not my business to police, I tend to think that was in poor taste and the line-up of families with babies and wheelchairs was long enough already without three more who did not really need to board early.
my kids are 6 and 9, i do it whenever i think i can get away with it. for example BA says 5 and under, we definitely preboard every time. Obviously not at airlines that say 2 and under.
Along those lines, why do people with wheelchairs get to board first? If they need more time they can board last, especially since i’ve seen many a person bound off a wheelchair once boarded. Same idea, if you aren’t gaming the system you are being gamed.
People in wheelchairs board first because it is a federal regulation.
§ 382.93 Must carriers offer preboarding to passengers with a disability?
As a carrier, you must offer preboarding to passengers with a disability who self-identify at the gate as needing additional time or assistance to board, stow accessibility equipment, or be seated.
I didn’t know that. But self identify? So if I claim I need it they can’t question me and have to provide it? This seems too good to be true.
Hmm well that’s a bit offensive. As a wheelchair user boarding first not only makes it easier for me but you as well. Once out of my wheelchair I require to be strapped to a onboard ” wheelchair”to maneuvered to my seat. Yes I could board last…I’m sure you might enjoy the special. Oh by the way, each time I must wait for ALL passengers to deplane before I can get off …so pretty much make us even. As for the people faking to get on first with no need of wheelchair, one can only hope that karma will find them…and you.
“…I do it whenever I think I can get away with it.”
And then you question why folks with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to board first?
Class act!
One thing to consider is neurodiversity. I’ll be traveling with my 8 year old (plus 5 and 3 year old) and honestly it’s the 8 year old I need the extra consideration for. He is ADHD & autistic and without settling into our seats early to prep him for the plane, get him grounded before a lot of people get on (can’t do crowds), a meltdown would ensue. These meltdowns are that of a 3-4 year old because that’s the age of his executive functioning. Just something to consider.
Where I draw the line is, if your child is young enough that you need to gate check a stroller and/or car seat, then you should be able to pre-board. Those are enough of a PITA to deal with that you end up delaying everyone behind you. Using that standard would probably put the cutoff somewhere between 4 and 6, depending on circumstances.
My favorite ever was a guy that tried to board when they called for families. He told the gate agent that he had children but just not with him. The GA did not let him board. LOL
LOL
Sounds like Leff. He also abuses WN A-list by saving seats.
Recently had my wife fly on a trip with me. I was upgraded to First (I offered her the seat) She was moved from the bulkhead aisle to a middle in economy plus so a child could sit next to his mother. Turns out he was 19.
On another note it’s amazing how many preboard passengers are healed after a flight. Wheelchair or massive limp preboard and dang near sprint off the plane after landing.
19. Lol. Wow. That would have caused a scene with me.
Even at nineteen there may have been a very good reason why he needed her next to him, autism, anxiety, and that’s just the start of a very long list.
Lol. No.
You certainly are as grumpy as your handle makes you out to be.
If this is true, he shouldn’t be flying or he should be flying with a special needs caretaker.
Yet another “shouldn’t be flying” tirade. “If he’s under 4, he shouldn’t be flying first class”. “If he’s under 6 and can’t be dead quiet, he should be doing the trip by car, not by plane”. “If he has a nut allergy, he shouldn’t inconvenience other pax who want to enjoy their peanut & almond mix and should drive instead”. “If he has autism, he shouldn’t be on a plane – or should be tazed & detained the minute they voice any discomfort”.
Ever heard of the concept of empathy? Of humanity? Of civility? I’m not saying the 19yo in OP’s account had a mental health issue that warranted some compassion. But since Francesca (rightly) points out it may conceivably have been the case, why not concede the benefit of the doubt? (Until Grumpy1k comes back and confirms the teenager’s mom was, in fact, gaming the system.)
A little kindness goes a long way.
Mike, I’ll confirm that he was a normal kid with a mom gaming the system. I may be grumpy but I’m not an ahole. I’m on a minimum of 4 United aircraft a week. I’ve seen a ton of shenanigans and I can assure you this was one.
BTW, Mike there is no button to respond direct to your comment hence the response to DCAWABN.
Including entitlement
It is a phenomenon referred to as “Jetway Jesus”
Any age is too old because of preboard abuse. You need extra time to get on? Well that means you need extra time to get off. Don’t be inconsiderate and slow everyone down. If you preboard with kids you should be LAST to deplane!
Which is what we actually do in my family – not sure about anyone else. I have a story about that coming up.
That’s why I work hard so the one time a year we fly as a family for vacation we are in business class. We will board before most of the plane which is great and will leave the plane before anyone else. You are talking about kids here but what is the limit to request a wheelchair? I see people that don’t have a need a d take advantage of that to board first and to have priorities at immigration.
Plenty of people with kids on UA board with “those needing a little extra time” up front. Makes me crazy!
Matt, I respect your contributions and insight related to airline observations. Unfortunately, the optics here appear to be that the cabin would not provide a “virgin “ photo op for you, and was the bigger concern. I hope that was not the case.
Airlines should be clear that early boarding is for those with chronological rather than emotional children.
No special boarding for young children. No special boarding for active military; I didn’t get that privilege when I was active duty, therefore you shouldn’t get it. No special boarding for the handicapped; that’s abused more than the kids exception. Pre-boarding on UA should be limited to Global Services and 1K. The rest of you, wait for your boarding group.
When you were active duty airplanes did not exist, d0ng-bag.
So no special boarding for any groups you don’t belong to is what you are saying
You must be joking. “No one should get it because I didn’t get it” could be the most pathetic reason to be against anything.
I appreciate that you have to take photos for the blog, but I have no interest in boarding before the final call. It’s important to maximise my time in the comfortable environment of the lounge and minimise my time in the small metal tube that’s packed with people. I would do the same if I were travelling with children – wouldn’t want to cause bottlenecks for those boarding or increase their exposure to the risk of the child next to them crying or whatever.
Yeah what’s the rush to get onboard (other than the photos). Our family is usually amongst the last to board if in economy. I’d rather have the kids looking at planes, walking around etc than spending 20mins in a queue to board then spending longer in a cramped seat.
Maybe overhead space? Which is another interesting observation. Why bring everything you can onboard if it’s a 7 hr flight and you have customs to go through on the other side? Just check that stuff! (Notwithstanding I sometimes see families with small kids boarding with 9 carry ons).
Pretty sure I just read today that Southwest is trialing expanding family boarding for kids up to 13. I actually thought that is what this post was about when I read the headline.
As if Matthew has ever flown a “budget airline” like Southwest…
Another reason to avoid flying WN.
I wouldn’t dream of flying them for a number of reasons 🙂
I think one e the kids are old enough to simply walk down the aisle to their seat there is no need to pre-board. In my view it’s for families with car seats or little ones that need constant direction etc. if you can walk down the aisle to your seat like an adult you don’t need to pre-board.
And when our kids were that age we were usually the last ones off the plane. Because I’m not going to get up and block the aisle while we got the car seats unhooked etc. I remember one flight where we were seated near the back and with the aisle full I simply couldn’t get our stuff ready to go which meant the crew ended up waiting on us to get off. I felt bad but there was nothing I could do about it.
In the past, I’ve seen this abused by those in puberty stuck to Mommy’s hip.
As of late, it appears to be more under control.
At this point the whole boarding game has become more of a farce, e.g., UAL may well have “Group 1” on the boarding pass but with all of the “pre-boards” (kids, active-duty military, 1K, special needs – all deserving and no judgement) Group 1 really shifts to about group 5. Why not acknowledge it and go for starting from the back, move forward with overhead bins filled from back to front as well.
If one has to be hard and fast about kids pre-boarding, then kids up to 5 since they can be rambunctious and it is a lot easier for everyone – parents, FAs, other passengers, to accommodate to a small one.
So it seems that your primary issue is that somebody else is accessing a perk that you think should be solely enjoyed by “elite” ttravelers such as yourself, and you’re annoyed that this plebeian and his uncouth spawn ruined your pristine photo op?
Gee Matthew, you kinda sound like an effete, pompous, entitled tool-bag. IJS
Maybe, but I don’t think 8 and 10 year olds need pre-boarding.
Hahaha… OK that reply just earned you bonus-points…
Well played, Sir!
Matthew should perhaps consider moderating your comments, if only on account of your “clever” handle.
People who pay for first class should board before hoi polloi with sprogs gaming the system.
I have two small children also (1.5 and 3.5 yr olds) and I never pre board. Even with status I don’t care. I want my kids to run and get energy out as much as possible. Being the very first on board just makes them sitting still more difficult (impossible for the younger). I find being the very last to board the best. Let the rest fight it out.
It is amazing the ABUSE that I see with the Pre-Boarding crowd!! And nothing can be said to them!!
The number of gate miracles is amazing. The people who limp to the gate to preboard and then confidently stride down the jetway, happy they are getting their overhead space.
I was in Atlanta and a family of four attempted to board a Delta flight early. The children appeared to be preteens, definitely old enough to not require preboarding. I heard the gate agent admonish them and tell them “uh, no.”
Ok, I’m guilty of (unknowingly) boarding with a 5 year old in the “family” queue on domestic airlines that have an age 2 limit (but hey, ignorance of the law is no excuse! 🙂 but on Lufthansa, I checked and it’s ok with them.
Nonetheless, she’s 7 now so we’ll be ok with waiting to board. It’s no big deal for us in that we travel pretty light.
I’m chuckling in that I read recently on a “travel tip” page on facebook to “wait in the business queue so you can jump into the economy line when your boarding group is called” basically ADVISING people to become “gate lice.” I chuckled that this was a ‘tip’.
So here’s a fun question: Let’s say I want to wait in line while my family sits down (because a 7 year old may want to relax). Is it ok if when the line starts moving, I bring them in or is that considered cutting? I’m thinking of asking the folks behind me if it’s ok for my daughter to read in a chair while waiting.