To think Kirsty Allsopp is taking advantage?

Lounge access is very nice

The point is MawBroon that you don't know when you book the flight how your child will be when you travel. They may be fine and not need anyone, on the other hand they could need someone for all sorts of reasons, some completely trivial. If you are sitting in business class you simply won't know will you?

I am not "jealous or envious of Ms Allsop" or ANYONE else.I have never been jealous of anyone in my life.I think her attitude to her children stinks ...thats all.Family is everything to me and to my OH and I would no more put two children in a diffferent part of a plane than I would tie them to a chair to "get peace".IF you're not fully committed to being a parent 24/7 until they are adults and often beyond you shouldn't have kids.Sorry if that offends some of you who think its normal to send children on long journeys alone or to boarding schools where someone else will take care of them...hopefully .

Sometimes boarding school is a necessity.
And, hopefully, someone will take care of them as you are paying.

You also don’t know where they will be trisher -no guarantee they will even be sitting near you.
But it doesn’t really bother me either way, I don’t see why I should get worked up about anybody else’s (lack of) parenting skills.
Somehow to me there are more important things to concern me.
I found it interesting how many people have been vocal about this issue, but the thread I started on the latest horrific revelations from the Grenfell enquiry?
Sunk almost without trace.
OK/HELLO magazine triumphs again

155 posts to 5 to be exact.

157 now or does this make it 158

Priorities.

Don’t you think any of us on GN can afford to travel business? What planet are you on? FYI I only ever travel business long and medium haul and if adult family, dgs are with us, we all travel business ( and I pay) DGS travelled business for the first time when he was a year old and I paid. Dd was used to first class Motorail travel to our house in France when a child and later 1st class rail travel throughout Europe. I only travel standard on my commute because the train doesnt have 1st class

<sigh>
I wish I could afford this level of empathy with the underprivileged underdogs of our society.

Oh MB hang on a minute, I’ll just take that spade from you <takes spade>. There, that’s better.

I do dislike it when children are allowed in Business
Class, especially very young ones.
We prefer First nowadays for that very reason.

“grans always in the air but they never fly coach”

Mawbroon I couldn’t agree more. I expect though, when this thread finally ends, another one about a minor celeb will be along soon with all it’s criticism.

Oh dear, seems there’s another spade to collect <ambles over to help lemon>

You seem a bit obsessed with spades MaryE ..... we could do with you in the garden here as there is a border to be turned over.

Jalima careful there, some may not realise you aren’t in serious mode!

If i was travelling on an aircraft i would want to be with my grandchildren or family for saftey sake

Blimey lemon I’ve slready taken one from you and you’ve got another from somewhere - will you never learn? Now give it to me, there’s a good girl and I’ll go and fetch your latest copy of Hello <bless>

a compliment ( girl) and a blessing, all in one go!

Time for tv and supper.

I expect you’ll be back tomorrow when you’ve got yourself another spade

Well, we couldn't really afford to travel business class, except perhaps for a very very special occasion, and I admit it would be nice to do so, especially on long haul flights.

But it is not envy that makes me think it odd that KA would make this arrangement for herself and her children. I would feel most uncomfortable and uneasy if my children were sitting somewhere else, partly because if something untoward happened - such as excessive turbulence or one of them feeling ill - they would want to be near me and I would want to be near them. Also, don't you chat with your children occasionally?

Having said that, a friend of mine and her husband always used to go on holiday abroad without their children, leaving them with one or other of their parents. I used to think it was awful. We have remained friends - even though she moved to the USA many years ago - and I know her girls and their families are very loving and close so presumably these separate holidays didn't cause any resentment or damage their relationship.

I still think it's odd though.

Each to their own, I think. Part of childrearing is encouraging them to spread their wings and maybe that's what's going on here. KA's children might like it, time away from parents to do their own thing, a bit of an adventure.

I imagine the older one gets buses to school etc, and assuming they live in London (I don't know much about KA) they are probably in more danger there than on a plane, where the parents will just be a few feet away. I'm sure they are used to flying and know the routine, and I doubt KA would do this if she thought they would cause trouble.

My own dc flew unaccompanied from the age of 8 while my older siblings travelled unaccompanied by train from London to N Wales at the age of 5 & 8!

being a parent 24/7 does that mean supervising them at every minute of the day till they are 18? Would they never travel to school on their own? Maybe you think every child should be homeschooled, never have any independence and be at home playing board games with the parents till adulthood and beyond. I’m sure KA loves and cares for her children just like everyone else. If there were any problems on a flight she’d be a few yards away. No doubt the children have phones and they can communicate. Sounds fine to me.

When children go on a school trip abroad they don't have a carer each and children that go to boarding school are a lot more independent, even the young ones. Just all part of the learning curve.

The children probably had a great time, didn't have their mother to nag them. If I had my time again, and could have afforded business class, I'd do it in a heart beat .

So when does the family holiday start ?

For me it would always include the trip.

But maybe it’s when you arrive at the destination?

Or maybe when on holiday, Ms Allsop books herself and her partner into fancy restaurants and feeds the “kids” in McDonalds . Perhaps she takes the “ suite” and puts the kids in the bunkhouse ? Or a tent in the grounds maybe ?

Very very strange .

its a tough one this.....on the one hand I like her because her bottom is as big as mine....on the other she is a living example of very little talent and a lot of privilege taking someone far.

The above is not connected to the flying thing.