Strollerderby

I can tell you I got stuck next to a super bitchy woman once when my kid was a still-nursing lap baby and it was awful.

We fly all the time and it was our only bad experience, still I think *I'd* pay to sit in a kid-only section. We could all share fruit snacks and the older kids can play go-fish together while Mommy has a cocktail and reads Glamour.

I have flown with small babies many times and three times on a jumbo full of parents with newly adopted babies with my newly adopted babies.  Most of the kids sleep the 14-18 hours flights though.  The sick ones cry but I just put on my head phones.  My infants always slept most of the flight.  I dont care what people think.  They can be rude but it is not my problem, they can ask to be moved you know.  

I would LOVE to be in a families-with-kids section or on a families-with-kids plane.  It's not like most parents are out there thinking, "Gee, wouldn't it be funny if they seat me and my baby right next to a business traveler heading for an important meeting, and the baby cries for three hours and gives him a migraine so he loses the big account?  Good times!"  Most parents with crying kids on a plane are cringing inside wishing they could spare everyone else, it's just that they can't.  If they can't seat us all together, maybe they could at least create an in-flight equivalent of the sidewalk in front of the restaurant where you stand with your crying baby until everyone else finishes eating.

If we have a special section for kids, can we also have a special section for adults who take up more space than their own seat allows? Who drink too much? Who snore? Who won't shut up and let you read your book?

Chyna823:  Amen!

My son is now 22 months old, and has been on 15 flights and counting - 14 of those were by the time he was 15 months old. His first flight was from the west coast to Europe, so 10 hours long. He's criss-crossed the Atlantic and also North America, and in all that flying, he's cried a grand total of five minutes. Seriously. (Now, I've probably jinxed all future travels with him...) We have no family nearby - not even in the same time zone - so if our kid is to see his grandparents, he's gotta fly.

But you know what? It isn't like I *enjoy* flying with a baby in tow. (But, really, who still enjoys air travel?) I'm always a bundle of nerves, ready to hand over yet another new toy or a snack or a cup or whatever it takes to keep him happy. He always has me wrapped around his finger - but even moreso when we're on a plane.

I have flown a lot of international flights with my son who is now almost two. Flying with a baby until 6 months is easy because they are content to be held. If you nurse you can relieve ear pressure and things are good. 6-9 months when they are becoming more active gets a little more difficult, but still containable. After that, when they can walk it becomes much harder. I think between 18 months and 3 years is probably the worst time because they are big, active and can't be reasoned with. Still, many people have to fly. If you bring plenty of snacks and a few distractions you can get through it without too much pain.

Our son is young still, just 3 months, and we have already flown with him.  But at this age they sleep the whole time.  Our family is 3000 miles away, so we really have no choice.  2 days in a car with kids, or 4 hours in a plane?  I'll take the plane, thanks.  Anyone who would get upset by a kids tantrum or crying enough to glare at you or say something or complain doesn't have kids of their own and will never understand why kids are allowed to fly at all.  Screw 'em.  Even before we had our son, a crying baby on a plane did not get my panties in a bunch.  It's not like you are there for all eternity or anything.

Two words: Public Transportation.

If they don't like getting stuck next to a child, they should find a different way to travel.  I've flown many  times with my child, and the worst part of all the stress is having someone get upset about you and how you're ruining their flight. Oh really? Because you think I have it all that good with a 30 pound child standing on my bladder, pushing the call button, crying, and not able to move away from the 1 foot radius for 3 hours and refusing to take a nap?

I would love to have a seperate secion, just to sit next to people who aren't bugging me. But honestly, I think that would be overwhelming, because I don't like other people's kids. I understand them, but I don't want to sit next to them. I just want everyone else to stop their complaining and glaring, and maybe keep their overweight sweaty elbows on their own armrest.

I have flown with my 14 month old back an forth to Europe 3 times in the last 10 months and all those flights involved changing planes at least once. He's been quite good even though he has done his fair share of crying. No one has ever said a word to me.

The last flight we were on we got bumped up to Economy Extra because or flights got delayed and stuff and we were seated next to this other family and their little girl cried for a good hour or so. It wasn't very loud and the parents were doing their best to calm her down and not to disturb anyone but this woman sitting behind them still didn't think that was enough. She got up and started shouting at the poor frazzled mom and telling her that she paid good money for her ticket and that the kid was ruining her flight and that the parents should give her money for her ticket since they ruined her flight.

It was pretty horrible and I don't think that kind of behavior is ever acceptable. I mean we all pay good money for our tickets and as parent we do our best to keep our little ones quiet and happy but sometimes it's impossible.

I think the idea of a kids section is good but then again would my kid ever sleep if there were 10 other kids around to play with?

My son has been a good traveler so far (he's 2), but the easiest time keeping him entertained was when there was another baby directly across the aisle from us and we could share toys and say hellos. That might mean that a separate section would be a good idea, except that I can just picture one baby starting to cry an then all of them joining in, which would be much worse than a random cry here or there every once in a while.

I have two kids under five and have made many 12-13 hour international flights across the Pacific with them.  It is always easier if I am on a flight with other families with kids sitting nearby simply because the other families understand the position that we are all in. Also, on a plane with lots of kids no one notices as much if your kid acts up a little.

My kids are generally good travelers, and even when they cry or get loud they still don't make as much noise as the annoying adults who want to chat with everyone at the top of their lungs.  On our most recently flight, as we were leaving the plane the loudest chatter made a remark to me about how relieved he was that my kids were quiet during the flight.  I snapped back that I was sorry I couldn't say the same about him.

If kids are segregated on airplanes, then everyone should be segregated based on their own annoying behaviors - talking too loudly, talking nonstop, snoring, farting, taking up too much room, getting up to go to the bathroom too much, etc.

As for "ruining" someone's flight, excuse me, but what about air travel is so enjoyable that the experience can be ruined?  At its best, air travel is horrible.