Anonymous wrote:How tall are they?

5’5” and 5’10”

How tall are they?

No. What a stunning lack of empathy. I’d put the whole family in economy plus.

Our kids have flown first class with us before but on one trip there were only two first class seats that were a reasonable cost so we split up. It was no big deal. I DGAF if anyone has “moral” issues with that.

My DH has a bad back and his justification is that he didn’t fly first class until he was an adult so they will survive if they don’t sit in first with us every time.

I really only care about upgrading if the first seats are lie-flat on long flights.

The ethos I try to instill in my kids is “we’re all in this together” — meaning we look out for each other, help each other out, care about each other’s needs, and genuinely want to spend time together, even if some that actual time isn’t especially enjoyable. Shared experiences knit families together.

So being on the same plane as my teens but sitting in the posh seats would be a nonstarter for me — the message would be “economy sucks, so we’re going to nope out and leave you to it.” Going on a fancy adults-only trip, dinner, etc. would be a different thing, and one I would have no issue with.

I think it's not very nice personally. I wouldn't do that to my parents, to a friend I'm inviting, or to my kids. My trip, my treat. And that means save level as me = whatever is affordable for us to all enjoy together.

Anonymous wrote:What if you spill a drink on one of their paper tickets and oversleep that morning, racing to the flight, only to realize mid-flight that you have left one kid behind?

+1 Was going to ask the same thing.

They need to understand that they can’t come visit you and that there will be no musical chairs with the seating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd do premium economy for the whole family. Save the business class for adult-only travels.

+1

+2. “Morally wrong” is a stretch but it seems a little mean to do this from the outset (like, when you’re buying the tickets, not accepting an unexpected upgrade). Flying business is great and a nice splurge if you can do it, but I’d save it for a trip for just the two of you.

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

Be sure that you can book the tickets together under one reservation so they aren’t considered unaccompanied minors. That’s a PITA for check in.

Np - the problem is you can’t do this. It may work to buy one kid and one adult in each class but they could give you an issue about the names.

How is the seating in the flight? If it is three across then I think that is mean for a parent not to take the third seat in the row. It just us more comfortable not having to sit next to a stranger.

My husband is tall and weights 80-90 pounds more so I am fine sitting with my teens in economy or economy plus and my husband getting business or economy because he can get upgraded for work. Often he is the only one driving in our destination so I want him rested. Sometimes since first class exits first he gets off first and goes and gets a shuttle to rental car office then drives the rental back to airport to pick us up.

What if you spill a drink on one of their paper tickets and oversleep that morning, racing to the flight, only to realize mid-flight that you have left one kid behind?

You say you have enough to stretch budget for business class. If its a stretch then don't do it. If it really isn't one then its up to you how you and your kids will feel about it. My parents would stretch for luxury items but wouldn't pay for my college, for example, so this flight scenario would bother me as a teen. None of us can judge your individual circumstance.

I think it is ok, but we were on a plane that had to make an emergency landing and I would have been even more stressed out had the kids been in the back of the plane away from us.

Anonymous wrote:I'd do premium economy for the whole family. Save the business class for adult-only travels.

This. With kids that age you have plenty of trips that will be just you in your near future.

Also if your concern is about them being entitled, I actually think dangling it in front of them like that will make it worse. They may resent you getting this luxury experience they aren't allowed to participate in, and start thinking of it in weirdly entitled ways like "ok fine I guess only adults get to fly in business class, well when I'm an adult I will fly business class." But that's not how it works. They aren't going to get the nuance of you having worked for decades before you could afford something like that -- kids lack perspective by definition. They are just going to see their parents having an experience and excluding them and it might make them fixate on the difference when, in the end, it's honestly not that big of a deal to fly business class. It's nice but you're still on a plane.

I'd just fly premium economy together and plan on some nice luxury travel just the two of you soon.