First Class Fiascos: Should kids fly in premium cabins?
Katy Maclure
Published:
Sep 26, 2025
6 min read
Picture the scene:
You’ve been planning a big, no-expenses-spared trip. You’ve been saving up for ages, collecting airline points like crazy to offset some of the damage, and you’ve actually done pretty well — so well, in fact, that you’ve managed to upgrade to first class.
From the moment your trip begins at the airport, you’re enjoying the perks; from speedy check-in and bag drop, to a relaxed visit to the lounge for something to eat and drink before you fly, and finally the joy of being among the first called on to board.
As you turn left through the aircraft door, full of hope, you see your fellow high-fliers settling in. And then it becomes apparent — you can’t actually see them all, because some, in fact, are too small to be spotted among the sea of first-class thrones. They are children.
Are you phased? Filled with dread? Planning ways to slip a dash of whisky in their OJ? Or optimistic that these kids are probably seasoned travellers and know how to compose themselves, and their parents/guardians wouldn’t fly with them up front if they couldn’t stay calm?
When Emirates announced that they’d no longer be awarding or accepting airline points on first class tickets for kids under 8, it revived an old debate about whether airlines should even allow children to fly in premium cabins.
I asked you, the Jack’s Community, for your take, and honestly, most of you were fairly balanced on the topic — even those of you who have had some mixed luck with your fellow fliers. Unsurprisingly, it’s the accompanying adults who bear the brunt of your frustrations:
“We recently had an overnight trip from Canada to the UK and we were both looking forward to a good few hours sleep in our business class suites, but we had 2 toddlers behind us screaming for a couple of hours. It ruined our trip as we couldn’t sleep even with earplugs in.” - NomadicVacationer08667
To be honest, I have travelled first class with a 2 year old. Thankfully she was well behaved and slept for a while during the flight. I can understand though if you had a child who was not so well behaved, or a screamer or was running up and down the aisle, I wouldn’t appreciate that. It’s up to the parents to ensure their children are supervised and to respect “cabin rules” - GallantCruiser96497
“Having had a couple of horrible experiences with children in long-haul Business, I’m going to stick my neck out and say allow kids in Business but ban them in First. Business gives families plenty enough room to be comfortable with children, whereas First is IMO more than required. If I had spent an even more fantastic amount on First than I do on Business, I’d be very upset to be trapped with unruly kids.
And I say this just two days after returning from Australia to eastern Canada in Business, on the Sydney to Vancouver leg of which I was driven mad by an approximately six-year-old child. She was travelling with several family members spread across the cabin, and for 13 of the 14 hours she shouted out to all of them without stopping; she never talked in less than a shout. Her parents and older siblings did absolutely nothing to stop her (and she was old enough to be told), taking not the slightest notice of the remaining passengers, almost all of whom were trying to sleep. I’m blaming the parents here, not the kid. I’ve had worse on an Athens to Montreal flight (10 hours) in Business with twin toddler boys thumping their TV screens and screaming “Papa! PAPA! Maman! MAMAN!” for the entire flight; the parents simply ignored them. I blame the parents again.
I paid a lot of money for both flights, but I recognise that parents with children have a right to travel in reasonable comfort (read: space), but there’s enough space in Business; First is unnecessary. Especially as there are plenty of irresponsible parents.” - Tanya
Now, not all premium cabins are created equal, with “Business” and “First” offering varying levels of comfort and privacy on different aircraft and airlines. But just for the avoidance of doubt, one reader thinks we should take our cue from the name:
“The clues in the title ... business class is for business travellers to allow them to get some rest before they have to go straight to meetings; thats not possible if there are noisy children in the cabin. I also flew an overnight BC flight and was unable to get some sleep due to a very noisy child. If parents want to book first class for their children then fine, but leave business class as adults only.” - TrailblazingObserver25326
Meanwhile, there are those among you would take the kiddos over the disruptive adults any day:
“Let's be real, if you can afford first class, you can afford noise-cancelling headphones. You might even be given them for what I know, I've never had the pleasure because, well, I can't afford it.
And in first class, kids have much more space to move, so the ones who are too young to understand these things are less likely to kick you in the back for 3 hours straight.
I don't have kids, but I'd take 99% of kids over some entitled influencer who constantly keeps filming, making calls and/or talking, or someone taking extreme advantage of the free drinks.” - AdventurousMover83578
“I do think that on any flight it should be made clear to anyone traveling on a plane that they will be marked on their airline record with a yellow card if there are any valid complaints about their behaviour whether they be adults or children, any more than 2 yellow cards should bar them from buying tickets on any airline for 2 years, even in economy.” - Thrill-seekingWanderer81845
Most of us have had the misfortune of flying surrounded by noisy and disruptive passengers at some point (kids and adults alike!) — and who hasn’t had the back of their economy seat repeatedly bashed by a traveller who’s far too tall for even the more generous seat pitches?
When we choose to upgrade to cushier seats, we’re trying to invest in our own comfort, relaxation, and sanity. It’s understandable that any rowdiness would get your back up, especially if you’ve dished out that extra dough. There’s no guarantee that kids will be the ones causing problems, but if you’re keen to mitigate that potential, there are a couple of options worth considering for your next trip:
- In the mood for the Caribbean? Corendon Airlines offer an adults-only seating area on flights between Amsterdam and Curaçao/Bonaire. Within the Adult Zone, you have the choice of standard, Comfort Plus, and XL Plus seating, so you don’t necessarily have to splash out.
- Fly on a business class-only flight. La Compagnie and Beond are the only two airlines that currently operate flights without economy seating, between them covering routes like New York to Nice, and Milan to the Maldives. Their routes are limited for now, only running where they know there’s a willing market. While kids (and idiots) are allowed on these flights, the niche market and higher price points make it a lot less likely than on the usual flagship carriers.
Short of hopping on a private jet, there’s not much we can really do to guarantee peace on a flight. So if you’re not known for exercising extreme patience and tolerance, I’d definitely recommend investing in those noise-cancelling headphones.
If you have any tips or tricks we’ve not thought of, please share them in the comments — for all our sanity!
Katy is a seasoned budget traveller living in Scotland with her husband and two cats. She has already been to every country in the EU and is now working on grand plans to conquer the rest of the world. When she’s not writing up travel inspo for The Detour, she’s usually researching her next trip.
