Posted on 07/22/2018 8:30:19 PM PDT by Simon Green
How would you react to finding your seatmate on a 12-hour flight to China is a talkative eight-year-old boy whose father had ditched him to go sit in business class?
Flyertalk member steveo posted the following question in the United forum:
Hi Flyertalk. Just got off [Chicago] to [Beijing] and to my delight I had a maybe [an] 8-year-old boy sitting next to me the whole flight while his dad was in Polaris. I had the distinct pleasure of entertaining this kid who wouldn’t shut up for 12-hours. Should I complain about this?
Short answer: yes.
Flight attendants appear to share blame here. Steveo added:
Just to clarify the dad was sending stuff back to the kid from Polaris; and the kid even told the flight attendants that his daddy was up in Polaris class.
They knew it wasn’t my kid.
This is was also one of the worst crews I’ve ever seen from United. For example they rammed a guy with their cart and yelled, “You need to keep out of the aisle” and the guy was like “are you even going to apologize?”
There’s two big issues here. First, the father’s actions. Is it appropriate for a father to ditch his young son on a long intercontinental flight? I tend to think the answer is no, though I may be singing a different tune when my son is eight.
On a serious note, it does appear the father checked in on the son during the flight, but wouldn’t you want to fly with your child? Is entrusting him to the strangers seated next to him wise parenting?
The kid apparently talked for nine hours, eventually to himself after the seatmate put his headphones on and tried to sleep.
(Excerpt) Read more at liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com ...
United again, I swear I will not fly that damned airlines ever especially on international flights, Emirates fills that role.
Isn’t that what happened in “Home Alone”?
The Parents sat in First Class while the kids were in coach?
Kids fly unaccompanied all the time.
Even when the parents are there they’ll kick your seat for 12 hours straight.
Of all the airlines I have flown I like SAS the best.
Shorter flight and she was 14 y.o. with her own entertainment.
How did my parents EVER make it around the world on Uncle Sugar Airlines during the 60’s, with three kids under ten?
I'm flying Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific on my upcoming trip Vietnam & Thailand. And in first class(!) each way.
Agreed regarding international flights on United.
I never flew SAS but heard good reviews from Sam Chou on YouTube, I did fly Iceland Air earlier this year and that was nice and may fly Lufthansa soon.
I never flew SAS but heard good reviews from Sam Chou on YouTube, I did fly Iceland Air earlier this year and that was nice and may fly Lufthansa soon.
Coming from an airline family, we were split up all the time. There may have only been 2 seats available - one in business and one in economy. I hated when my sister got to sit in First Class and I didn’t. :-)
I flew Lufthansa transatlantic business class a couple of years ago. Nice service, but the 2-2-2 seating is outdated.
I’m in Japan now and you will like JAL way better than United even if you are a gaijin especially an American, I flew Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong recently and they were alright, I was in economy however.
I used to work for an airline... so I traveled a lot. I never once left my son behind by himself. If I couldn’t get a first class seat for at least my wife or I, AND the kid... I stayed back with him (and let the wife go up front by herself... got bone-us points for that.) This guy is a crappy father.
I’ve heard Korean Airlines is even better than JAL.
This article is too judgmental.
I think the guy who sat next to the boy thinks of business class as just a fun luxury. In fact, if you are flying overseas on a business trip, the difference between arriving via business class and arriving via coach can be dramatic. If the father has a meeting, he should sit up front. Besides, the boy is likely to fit much more comfortably in coach whereas his father would feel squeezed in.
The article does say that the father went back to check on the boy, and the flight attendants knew where he was. I would assume that they were keeping an eye on him.
American upgraded me on a return flight from China, but not my son. “HEY”, I yelled, “I’m not traveling business class without my S, ah........Are those the warm mixed nuts???. Actually, he was in Roach Class row 1 and I was in the last row of business. Many seats open, but they wouldn’t upgrade him (18 years old). I splurged and rented him a seatbelt for the flight....
My buddy who is in Afghanistan still loves them and I saw one of Sam Chui’s review of them and they seem good when I do my Asian tour I might use them.
If you’re going to take your child overseas, he should sit by you. It’s a statement that the child is more important than the upgrade. If there is a meeting right after landing, maybe the flight should have been booked to arrive 1 day earlier?
Another person who sent his wife to 1st class - yes good move.
Family first.
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