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Once I moved from Argentina to the US 15 years in the past, American Airways was the one one providing an in a single day, continuous flight from New York, the place I used to be dwelling, to Buenos Aires, the place my household was.
It grew to become my go-to airline due to it. I racked up miles and standing and even bought their AAdvantage bank card to get extra perks. When my youngsters have been born, I instantly bought them their very own profiles in order that they, too, may begin accumulating miles.
A current flight on Lufthansa made me reevaluate my resolution, and I noticed that there could also be higher airways for touring with youngsters.
We boarded earlier than everybody
In the event you fly with youngsters ages 5 and below on Lufthansa, you might be mechanically assigned “PRE” as your boarding group. This implies your loved ones is allowed to preboard earlier than everybody, giving mother and father further time to get everybody settled.
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My youngsters are 7, 5, and 5, and on a current journey from Boston to Munich, we have been the one ones preboarding. I actually appreciated this as a result of we have been touring with carry-ons solely, and we did not must stress about discovering overhead area for 5 luggage.
We additionally had time to determine who was sitting the place (my youngsters like to argue over the window seat), and get their stuffed animals and snacks prepared.
Whereas my American Airways standing permits me to board with Group 4, I all the time marvel if we’ll have area for our luggage.
The flight attendants went above and past for my youngsters
My oldest has been touring since he was 3 months outdated, so we’re fairly used to flying with youngsters. That mentioned, the flight attendants at Lufthansa stunned me by how a lot they did for my youngsters.
In considered one of our connections, my youngsters have been greeted with stuffed animals and video games for the aircraft. They every bought one, they usually have been all age-appropriate.
On one other flight, the flight attendants have been giving candies to the passengers as we have been touchdown. After they noticed me with three little youngsters, they only dumped half the basket on my tray and smiled — these candies got here in helpful later within the journey.
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American Airways affords cookies that my youngsters love. I as soon as requested the flight attendant if we may have further packages to keep away from meltdowns and was given a chilly “no” as a solution.
We have been all seated collectively
I purchased the most affordable tickets on Lufthansa solely to then understand that I needed to pay for our seats. I paid about $400 for our longest flights to make sure that we have been sitting collectively, and left the shorter connections as much as luck.
On each flights, we have been all sitting collectively and in precedence rows, which was key to deplane with little youngsters.
With my standing at American Airways, we get to decide on our seats without cost, and have not had a difficulty sitting collectively. There was just one time, in 2023, when our aircraft was modified, and the corporate sat my then-2-year-old son alone behind the aircraft. We have been these mother and father excusing ourselves and asking folks to alter seats with us, though we had taken the steps prior to make sure we have been seated collectively.
I am questioning my exclusivity
Whereas one journey isn’t sufficient to completely evaluate each airways, the truth that every part ran so easily (and with out delays) is making me query my exclusivity with one airline. particularly now that different airways provide the continuous flight to Argentina that I’m completely married to.
Subsequent time I plan a household journey, I’m extra keen to go along with different, extra family-friendly airways, slightly than simply sticking to what I’ve executed for many years.
Editor’s observe: American Airways up to date its customer support coverage in March 2023. The up to date coverage states that kids 14 and below will probably be seated subsequent to an accompanying grownup at no further value, as long as sure circumstances are met.
Enterprise Insider has reached out to American Airways for remark.
Lufthansa’s customer support coverage states that they may do their finest to seat kids between 2 and 11 subsequent to an grownup touring in the identical group, freed from cost.
A rep for the corporate replied to Enterprise Insider’s inquiry about pre-boarding for households with the next assertion: “Lufthansa does provide pre-boarding for households touring with kids, together with each short-haul and long-haul routes. Households with kids, group vacationers and vacationers in a joint reserving will probably be seated collectively each time potential. If this isn’t potential with the automated seat task, we ask the affected passengers to report back to the check-in desk to discover a resolution.”