A Mom Believes That Her Family Should Be The First To Board And Deplane While Flying Since She Has Young Children
Flying with children is no doubt stressful, but should airlines accommodate families this way?
Irina Wilhauk / Shutterstock Traveling via plane can be a huge hassle, especially if you have young children. One mother's recent trip on a U.S. airline left her frustrated and questioning the industry's boarding priorities.
Sharing her experience on Reddit's r/Parenting, she expressed her dismay that families with young children are not allowed to board and deplane first.
The mom believes her family should be the first to board and deplane while flying since she has young children.
"I've lived in multiple countries and the US seems to be the only one where families aren't prioritized on airlines," she wrote.
The mom detailed a chaotic scene of traveling with four kids aged 1, 3, 6, and 8. They were assigned to group eight out of nine, which resulted in an unpleasant wait for everyone involved.
"Of course this meant that the baby was screaming by the time we got on, the 3yo and 6yo were incredibly antsy from waiting so long," she wrote.
Photo: Reddit
Adding to their struggle was scattered luggage due to lack of overhead storage space upon late boarding and causing delays during deplaning due to their numbers. She observed groups ahead of them that included wealthier passengers who opted for priority boarding and active-duty military personnel "who are young, fit people used to waiting regularly," according to her.
In her post, the mother suggested a reorganization of boarding priorities, adding, "Frankly, it should be those with disabilities who get on first, then groups with young kids." She argued this would be beneficial not only for families but also for other passengers who otherwise have to endure crying babies or delays caused by setting up activities for young kids onboard.
Photo: Demkat / Shutterstock
The woman's post sparked debate over whether children should board first or last on planes.
Some disagreed with her statement, saying they'd rather have their own children board last as they believe it's easier that way. Others suggested an alternative approach where kids would disembark first but still board last.
Interestingly, other people echoed the sentiment of allowing kids to expend energy before boarding but agreed deplaning first could be beneficial.
However, many people pointed out that plenty of airlines actually do offer early boarding to parents with young children. For example, both American Airlines and Delta offer priority boarding to parents of young children.
So, for parents with young children, what's the best way to travel via plane with the least amount of stress? According to TripSavvy, the less time a little one is stuck on a parked plane, the better.
How can parents go about this? Their strategy is similar to those given by people replying to the mom's post — one parent boards early with all the luggage and the other waits at the gate until their row is called.
When it comes to traveling with kids, sadly there's no tried-and-true method to getting them from point A to point B with zero fuss. But it's certainly helpful for airlines to accommodate their passengers who are traveling with children.
Not only will it put passengers and airline staff at ease, but it will be a welcome reprieve for parents.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.