Baby on Board !

I just signed up to this forum. I am traveling on my first VS flight in a week from EWR-LHR. I am bringing my 21 month old son (his first flight). I would appreciate hearing anyone's advise who has flown on VS with an active toddler, in economy class, especially from anyone who has done so solo. Specifically, I would like to hear how you handled nappy changes (are the lavs equipped and is there space?), and if bulkhead seating is the best. Does VS give out any toddler amenities? Are the Crew normally helpful with parents traveling with babies? Thanks for your candid tips / experience! The aircraft will be a 747-400.

[Decker]

Greetings and welcome to the forum! I presume you've reviewed http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/special_ ... ts.view.do? Check out http://www.babygoes2.com/main_planes.asp too.

Some lavs are equipped with changing facilities.

Just remember not to make the classic mistake we saw one mother make whilst sitting with the children at the bulkhead row. She called the stewardess over and asked if she could turn off their IFE as it was distracting the children. (This was in one of the older cabins with the large screen on the bulkhead). Needless to say the people sitting behind her might have had a problem with this.

We have taken our son twice on VS flights to MCO. The first time he was 3 months old and was in a bassinetin economy, the second (see pictures section) he was 21 months old and we went PE for a bit more space for him to move around.
There are toilets on board with baby changing tables, they are "snug" but you can use them ok.
Make sure you take all your baby needs with you. The plane does have some bits and pieces, but maybe not the right size for your little 'un.
We found that giving him a juice bottle with a sucky straw on takeff and especially landing stopped him from crying and got the pressure from his ears very well.
Unless you are paying for a seat you will not get a meal for him, so take some food as well.

anyone taken a baby in uc??

we are a littl e worried in case he 18 months or our disabled daughter makes a bit of noise -- some timess she shouts a bit and we dont want to upset other pax


plus how are the fa with kids in uc

steve

There was a family of 4 adults with 2 very young babies at the front of PE on VS44 the other night. Cue lots of crying and disturbance most of the night. Thank god I was back in 79A - I felt really sorry for the folks in the front section who had to go to work that day, like I did.

Just my opinion, but the under fives should not be allowed into premium cabins - I dread to think what would happen in UC on an overnight!

As the parents have paid for PE and if, over two years old, they have paid for a seat for the child in PE, they have the right to fly there.
I am taking my 3 year old in UC, I have paid for him to do so, why shoukldn't I? He is a hunan being and has the same rights as everybody else.
Whats next? No one should fly UC unless they wear`certain clothes, no disbled people? Only certain ethnic groups? No one who snores? farts?
I suppose you are the type who, if taking their children on a flight would sit in UC and send the child back to Economy with the wife or nanny, well, none of the economy pax have to get to work the next day, its not OK for premium, but OK for economy?????

wow thanks alana
i was begining to think omg we will be hated

the post from prof was everything we were dreading

my children are not irnored or allowed to "run riot" but they are children and as such sometimes are noisey we do our best to quiet them down but to be honest are dreading the tut tut style passengers

but as you say if i am paying 2k for my disabled daughter to travel then i think she has a right to be there

must say we are not paying for a seat for oliver (18 month) but hope he will sleep a fair bit of the way but if not hope the other pax like the sonf the wheels on the bus cause that usually keeps him quiet for a bit

and after all it is a b+s route so perhaps the other pax may ber more forgiving

before i go a little message for the prof
please dont travel on 15th nove lgw to mco uc
or mco lgw on the 13 dec uc because there will be 2 childern in there and i would really hate to spoil your peaceful trip
OR IF YOU ARE ON OUR FLIGHT IF YOU ASK NICLEY WE MAY GET THE FA TO STRAP OUR 2 KIDS TO THE WINGS SO YOU CAN HAVE PEACE AND QUIET

sorry to shout but you sort of upset me

Candyman,
Some without children of their own just do not understand that children are not machines, you cannot just switch them off like computers.
I must say that some pareents do not help us at all, who seem to get on flights and let them run around whilst they partake of the drinks, but I have to say, there are not many of those around.
You just enjoy the experiance and if your 18 month is anything like our (at the time 18 month) he will love just playing in the big space between the seats and watching the tv screens.
You will find the VA stewies are great with them as well!

you have a great trip, we are doing the same trip in Jan

What the F***? [V]

I make a short post that IN MY OPINION having two young babies screaming in a premium cabin detracts from the 'premium' nature of the cabin and hence IN MY OPINION should not be allowed, at least on certain routes.

And all of a sudden, according to AlanA, I am potentially a racist, disabled hating fascist.

For your information, I am not the 'type of person' you describe. I am the type of person who has decided not to have children because I prefer my current quality of life. MY CHOICE. I also choose to pay for a premium seat for a quiet enviroment to allow me to rest on the way to or from a holiday.

If you wish for your children to travel in a premium cabin, then that is YOUR CHOICE. But dont expect me to smile at you if your child makes more noise that an average adult passenger, just as I would 'tut' at a passenger with a hacking cough who stopped me sleeping.

In the meantime, I expect a full and immediate apology for the accusations in your previous post.

So now YOU want to stop anyone who coughs being in the same cabin as you!
Read the post agin. I did not say you were racist but showed that your view is stupid enough to be catergorised with other discriminatory views. Its not that long since countries had "whites only" cabins on trains, another form of "Why should I put up with XXXXXX" So no I will NOT apologise.
Your choice not to have children, thats fine, but because of that, you do not have the right to demand that a special cabin be set aside for you. We all have a right to use the services at the level we can afford. I do not belive in ANY form of discrimination, and that includes the anti children gang.
Children are NOT automitons. Live with it, or use one of the airlines that does have this discrimination in place.

Woah guys, take a chill pill. I'm sure we all have differing views on the pros/cons of children onboard, and it's been addressed/argued out many times on other boards. Still, that doesn't help Golden Retriever's question which, IMHO, was well answered by AlanA in the first instance.

I'm going to lock down this thread from here to prevent it spiralling out of control. Please take opposing views to PM/Email, not that I'm saying you shouldn't have opposing views, but they could be better expressed on here. Thanks for your co-operation

Cheers

Michael