Business class with a baby?
It’s said that traveling with babies on an airplane is easier than it seems. To have a stress-free air travel with a baby, we need to be well-prepared and choose the airline company carefully. Choosing to travel on business class with your small kid is a smart step, as this travel class allows traveling with kids and offers many amenities that can make your family flight comfortable and safe.
There is no doubt that business class is more comfortable than regular economy class. As business class flights can have duration of 5 hours the lie-flat beds on this travel class offer huge comfort during long-haul flights.
Business class flights offer rich choice of foods and drinks which is convenient for flying with a kid. The prices for business class tickets in fact lowered considerably in the course of the last 5 years and now you can get attractive fares for traveling business class and enjoying premium quality travel.
Business class tickets can cost 3-4 times more than regular economy tickets but there is a big variety of amenities offered at business class flights especially at international flights. But there is a tendency of improvement in the business class services on the domestic flights too.
If you are traveling frequently, it’s wise to use your miles and points for business class flights especially if you are traveling with your smallest ones. Traveling at the front cabin of an airplane comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s check out the pros and cons of traveling with a baby on business class
Pros:
More space
One of the main advantages of business class is it offers more space. And having more space is a life-saver for those who are travelling with a small kid. The business class seats are more spacious and comfortable for traveling for long hours which makes them suitable for traveling with an infant.
They offer wide arm rests, leg rests, heard rests and convenient trays for eating. As there is space between the seats this creates privacy for each passenger and it’s really convenient for people with kids.
Business class generally have less seats than economy class and this means less passengers and a more quiet and peaceful atmosphere for your baby. Airline companies are becoming to see the importance of adding more extras to their business class flights making them more baby-friendly.
With the addition of more storage space for hand luggage, there won’t be too many people putting their baggage above your head.
The good thing about business class is that it offers large convenient compartments for storing baby essentials like bottles, food, wipes. There is also aTV monitor on the seats that is really practical as it offers numerous entertainment options that will keep the attention of our baby during the flight.
As there is more space between the seats, the TV screen on business class won’t get too close to your baby when the person sitting at the front seat decide to recline.
The same is true for our own seat. In business class the seats are arranged in such a way so that passengers won’t bother each other. Both you and your baby will have own plenty of space.
More comfort
Having more space means you should not worry all the time about trying not to hit over the food tray in front of you just like in economy class. In business class there will be plenty of space between you and the front seat.The upgraded comfy seats will definitely help your baby can fall asleep easily which is one of the most important things we should make our baby do.
Seats that recline
The seats on business class can be turned into lie-flat beds very easily and they can be adjusted according to the passenger’s preferences.
The adjustable seats on business class allow our kid to sit, sleep, move freely, eat, watch TV without causing anyone discomfort.
The added comfort of business class flights is created by the large number of amenities and services that make both adults and kids fly in a more comfortable and relaxing way. Things like sets of extra pillows, blankets achieve a cozy environment for our baby.
Small details like these really add up to the overall flight experience with a small kid. By having amenities that make us and our baby comfortable our flight will be surely memorable and pleasant.
Bassinets
Bassnets are a great way for babies to travel comfortably on an airplane. Some carriers offer bassinets on their business class flights but some of the newest aircraft models don’t have bassinets installed on the front of their business class cabin.
Some airline companies don’t offer bassinet reservations for customers with babies. That is why even by sitting at the right seats some customers don’t know whether their baby will get a bassinet or not.
As business class seats can be turned into lie-flat beds the need of bassinet is unnecessary which is another great reason to pick up this travel class. The seat itself can be turned into a baby nook where your little one can play, eat and sleep while traveling.
More luggage space
As business class services have more luggage allowance, this makes it a preferable option for people who are traveling with babies. Business class seats offer also plenty of overhead space for luggage bags. Some airline companies offer their passengers the option for bringing baby essentials which means extra weight to the total amount of luggage.
Remember that each airline company has its own set of baggage limitations which depend on the company’s loyalty status and whether the flight is domestic or international.
In general, economy class passengers can bring with them one or two 50lb bags and business class passengers can carry two 70 lb bags. And these additional lbs in the case of business class can really help us bring all of the stuff our baby needs without bringing less of the personal belongings for ourselves.
However there may be companies that don’t offer this option for extra luggage storage on business class. There are companies that charge for an extra bag or a bag that exceeds the weight limitation. But paying this extra charge may result in having ticket price that is close to this of a business class ticket. So make sure to do your search first before booking tickets to be on the safe side.
Enough luggage storage is a very important factor for passengers with babies as they usually need to take not only strollers and baby food on their travel but also necessary stuff for babies like car seats, diapers, wipes, cosmetics, toys, etc. And you will agree that traveling with an infant always involves bringing additional luggage.
Dedicated attention from the flight attendants
One of the other advantages of traveling on business class is that the crew pays more attention to your needs and strives to make your flight as comfortable as possible.
Since the number of passenger traveling on business class is less than this on economy class, the flight attendants can offer each customer personalized services with bigger quality and speed than these available on economy class. And this is especially important when flying with an infant.
Airport lounge access
When traveling with kids we must be prepared for different types of situations. We know well that kids get bored easily, they get tired easy. You probably know that business class flights offer perks like airport lounges and even the option to take a shower to passengers with elite airline status or passengers from first and business class flights.
Having the opportunity to relax at a cozy spot before the flight will really improve your flight. And your kids will be able to move and play freely before entering the airplane space where they are not allowed to run.
However not all passengers like the idea of sharing a lounge with a baby. Most business class airport lounges offer drinks, snacks and even designated work areas with fast Wi-Fi. Some even offer special kids’ rooms that offer great entertainment for your kids when on ground and at the same time provide the other passengers with quiet space before the flight.
As a parent you will really appreciate having a lounge access. For this reason it’s advisable to arrive more early at the airport so that you will pass through security checkpoints with no rush and have some time to enjoy some family time at the lounge area before boarding the airplane.
Priority boarding for families
When it comes to boarding the airplane with kids we have two options– be among the first to board the airplane or from the last. Some people who are traveling with small kids prefer to board last when all the seating is arranged and the luggage is in place. But it seems more convenient to board first.
A big number of airline companies allow those business class and even coach class customers traveling with kids to board first in order to arrange their seats and the baby strollers they bring before the start of the main boarding process. So you should get advantage of this option.
If your airline company don’t offer you the option to board the airplane first, getting a business class ticket will still guarantee you that you will get on board before most of the other passengers.
Cons:
Some of the few disadvantages of business class are its high price tickets. But frequent flyers should not worry about this as they can get advantage of their miles and points to get a good discount in the business class ticket price.
