Flight etiquette is a constant topic of debate, but one traveler has now turned the spotlight on airport lounges.
in a Reddit thread Titled “Honest Opinion on Children in Airport Lounges,” the traveler explained that they “often hear people complain that children are allowed in airport lounges.”
However, although they access the lounges “about 30 times a year” using an American Express (Amex) Platinum card, they say that “99 percent of the time” they visit, the children “are well behaved.”
Instead, they report that they have “much more frequently seen adults acting like immature brats,” and that the “greatest areas of immaturity” relate to the “rules of access to waiting rooms for passengers or their guests,” “reprimanding waiting room staff for being on a waiting list to get in.” and “complain to staff about having to pay more for premium drinks.”
In an attempt to gather opinions from other room attendees, they simply asked, “Does anyone else agree or disagree?”
Flight etiquette is a constant topic of debate, but one traveler has shifted the focus to airport lounges.
The thread quickly garnered over 1,000 comments, with most Redditors agreeing with the traveler that the adults were the most annoying part.
Many cited adults making noise with cell phones as more offensive than children in classrooms.
One traveler recounted a recent experience and wrote: ‘Don’t forget that businessmen make loud loudspeaker calls.
‘On Friday a guy was in the AA Flagship (first) lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3 on a loud Zoom call.
‘As soon as he hung up, quite a few people clapped loudly and cheered. For a brief 30 minutes, it felt like we were all Dave’s friends in his 1:1. “I fully support this disgraceful behavior.”
Echoing similar sentiments, another Redditor wrote: “It’s usually the loud businessman on the phone that bothers me and the kids.”
“The biggest problem is that the non-airline lounges are chaotic now that virtually all credit cards offer priority passes, lounge passes, etc. Half the time I don’t even bother and just look for a quiet area of the terminal”.
Some parents also got involved in the discussion.
One mother detailed how she approaches salon visits with her young family to ensure the least disruption to those around her.
In a Reddit thread titled “Honest Opinion on Children in Airport Lounges,” the traveler explained that they “often hear people complain about children being allowed in airport lounges.”
She revealed: ‘I take my baby and toddler to the lounges on stopovers every time we travel as a family.
‘It’s a privilege I pay for (Amex) and they usually make me pay for or use a guest pass for my three-year-old son.
‘If it’s very quiet, we always find a place behind or away from most people. If there are a lot of people and bustle, we will take the available seats. I always measure what that room is like that day.
‘If there’s a lot of noise, I’m not so worried about the noise they make. I would never let them go crazy, but we will walk to burn off some energy.
‘At 7am, after a red eye, we usually have breakfast, go to the bathroom and go out. No one needs to hear my son comment on every little thing he sees at that hour.
‘I honestly feel like it’s the safest place in the airport to let my little ones walk around, stretch their legs and use the bathroom. If they ever became disruptive, we would leave.
‘For the record, I hate children, other than my own. But I’d rather a child have a little fun in the living room than throw a tantrum on the plane.
Some Redditors said they did not remember seeing or bothering children in the VIP rooms.
Given these messages, one of the parents found the thread “really reassuring.”
They explained: ‘I get nervous when we take our children to the classroom.
‘We have firm expectations of “not disturbing other people” and using inner voices etc. but they are children! Thanks for understanding.’
