Growing up i remember being taught to bring any snacks to the trash on the way out of the movie theater when the film was over, but i see most people leaving their popcorn bags and sodas behind. There are life lessons you internalize and carry with you, for the most part without thinking.
I’m not even saying this specific lesson that I learned was the right one, just that kids learn habits that stick with them for life. Think about what you’re teaching your kids.
This isn’t a Delta lounge, but was posted in the Delta Reddit forum and that gives me a thought. Delta has been addressing lounge crowding by taking away access from their most frequent passengers, devaluing SkyMiles elite status and their premium credit card, and those Sky Club access for those buying memberships.
- Why not just ban the passengers who behave badly?
- And if it’s families with children you get the geometric benefit of four or more bans for the price of one.
One comment and a response stood out to me: “Money can’t buy class” followed by “No, but money can buy you an overpriced credit card and access to a cafeteria food buffet.”
With the glasses left on the wooden ledge behind the booth, it’s clear that mom and dad were drinking not parenting. The solution here is definitely not banning children from airport lounges. The problem isn’t the children, it’s the parents. Some children behave well in lounges, and many adults do not.
Here’s a grown man with his feet on the furniture of a United Club in front of a sign that says not to put your feet on the furniture.
Credit: Ari
Less irony perhaps, but this grown man took off his shoes and socks before propping his foot on a table in an Admirals Club.
@AmericanAir I hate that I have to suggest this, but it might be time to add a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” policy to the Admirals Club so employees are empowered to stop guys like this from putting their bare feet everywhere. pic.twitter.com/PCmvd8J2CT
— Em (@grimgrinning) February 2, 2023
How about this?
This is so gross…bare feet on the coffee table at the Polaris club ewww @unitedairlines pic.twitter.com/ifJjRunovU
— Cindy Chiu (@TravelGal12345) April 1, 2023
And here are two grown men, captured on video in a British Airways lounge stuffing beer into their bags – the passenger filming reported they took over 20 cans (and 5 bags of chips) for the road.
Come to think of it, maybe it’s good that this family is in the lounge – because cordoning these parents off in airline lounges actually makes the terminal better for the rest of us.
Was in the TAP lounge in Lisbon in March. It was nothing special, but had what I wanted. Except….
Five people, each taking banquets that would seat up to six people each, sleeping with and without socks. So 30 people lost seating to 5 people.
All American.
No wonder the lounge felt crowded.
Another reason why folks are not fond of some Americans who travel.
There should be some common sense rules for sure, I was in United club this week father mother and three children instead of sitting them down at a table they tied up one full side of the work station table. All made multicable trips to breakfast bar there for 20 minutes. Dad said lets go and left 5 sets of plates glasses and 1/2 eaten food not evening picking up a glass or nothing. The young lady came by to clean up after them and their discussing manners. I said I am sorry the parents need to be kick out.
To be fair, the whole “don’t put your feet on the seat” thing is pretty regional. In my experience, in the northeast (the NYC area especially), it’s like a sacrosanct rule of etiquette, to the point that people will sometimes even get mad if you put your foot up on a wooden chair to tie your shoelace. Nowhere else I’ve ever lived– the south, the west, the midwest– does anyone care what anyone else does with their feet, short of placing dirty shoes on upholstered furniture.
@Steve M: Funny how you could determine while they were sleeping that they were Americans.
I would never leave my drink behind in movie theater… Last time I saw a movie, my drink was like ten bucks. When the movie’s over, I grab my cup and get a refill on the way out.
@1KBrad Well, if people see other people acting rude in non-US countries, they MUST be Americans, haven’t ya heard? (Though depending on the place, you’d be right to assume that at least 50% of the time…).
The inevitable result of deciding to give preferential entry to credit card holders over first class, business travelers, and those with a lounge membership. The changes to access are shameful, especially when so many decided to collect membership fees and then change policies to make lounges credit card daycares. And let’s be clear, the adults without kids aren’t much better. Playing videos with the volume on. I let my membership lapse this year and I’ve paid for entry a handful of times only to discover it’s cramped, dirty, and noisy. I suppose given how far service has fallen, especially in business class, I shouldn’t be surprised. The airlines did this to themselves.
Re: sleeping in clubs.
Some clubs see it as a problem that should not happen.
Other clubs realize that it happens, provide quiet spaces, and lounge chairs that recline with footstools.
So: does the club want you to drop in and leave, or do they concern themselves with addressing a patrons needs?
Perspective.
It’s not only airport lounges but the “executive lounges” like I use at Hilton. Supposedly supposed to bring 1 person, but often there are several kids, who are left free to roam. I was in a Hilton Executive lounge and there was a family with a kid coughing on the food while making his selection . No admonishment from the adults. Everyday they were first ones there at “feeding time” and left empty plates.
Nearly every airport club has a work laptop area fully occupied by babies and strollers, and seat areas with feet propped up on walls and furniture. Club owners are profiting, regardless, and have no interest in saying “no.” Airport clubs are cheaper than providing actual business centers, licensed day care centers, hotel rooms, and reasonable flight schedules.
I see it in clubs in America and Europe. And somewhat in Asia.
A race to the bottom between TSA and clubs in relaxation ambience.
Americans are trash plain and simple
Among the first potential signs of bad parenting at airports and on flights is when the parenting duties for children are left to be done exclusively (or mostly) by only one of the two or more adults accompanying the child(ten) or when one or all of the “accompanying” adults fail to actually accompany a young child going around at check-in at the airport and/or at and in the lounge. Young children need to be monitored pretty closely when in unfamiliar surroundings so that they stay out of trouble, but too many adults nowadays are worse than little kids mesmerized with their own personal electronic devices and consequently more negligent because of messed up priorities.
I was heartened by this post and the comments. I usually feel like the only one who is completely disgusted by how many people think it’s OK to put their feet, with or without shoes and socks, on the furniture, tables and chairs. Also, sticking their hands in the buffet food to serve themselves or even to graze, placing the rim of their refillable water bottle in contact with the dispenser, leaving trash everywhere, constant use of f bombs, not using headphones and allowing their children to do the same with gaming devices on blast, and pets up on the furniture, too. Traveling recently from LAX to LHR two women were wearing disposable slippers as footwear the whole way. The business class on the plane at the conclusion of the flight always looks like a trash bomb went off during the flight. People are gross pigs with ill mannered children. Traveling can be really yucky.
I can’t bring a guest in but Huckleberry can bring his 6 kids in. It should be if you want to bring your kids in the lounge buy them a membership
@Gary: Does Huckleberry have the black Centurion card from American Express where he will hear the agent say, “we have rules, but for you we will do it anyway. As a Centurion card member, feel free to sit anywhere with your six kids and three dogs.”
I suppose it’s regional (e.g. destinations served by the airport), but I usually see badly behaved adults. Nothing like a nice calm lounge disrupted by a half dozen boomers shouting across the table to each other about how great their cruise was, and waking a sleeping baby or interrupting a quiet business call.
But I’ll also say that such poor social graces are the exception, not the rule. Most people are either quietly keeping to themselves or occasionally outright helpful to each other, particularly if there’s a solo parent juggling young kids. We’ve made several friends in those rare (mostly outside the US) lounges with play areas for kids. Take a breath, get your food, skinned knees get soothed the same in any language.
I bring my stepdaughter with me into the lounge, but only since she’s turned 12 (she’s 17 now), and after proving clearly that she could behave in nicer spaces. I treat the lounge like I would treat a fine dining restaurant: you should be properly dressed, behave in a quiet and reserved manner, practice good table manners, and sit up straight.
Unfortunately we are seeing across the board with air travel that most people have given up on even the concept of good manners. I try to escape to business class, but unfortunately that’s turning into a zoo also. I wish I could fly private but can’t afford it. I am not that wealthy, but had parents who instilled in me the proper behavior in genteel and professional settings.
I’m going to say something a bit controversial but this new trend of Grandparents doing the lions share of childcare, mainly due to the fact that both parents work full time, or those traveling first/business class can possibly afford full time nannies, we come across lots of parents who simply don’t know how to parent without help. They sit oblivious to their kids running amok in lounge and on plane with zero provisions or the capabilities to reign them in. We take a war chest to keep the kids entertained and not bothering other passengers. We find ourselves handing out books and toys to parents that turn up empty handed! A great example of this is on my most used route is London-Mumbai and WOW, in F and J cabins, the kids run riot. Having spent years working there, most live with their parents/grandparents, and domestic workers and nannies is very affordable, so when they travel to US or UK it’s the first time they don’t have that entourage of help. Parents rudely treat the crew as personal skivvies and expect the crew to be glorified babysitters! On their headphones while their kids disturb the whole cabin. Some of the parenting I’ve seen from these passengers is shocking. It’s natural for kids to have meltdowns and get bored but as a parent we don’t get to sit and enjoy a flights anymore. Our job is to keep them entertained, happy and polite for 10 hours and aim for the best outcome and that’s for the crew to come around and say they are the best behaved kids on their flight! That’s what we aspire to every time. 🙂
@1KBrad.
Three of the sleepers left their passports and boarding passes on the table.
The others got up on a
Occassion to yell out their drink orders to the bartender. In southern accents.
Would have been quieter if they just went to the bar.
As for the ones leaving their passports out on tables, they were lucky.
Most of the thieves in Lisbon drive taxis.
@1KBrad.
Three of the sleepers left their passports and boarding passes on the table.
The others got up on
ocassion to yell out their drink orders to the bartender. In southern accents.
Would have been quieter if they just went to the bar.
As for the ones leaving their passports out on tables, they were lucky.
Most of the thieves in Lisbon drive taxis.
Bad grammar on me and auto correct
The only real solution is to set aside a separate “play pen” and isolate it from disturbing the rest of the travelers. Then monitor to insure those who always game the system and ignore areas like this restrict their wards to this area only. Better still…. keep the kids out of the lounges.
In addition, enforce not allowing the seating areas to become crash pads…especially true for the younger crew with their bodies and gear scattered all over their seating area.
I don’t feel particularly bad about leaving a mess behind when traveling with a child. I pay for a service, what’s the worst that can happen? They need to hire an extra person, someone gets a job.
Mess or no visible mess, table should be be carefully and hygienically wiped between customers. Crumbs on the floor and seating should take no more than 2-3 minutes to clean. If there’s tipping culture I usually leave an extra couple bucks for trouble.
I do love a wall of comments on parenting left by people who are unlikely to do the primary parenting in their households, if they have kids at all.
Funny enough, people who collect lots of miles from travel aren’t home to do the parenting.
1. It depends on the age of kids. Lots of young kids are messy (we have a two year old) and are learning to use cutlery and to pay attention when they sit still. They are learning. They aren’t going to wake up one day and eat perfectly.
2. There isn’t a broom and vacuum cleaner at the ready. Most parents try and do what they can with napkins but it isn’t going to be perfect
3. You don’t clear your plates in the lounges I have been to, so leaving plates doesn’t really signify anything. It’s par for the course. Not sure I follow people suggesting that parents should bus the tables in the lounge?
4. You don’t have to have perfect kids to have an occasional drink. Otherwise honest parents would be stone cold sober all the time
So yes, people with kids should be mindful of others using the lounge, and work to improve childrens’ manners over time.
But equally, thanks to the advent of headphones, most irritating children can be easily tuned out by people who are old enough to pull themselves together.
US lounges are totally out of control due to the multiplicity of ways you can gain entry.
For a start it should be that if you are flying Business Class you get entry for one to the Business lounge, ditto for First Class.
If you’re flying Economy/coach, there’s multiple departure gate ‘lounges’ you can wait out the time. (haha).
This or that credit card should never be an instrument to gain access to any lounge. This notion will no doubt be revolutionary and unpopular with readers here, particularly Americans, where it hass gotten totally out of control, but if you want solutions go for a king-hit; don’t just snip around the edges.
I was in a certain contract lounge in Frankfurt, five years ago. A fellow occupant of the lounge decided to take off his shoes, place them on an adjacent table, and spread out onto a couch to take a nap. Within five minutes, one of the lounge staff, who bore more than a passing resemblance to the Gus Fring character from ‘Breaking Bad’, assertively confronted the sleepyhead and advised him that his behavior was unbecoming and unwelcome. The look of surprise and terror on the man’s face was priceless and satisfying.
Perhaps lounges need to hire the services of some Gus Fring doppelgangers and enforce their house rules.
“Parents who simply don’t know how to parent without help” is definitely something I see more and more of at airports in the US and beyond. It’s notable how willfully incompetent or negligent so many breeding “professionals” — male and female — are with children nowadays. It’s as if “work” is the standard excuse for parents shirking parental responsibilities so they can have more time to browsejunk on Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and who knows where else while being “busy”. It should be no surprise that the children of such parents turn out to be at least as self-centered and situationally unaware as the breeders with legal custody of them since birth who have given the world kids who would make for fitting characters in a sequel or other twist to Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
@John T Burkholder. I’m American and I don’t appreciate being called trash. I try to live by the Golden Rule. I’ve been guilty of some new flyer mistakes. I try to leave a place not only as I found it but better. I was taught manners and I still use them.
Teemu,
Assuming you’re not being sarcastic, you need to be banned forthwith.
Leave couple of bucks on the table for the staff? Whobare you Lord Teemu of the Pennystock Millionaires? Or maybe Count NotEnoughMoney the Seventh?
And what about us, the poor people on work trips(and others too) looking for a bitn of peace and quiet?
You gonna leave a piece of your half eaten bread?
What a disgusting idjit.
Cory,
I would have quietly taken the shoes and deposited them into the furthest trash can, outside the lounge.
The dude clearly thought they were unwanted and they probably reeked, so makes sense, yeah?
Very easy to identify most “American” travelers as they are usually the ones demonstrating their perceived “entitlement” and lack of manners and proprietary. I am an American and, yes, quite often embarrassed by what I see and hear when traveling both domestically and internationally.