25 August 2023 , 15:11
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Flying with children is no mean feat. Trying to make sure they're settled throughout the flight can be tricky, so packing toys and activities to keep them occupied can be a huge help, but many parents are accustomed to unnerving glares from passengers if it doesn't quite go to plan.
However, one mum caused a stir when she splurged on a first-class seat for her three-year-old, as she unknowingly caused fury from a fellow passenger also in first class. Despite her toddler being well-behaved, she was advised to "go back to her real seat" and that "toddlers weren't allowed in first class" by the seething passenger.
After being told by her family that she should have booked the economy class, the baffled mum took to Reddit to seek advice on whether she was in the wrong. She wrote: "My husband, toddler (almost 3) and I were flying across the country for Thanksgiving. Since we could afford it due to a nice pay raise my husband recently got, we decided to splurge on 1st class tickets for the trip.
"My toddler has always been a good flyer and has flown a lot throughout her short life. She's never been disruptive or cried on an airplane, this flight included. She's good at staying in her seat and tells us when she needs to go potty, food, a toy, etc. She stayed seated and quietly playing throughout the flight, only getting up when she had to go potty."
She explained that her little one had been well-behaved during the flight, even falling asleep for part of the journey, but the enraged passenger had even complained to the onboard cabin crew, and his issues started before they had even boarded the plane.
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She explained: "The issue was with another 1st class passenger. We boarded early since my husband is disabled and when another 1st class passenger saw us he started glaring. We take off and all is good. My kid fell asleep in the middle of colouring [sic], husband is snoozing.
"I'm listening to music when I get a tap on my shoulder. It was the guy that glared at us as he boarded and before I could even get a word out he told me that children weren't allowed in 1st class and that we needed to move to our 'real' seats. The flight attendant came and explained to him that we were in the correct seats that we paid for and asked that he sit back down and not bother us again.
Feeling uncomfortable, the mum asked the cabin crew to deal with his complaints, to avoid any confrontation, but he was still just as furious when they landed. The mum further detailed: He did go back to his seat but as we were getting off the plane he whispered to me that I was a 'fat c***' and that he pays too much money for first class to be surrounded by children.
"My kid was the only kid in 1st class and she didn't misbehave or even cry so at first I felt like I was in the right, but after talking to family at Thanksgiving many of them told me that we should book economy next time because people pay extra to relax in 1st class. Are we really a******s for flying 1st class with our toddler?"
Redditors were quick to chime in with their opinions to defend the mum as one wrote: "Even if your child did cry, it wouldn't have mattered because you paid and are entitled to the seats you paid for... if they don't want to be around children/other people that bad - they should fly private", whilst another claimed: "I can understand why he would initially be wary and upset, but he frankly should have calmed the f down once it became apparent that your toddler was just sleeping peacefully like anyone else. And since you know that your kid is a good flyer, there's no reason not to sit first class if you can".