Airlines are encouraging families to book their children into pricey business class flights as a way of containing any disruption.
While previously the preserve of high rolling business types, first class travelers should now increasingly expect to spot chocolate milk on the menu alongside champagne.
This is thanks to a rise in specially designed business class cabins which promise to deliver privacy for families and quiet for fellow passengers.
Among those welcoming children at the front of the plane Qatar Airways, which launched its QSuites in 2017.
The self contained pods feature sliding doors which, ‘allow you to transform your space into a social area, allowing you to work, dine or socialize at 40,000 feet’, according to the airline’s website.
Alexis Tchuise used QSuites when she flew 15 hours from San Francisco to Doha in Qatar with her two children.
‘We loved having the quad configuration which allowed us to see each other and interact throughout the flight,’ she said in a TikTok. ‘We slept for pretty much all of the flight.’
As part of the experience, QSuites passengers receive ‘a new standard in comfort’ which includes set of White Company pajamas and a bespoke turn down service for the lie-flat beds.
‘This was one of the best flights we have ever taken as a family,’ Tchuise added.
The travel vlogger and her family largely paid for the seat using airmiles, however a QSuites ticket normally costs in excess of $3,000.
Francesca Squillacciotti, 28, a New York public relations professional, told the Wall Street Journal that her $2,000 ticket on an Air France flight in one of its La Premiere cabins was worth the money.
‘It feels like you’re in your own cocoon. It feels super private,’ she told the Wall Street Journal, explaining she used the seclusion to help get work done during her trip.
Journalist Hannah Selinger raves about QSuites aftering flying with her five and seven-year-old kids as part of a 40-hour journey from Johannesburg to Boston.
‘The final 14-hour flight was so relaxing and comfortable I was almost disappointed to feel the wheels hit the tarmac,’ she said.
On Virgin Atlantic, some Upper Class flights have communal spaces were little ones can be entertained, or adults can escape.
The Loft offers a 32 inch TV for watching movies or shows, as well as a live tail cam.
Meanwhile a cozy spot called The Booth has been set up as a space for two, while the onboard bar allows Upper Class passengers to socialize over complimentary drinks.
A Wander Wall galley also allows passengers big and small to help themselves to a wealth of snacks.
Roundtrip tickets on these flights typically cost around $3,715.
Families can also hang out together by themselves in their new Retreat Suites, available on A33neo aircraft.
‘Each Retreat Suite boasts an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat so up to four people can enjoy an intimate dinner together in their own private social space, or settle in comfort to watch a film on the 27″ touchscreen,’ the airline states.
Similarly Etihad Airways offers business class passengers to retreat behind privacy doors and moveable panels.
But as usual, the exclusive seats come with a hefty price tag and a round trip from the US to Abu Dhabi usually costs $5,586.
