A United Airlines passenger was left infuriated over what he claimed was the bad behavior of a young child flying in the business class cabin.
Mitchell Miller shared two snaps of a little boy standing on his United Polaris seat on a transatlantic flight to Paris on his Threads account.
‘An immature father who lets his son scream and shout and stand up in the seat and jump up and down so far for the whole flight,’ Miller wrote.
‘The kid hasn’t STFU (shut the f**k up) since we took off and daddy couldn’t care less. 4 hours, 52 minutes so far…2 more hours of this [expletive]. Can we get children under 12 banned from business class…please??’
The post sparked a fiery debate over whether kids should be allowed to fly business or first class, where seats cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
‘You should have shamed them more. Bad parents deserve it. This isn’t acceptable. Child is in a public place,’ one comment agreed.
Another commenter shared a similar experience when they were on a flight with a child screaming for their mom, standing and jumping on their seat, and running up and down the aisles during a 7.5 hour business class trip.
‘The whole cabin was fuming. A baby I get, like annoying but it’s a baby, this was a full child that they actively ignored and didn’t once attempt to calm down or discipline,’ the comment continued.
An outraged flyer posted photos of a child standing on the seats while flying United on social media, sparking a fierce debate over whether children should be allowed in business class
The post prompted debate online, with some arguing that kids shouldn’t even be allowed in business class
Mitchell Miller (pictured) shared his experience and the two photos on his Threads account
However, others disagreed and stated that most children can behave on a flight. ‘Kids belong in business class just like everyone else,’ one argued.
‘If you want a kid free flight fly private. My toddler loves business class and is always the best behaved person on the flight.’
‘Dude fly private. My kids love business class and they are well behaved, soon as they start watching TV shows and playing games you won’t hear a word from them,’ another agreed.
Mitchell shared that he was flying Polaris, which is United’s elevated business class option.
Polaris seats can be adjusted to turn them into a flat bed.
The ability to sleep comfortably on a flight commands a steep price premium, with the thought of an unruly child in the cabin likely to offend many other business class passengers.
Daily Mail reached out to United for comment on the backlash. Children are allowed on United Airlines. Kids under the age of two can sit on a parent’s lap, or parents can bring an approved car seat aboard.
The topic of allowing kids on planes has long divided travelers, with some claiming they disturb the flight.
One viral Reddit post passionately declared, ‘babies shouldn’t be allowed on planes except in very particular instances.’
The Redditor argued that it’s acceptable for family emergencies or moving, but said it was ‘selfish’ for parents to bring their kids on flights for vacations.
The social media user shared that the nightmarish experience happened on United Airlines Polaris, which features luxury business class seating options (file photo)
‘Babies are screaming on planes because they’re in pain. their ears are not developed enough to deal with pressure changes. How would you like to be crammed in a flying tube for hours in pain and not understanding what’s happening?’ they argued.
‘I agree with this it’s literally awful for everyone involved,’ one comment agreed.
However, some disagreed, arguing, ‘I don’t agree with there being any actual regulations because there is no evidence of long term effects.
‘A lot of flying babies are visiting family that can’t come to them. I don’t think parents are selfish usually… just impatient to share those experiences with their kids.’
‘I travel quite a bit and it’s mostly rude and inconsiderate adults that are the problem, not babies,’ another wrote.
Some suggested a child-free flight option as a compromise for those who don’t want children on their flights.
‘Not saying I agree, but I think a much easier compromise would be to have designated child-friendly flights,’ one comment said.
Japan Airlines previously announced a new feature that shows customers where babies are seated when booking their flight.
A baby icon pops up above a seat when a family books it, so other travelers can opt to sit away from the child.
Corendon, a Norwegian Airline, also took initiative to accommodate passengers worried about sharing a flight with a child by launching an ‘Only Adult’ area in 2023.
