A family in the Seattle Delta Sky Club turned a four-seat cluster into a kid play zone with open suitcases; toys, clothes, and blankets spread out on the carpet; and belongings sprewn about. “All of them had their shoes off too.”
Some people think this is fine as long as the kids stay quiet, within this space, and the family cleans up afterward. It’s “not nice to look at, but better than screaming/running kids.” It appears to be in the upstairs area of the lounge, away from the busier main floor.
However, the lounge is not your house, “this is slob behavior,” and many travelers think parents should keep the mess tighter even if the kids are behaving.
Finally, commenters on Reddit also criticize posting a stranger’s family, but in fairness you can’t identify them from the photo, so it captures the incident not the individuals.
Tolerable: if kids were quiet, stayed in that zone, and the family cleaned up.
Not acceptable: because the mess spills outside the family’s footprint and degrades a shared premium space.
It comes down to whether you see an airport lounge as place to cope with layovers with kids – contained space, bathrooms, snacks, and somewhere not to melt down – or a premium refuge from the terminal? That would make the family’s behavior entitled and representative of the broader collapse of norms in society. They really are imposing a cost on other guests even if the kids are quiet.
Here’s how this should work:
- kids are allowed in lounge
- everyone should remain quiet
- your belongings stay inside your seating area
- shoes stay on and feet stay off furniture
- use one or two toys or books at a time, do not fully unpack
- if the lounge has a family room, use it
Delta’s rules say that attire must be in keeping with “good taste and a dignified atmosphere” and that they can remove passengers for inappropriate conduct, including conduct that is “undignified” or “disruptive.” Shoes off is actually breaking a rule. So is belongings spread beyond the family’s own area.
Of course, rules are often underenforced against adults too. Some of the worst lounge behavior is from adults in the lounge, and nobody suggests a blanket rule against adults.
Children running amuck in lounges is nothing new. Neither are the parents that think the world should make accommodations because they decided to have children they do not want to care for.
Shameful. Children’s behavior in the lounge should mimic good behavior at home. So I think they must live in a barn.
2 adults, 2 kids. 4 seat section to themselves to use as they see fit? What’s the problem?
God Gary you sound like a miserable old “get off my lawn” guy. Lighten up a little and have a little sympathy. Everyone isn’t as perfect as you are!!!
It just non-parenting . Not Poor parenting. Kids taking care of kids. If an old man did something like that to them, they be WTF get out of my space. These are the parents who raise the next generation of Violent offenders in schools that will be on the 6:pm news
Fascinating. Was it earlier this week that you were saying we should all trust people ON the plane to be good, sensible humans and make respectful phone calls?
I believe, but can’t be sure, that the people you are saying treat clubs like their own home are about to be cooped up on the plane with you.
I agree with you on the club behavior. I disagree with you on trusting people to be respectful on the plane.