This week Toronto Blue Jays player Anthony Bass added much more fuel to the fiery debate over airplane etiquette after he tweeted about a flying saga involving his wife and their two children.
The 35-year-old, who is from Michigan but plays for the MLB team in Canada, revealed on Twitter how his spouse – who was traveling alone – despite the 22 .
While he received backlash for expressing his outrage, Caroline Kneitz, 34, who worked as a flight attendant at Emirates for six years, told DailMail.com he was the right man and it should be the job of the cleaners to clean up the mess, not the parents or cabin crew. Although respect for the public space should be exercised.
Here, the travel pro, originally from the Netherlands and currently based in Dubai, shares her ultimate etiquette do’s and don’ts regarding cleaning and other things for parents traveling on a plane with their children.
Caroline Kneitz, 34, worked as a flight attendant at Emirates for six years and learned a lot of insider tips during that time
It is not the responsibility of parents or crew to clean – but control your children!
In my personal opinion, it is important to treat public spaces as if they were rooms in your home. I don’t understand what gives people the idea or the right to screw up planes to the extent that I’ve seen. It’s like a form of vandalism.
So yes, I believe a parent should be careful not to let the child clutter up the room. Imagine you are on a 13 hour flight, would you want to sit in a dirty seat for that long?
The crew is not paid for cleaning, nor are parents responsible for cleaning. The airline employs cleaners who come on board once all passengers have disembarked.
I’ve heard of some airlines asking their crew to clean, especially budget brands, but in general the rule of thumb is to let the cleaner do it all. So that changes the story quite a bit. At Emirates, we were responsible for picking up plastic and other debris from the aisle in case someone slipped or fell. A messy cabin can also be a safety hazard!
Avoid chips or crumbly foods
The worst offenders when it came to kids and the dirtiest snacks on airplanes were chips and cookies. Children often left crumbs on the seat and in the footwell.
It is best for parents to pack something homemade that is easy to eat and familiar to the child. Chopped fruits and veggies are great as they generally leave little mess and are refreshing to nibble on in the air.
This week, Toronto Blue Jays player Anthony Bass added much more fuel to the fiery debate over airplane etiquette after he tweeted about a flying saga involving his wife and their children
Caroline (pictured third from left) said she likes babysitting on flights so parents shouldn’t be afraid to rely on cabin crew
Time flights to your children’s sleep patterns
I think it’s really important for parents to think about timing before booking flights. Sometimes flying at a weird time of day is cheaper, but if kids are particularly grumpy or misbehaved from lack of sleep, is it really worth it?
In my experience, the kids on flights who behaved the worst were the overtired, whose sleep patterns were disrupted.
Never rely on inflight entertainment to distract your child
Entertainment systems really do vary from airline to airline, so relying on them to distract your kids is not advisable. Some airlines have great deals with games and a range of children’s TV shows, but others are very sparse with their choices.
Some airlines have toys on board, so it’s worth asking the cabin crew. I know we had teddy bears and things like that that were always well received. Coloring books, I found, would also hypnotize kids for quite a while. Budget airlines don’t usually have screens in the back seat, so always pack an iPad if that’s the case.
Take your child for a walk – don’t let them run around
I’ve seen countless times that children were allowed to walk around mid-flight, which often irritated other passengers. I would always advise parents to take their kids on guided tours of the aisles. In general, as long as you stay in your cabin and class, nothing is off-limits.
A little walk up and down will tire the child and also help adults to stretch their legs. Passengers will generally be more attracted to a child with a guardian than one who goes rogue.
Parents should be well-rested before the trip, says Caroline, as their problem-solving skills will take a hit (stock image)
Make sure YOU are well rested before the trip as well
I often saw parents bicker and look exhausted when there was a problem with their child or children. I would advise parents to make sure they are well rested before travelling.
Then half the job is done. It’s really amazing how much sleep can help make problem solving easier.
Exit the plane last
As soon as the plane hits the tarmac, everyone rushes to get off. But if you are traveling with children, I would advise you to take your time and get off last.
Since you have more odds and ends to carry, you will end up stopping other people. When you’re in a hurry, you’re also more likely to accidentally leave things behind. Factor the longer disembarkation process into your trip and don’t stress!
Also, if possible, try to reduce packing and be more efficient.
Count on the crew to babysit on a temporary basis
The crew loves to take time off from their duties to become temporary babysitters. I used to love it! I let kids wear my uniform and we had a polaroid camera for fun photos.
Therefore, do not hesitate to bring your child to the galley between services for entertainment. I found babysitting and staying up in the middle of the night helped me, so I always appreciated it when parents asked for a little help.
Carry and rock your baby when they cry
I’m sure you had a conversation with a friend or relative where you asked how the flight was and they say it was great, but they had a baby next to them who cried the whole time. Unfortunately, when a child cries, you have to endure it.
I was once on duty from Dubai to JFK and this one kid would not stop crying from takeoff to landing. I gave out earplugs to everyone in the area until I ran out. The flight was full so I couldn’t reassign the seats either. Solution: noise canceling headphones!
Also, crying babies like to be carried around, so as a parent I’ve seen it helpful to carry your baby around the islands to lull them to sleep. I found when parents did this it helped so much!
Avoid giving sugar to children
I’ve seen a lot of kids on flights completely out of control. Unfortunately I put that down to poor upbringing. I’ve seen parents stuffing their kids with sodas and just sugar.
I had a mother who asked for a coffee with three sugars for her four year old. As a crew, we’re trained not to educate our customers, so there was nothing I could do myself in this case. Shortly after the drink was served, the kid went wild.