Hi - really sad to read your last comment. I travelled economy with young kids , another couple near me had lost their pre-booked bassinet for their 6 month old to a load of adults who all had great excuses for getting the bulkheads (bad backs, too tall, bad neck, & other lies - some may have been true yes, but there were 8 bassinet seats and not one space for her baby).

On our flight it wasn't the kids who kept people awake they normally slept and when awake did something to entertain other passengers, it was these selfish devils who thought their comfort more important than a family who had their baby on their lap for 14 hours as well as b****y students who threw themselves back against their seats and tossed and turned and chatted to each other standing up next to your seat for hours at a time.

Sorry to be confrontational but there are worse people on planes than those who travel with children and they're usually suffering more than you are - you could always offer nicely to help instead of sitting in your seat complaining. Some of the people around us read to the kids or played games with them and it was such a relief to have even 20 minutes where I wasn't the only one giving them attention.

So thank you to the people who smile with empathy or sympathy and offer to help in even the smallest way. These people can make as much difference as a first class ticket.

Here, here!! I couldn't agree with you more!! K sent for a bloody good post!!!!!

We're definately going business class, our little one will be nearly two by then and there is no way I can do economy with him, mainly because he is so mobile now and we need the space to let him move around. Also, we are going to do a stop over because the last time I did OZ we had a six hour wait in changi airport (waste of time) and incredibly boring for us so god knows what we'd do with a two year old! For us it's a one way ticket so we are seeing it as a lovely treat for the family. Good luck

Listen to all you cynics!

I have an 8 year old and we will be flying business class on Monday via hong Kong with Cathay Pacific,

Im not ashamed or worried that I could have bought a car when I got there. If you ever had a child an flew economy long haul you would do the same if you could afford it!!

Personally I want to be comfortable and I want my son to enjoy the journey and a have a memorable start to our new life. That IS NOT going to happen in economy I can tell you.

Enjoy your flights and once youve paid forget the expense, you wont regret it if you pick one of the 5 star airlines.

Enjoy your new life and Karma coming your way

Nursegirl34
x

What a load of rubbish! Changi airport is consistently rated one of the best airports in the world. You could have availed yourselves of the free bus tour of Singapore or alternatively used the airport pool and refreshed yourselves for the next leg of your journey.

If I had to live in an airport, give me Changi any day!

bullsh*t,

and you know it.......................... i am cynical....

and rude. Thats completely uncalled for. If you have a different opinion fair enough, thats what this is all about, but at least be civil about your viewpoint rather than shouting down at someone who has simply posted the reason why they choose to do something you dont.

Erm, yes we have and no we wouldn't. I would much rather travel economy, stop en-route in a nice hotel for a week and turn up to Australia jaded but with pockets a few grand heavier.

Hi all

What are the costs one way in business. I know this comes down to Airlines but have been looking on the websites of the airlines and found it to me more expensive one way than booking a return and not using the return leg. Any info would be appreciared.

Thanks

Sven

BRIS TO UK

Emirates DEC 2006 2 ADULTS AND 2 CHILDREN TO UK RETURN $9500

BUSINESS CLASS $28,000.

BTW, I replied to the wrong post, it was meant for ozTennis on the stay away from kids bit.

So apologies to whoever, as for centurion I dont particular choose to do anything, so my opionion is not final, if you go back I mentioned I travel business, show off class, but would prefer to keep the money if its an option, to me it makes no difference.


Take the above figures, thats a $18500 differential, say quotes from emirates .com on a return trip, One way trip business $15000 (£6,000 STLG)

What does that buy.

Limosine service to and from airport
access to the lounge, with frequent flyers in economy, business class ticket holders
Bigger seats and maybe a lie down bed,
Quick Check in
40Kg baggage
Priority baggage
more hand luggage in plane
Champagne and better food, steel if you are in lower security rating destination
Better Entertainment system!!
Mores reading material
A freshner bag

What does $18500 buy in replacement

Some way to private school education
185 bottles of moet
A second hand car
A Boat
A good 2 months not working-
56 weeks rent at $325
42 nights in the Pallazo Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast
A very good tour of Australia
A good start on kitting your house out.
one hell of a pair of pyjamas, lots of perfume and a good freshner bag
nice slippers
good headphones
a good portable dvd system
PS2's to keep the kids happy
Limo to pick you up
Interest on a fixed term bond
deposit on a investment property


Its black and white,
Personally I feel my family wouldn't benefit from business class trip over 30hours, and its my opionion, dont want to upset higher echelons of this thread, but would feel the benefit and impact of the later parts.

Hear hear, this is exactly what we did! We have 2 young boys and have flown to Australia several times with them, the last one being our emigration trip.

When I came out here for an interview trip in October last year, I travelled business class with Japan Airlines and it was very nice indeed. Someone else was paying mind you, which made it nicer still.

All I did was ASK. If the flight is half full, when you ask to be upgraded they will not hesitate to move you up so they can pack them in in a different order in cattle class. I've done it several times on various airlines, but admittedly I was travelling alone and looked like a business traveller.

On balance, I would not pay for an upgrade out of my own pocket, purely because I am not a four-star kind of person, but I would be cheeky enough to ask for it if freely available.

Any airline website flight costs will be ridiculous quoting at business class. Need to go through a consolidator like travelocity.com or others.

Cathay business class 2 adults 2 children we did for 4000 GBP - it was about 2k more(twice) the price of economy.

It's your dosh, so if you want to spend it on business or first class seats, then go for it. As to kids being a pain on flights, well, some people seem to forget they are just kids. It's hard to sit still and behave perfectly for hours on end. I do feel so sorry for the frazzled mums trying to keep small children occupied/quiet on long haul flights. I don't mind sitting near kids and always help the mums out, especially when they're travelling alone. Can you imagine how hard it is for them to even get to the loo? Anyway, it makes the flight a bit more entertaining for me. I frequently travelled long haul with two small children on my own and have never forgotten how grateful I was for a kindly person offering to help. Good luck on your flight

It's all very well, but those parents with well-behaved children probably wouldn't *have* to ask a stranger to entertain them. Everyone else in the cabin has paid as well!

I have done dozens of flights which have been made hell by indisciplined little sods running back and forth, jumping over seat backs, screaming and the like. I have also been on dozens of flights where the children sit quietly watching the movie, doing puzzles or sleeping. I would certainly help out with the latter - but it wouldn't be necessary. So why should I get involved when the parents themselves can't or won't control them?