A British Airways business class passenger flying long haul with her 7-month-old baby asked if she could delay her meal service while she nursed the child and put him to sleep. That request was declined, so she was forced to skip meal service.
She set herself up in the business class bed, lying fully flat, in order to nurse under a cover. She had her head beneath the blanket so she could see her baby.
The flight attendant who told her she was out of luck delaying the meal – she’d have to go without eating – repeatedly touched her leg to gain her attention. She’d stick her hand out to let him know she was busy feeding the baby, but the cremember lifted the nursing cover without warning, fully exposing both of her breasts and the baby.
Towering over her while her seaet was fully flat, with breasts exposed, he let her know he was checking to see if she wanted to eat then or not?
The flight attendant touched my leg to get my attention (he did this several times throughout the flight while I was laying with her, and it made me uncomfortable every time), and when I stuck my hand out and gestured that I was busy, he lifted my nursing cover up! Fully exposing both of my boobs and my baby. Just to ask if I wanted my meal.
The woman wrote in to British Airways to complain. She got a form letter back.
However, a spokesperson now tells Paddle Your Own Kanoo that they are “in contact with our customer and are looking into these allegations.”
It’s tough to fly as a mother to a baby, and doubly so long haul and on your own. Passengers around you will be nervous that the baby will cry and disrupt the cabin. Crew may have their own sensibilities. But if you can put the child to sleep on their normal pattern that makes everything go so much more smoothly – for everyone!
British Airways has large business class cabins, and doesn’t offer very personalized service. While the passenger asked about setting aside her meal for later prior to departure when it should have been easy to do. Then again, British Airways Club World meals are skippable if you can go a period without food.
I’ve had similar requests declined by American Airlines in first class even though American had trademarked ‘dine on request’ for this service offering that used to be printed in their menus. One nice feature of Air Canada business class is that you can take your main meal any time.
With so many passengers to serve, and such mediocre onboard service standards, I actually suspect the BA flight attendant thought he was doing the right thing by pulling up the woman’s blanket – rather than taking an excuse for a peep. Still, what a terrible experience.
In 2019 KLM said their policy was that women needed to cover up while breastfeeding because “not every culture is “comfortable” with breasts being visible” aand “request[ing..] a mother to cover her breast” is necessary “to keep the peace on board.” They also said that same sex couples may be asked to quit holding hands on their aircraft. Spirit once kicked off a woman for breastfeeding her crying two year old. Although here’s a flight attendant who quieted a hungry baby by breastfeeding them herself.
About a year and a half ago, an American Airlines gate agent refused to allow a mom to bring breast milk on board. On another American flight, a woman told her to cover her breast, grabbed a paper towl and threw it at the woman telling her she “was disgusting.” An American Airlines supervisor even demanded to know how many boobs a breastfeeding mom had. But it’s not all American Airlines! United once sent a woman to the pet relief area to pump breast milk.
How disappointing. Hope the passenger gets a better response/outcome soon.
As to the industry, “dine on request” is a marker of an actual ‘premium’ airline.
BA is not much different from AA, it seems.
Unlike Air Canada business class and American Airlines, where you can have your main meal almost any time, British Airways objects to a passenger like a mother giving her 7-month-old baby the equivalent of British Airways’ premium in-flight organic food “dining on request” meal benefits.
Those that may be offended by same sex individuals holding hands should select a more ‘appropriate’ airline.
Although not researched or verified, maybe the likes of Egyptair, Iran Air, Syrian Airlines, Saudia or other airlines in that neck of the woods would offer a more judgmental, discriminatory experience. Some may even throw in a ‘no alcohol’ policy to ‘enhance’ the journey ! I”m offended that an airline like KLM based in the Netherlands would even suggest that idea….
@bossa — As long as I get a Delft Blue House, KLM do whatever it wants. Bah!
The flight attendant should be put on leave immediately then fired.
From PYOK: [A third person told the mother, “This is so wrong. It’s assault and sexual harassment in my eyes. To touch you repeatedly, and then to expose you when he had already been told you were going to be nursing at that time is atrocious.”]
The third person describes it correctly.
There have been a couple of times where I have given my business card either to a passenger dealing with a rude FA or an FA dealing with a rude passenger, noting I am happy to independently verify the incident if they file a complaint and get pushback or (in the case of an FA being threatened with “I’ll get you fired”) if they need an independent verification that the passenger was a jerk.
As if we needed any more reminders about the steadily declining and awful service everywhere in travel post-COVID, this really takes the cake. WTF has happened to people and their lack of empathy and common sense. Im glad I’m in my 70’s; I don’t even want to see this world in 10-20 years hence. If we exist above ground at all.