Day 0 (Tuesday January 10, 2011) Traveling with Small Children: Business Class

Now many of you may cringe at the mere thought of this crazy with a Capital C idea.  But oh no, let’s double down: on an international flight to Hong Kong.  Our final flight to Hong Kong was a 15 hour flight.

It all started much like a classic horror flick. Everyone is happily traveling for a weekend at Camp Crystal Lake.  Nicholas was all smiles and charming the flight attendants.  “Oh what a happy baby!” “ I have never seen such a happy baby.”  Little did they know the horror that awaited them.  Approximately 2 hours into it, he struck. Tired, worn out and done.  Nicholas started crying. And crying. And crying. Katy and I both immediately looked around at how many business class passengers had headphones on.  Good more than 90%.  Of course the 10% look at us with at least 2 thoughts in their minds: 1. What negligent parents. And 2. How dare they sit in business class.  Nicholas melted down during the lunch service. “ Should we hold your meal?”  Yeah I think so.

Katy says, “Ok let’s recline this seat into a bed.”  In the midst of the melt down his seat stopped reclining.  No worries, a flight attendant says I’ll just reset the computer.  Reset and still no recline.  Reset again.  No luck.  “Ok,” our flight attendant Jill (I suppress her real name to protect the innocent), there is a manual lever.  So the picture is this: the flight attendant bending down and reaching her arm into the side of the seat for a manual lever while I am standing on the seat and trying to jam the head rest down and Katy is rocking, yes, a crying Nicholas.  

Where is Maggie amid all this……watching Chicken Little quietly in her seat.

Then much like a sudden storm, Nicholas suddenly falls dead asleep and the seat finally un jams.  Crisis averted.  I sit down exhausted.  “Can we bring your meal now?” “Yes,” I say.  A wonderful salmon and rice.  I sit down, unfold my tray table cover myself with a napkin, reach for my fork and hear Maggie say, “I have to go to the potty Daddy.” 

Chardonnay does take the edge off.

It’s 4 hours into it and Nicholas is still asleep, Katy is trying to sleep and Maggie is watching TV. Only 10 hours to go……