Flying with kids

I am travelling a lot... I thought I am aware more or less of rules and regulations, even habits in commercial aviation and airports... Last boarding flying with family, friends and our little daugther made me sad, I would say sad and furious.

Early morning flight. You are doing your maximum to facilitate the job of airport services. You did the online check-in. Security check goes with maximum respect and was perfectly correct.

Then I helped our friends to buy some local specialties in duty free. Still the mood is just perfect - flying back home after a long weekend with friends. Still in amazing good mood despite the luck of sleep and fatigue.

Then comes the announcement, which already seamed to be unusual: passengers of business class will be invited for boarding first, then all the rest of passengers.

I had a look at the long line for boarding, I would say huge. Many families with kids. Staying in the line.

I decided to ask boarding agent, if they did not see or they forgot that NORMALLY passengers with kids are invited for boarding right after priority passengers.

NORMALLY - everywhere in the world on every airline I had flown with before.

The answer was amazing - You can try .... What exactly should I try, if that is something that lady should assure as it is her job? The worse thing was the face she made answering to me. I disturbed her morning. As I adressed to her in english, she was sure I don't speak the local language and started to discuss how silly I am to ask something like that like I couldn't just stay in line with small kid.

"If she is too load, let her board before others " told she to her colleague already boarding people in line.

Too bad for her... I still perfectly understand and speak that language.

So I answered that amazing lady, in her native language, that everywhere in the world airports and airlines are treating families travelling with kids with respect. Everywhere before Riga International Airport that day, we were invited for boarding right after priority passengers.

Too bad, if that is the official position of the airport... as Lufthansa flights still respects passengers with kids.

Our amazing little lady is used to fly and used to be patient in airports. However that attitude, that luck of respect and that untollerance made me furious.

Lack of respect, lack of professionalism or whatever, but it definitely doesn't make me wish to visit that place again.