Business class for parents, economy for children: Here is why it's worth flying this way
Family travel is great. But flying long distances with children can be a bit difficult. It's a common practice among parents to fly in different classes: children in economy, parents in business class. If you have the impression that this is what heartless mothers do with a glass of champagne in their hands, this is far from reality.
Jill Robbins shares her experience of travelling by plane with children and explains why this is not strange but rather helps the family. The Independent tells this story in more detail.
Parents are in front, and children are behind
Jill says that not everything is as scary as it sounds. This decision came to the couple not by chance: They wanted to use the bonuses from the loyalty programme of the airline they use.
"I use my benefits strategically and am proud of how much money I save on airfare for family travel. I usually book one seat in first class and use a companion certificate to cover my husband's airfare, and use the rewards points I earned during business travel and my airline credit card for my children's seats in economy. That's four airplane tickets for the price of one."
Why don't you buy tickets for your children in business class? According to Jill, they're too short to appreciate the extra legroom. And, given their age, they can't drink alcohol.
The benefits of being apart for a short period
Travelling is a great way to strengthen family ties, but too much togetherness is not healthy. Jill Robbins says that it is important for spouses to spend time without children and make dates. A few hours on an airplane can help you prepare for possible family drama.
Judging people
As we wrote above, this way of travelling seems strange for families, and many people do not understand it. They believe that such parents do not care about their children and react ambiguously.
"This logic is nonsense. We plan our family trips and make sure that our children are happy. As parents, we love them. Sitting in the best airplane seat for a few hours doesn't change that. My children know that I enjoy spending time with them, but it's also quite healthy for them to see that I sometimes put myself first."
Freedom for children
The mother of two sons says that it is good to give children freedom. They need to go to school by themselves, ride bicycles by themselves, etc. There is a small difference between this and allowing them to sit a little further away from their parents on an airplane. Jill's children are independent, so they don't cause any additional trouble for the flight attendants.
"They know how to find their seats and can buckle up without help; they will sleep or put in their headphones and watch a movie on their phone. No one has to 'look after' them because I'm not around."