Why I’m Considering Flying Parents Up Front, Teens in Back

If you had asked me even a few months ago if I would consider flying in Business or Premium Economy while my kids fly in coach on an international flight, I’d have said a loud “No!”. I always thought that practice was a bit weird, and I couldn’t imagine flying in a separate cabin from my kids. Plus, my kids bicker and argue, and they dislike sitting next to strangers.

However, things change as our kids get older. Reading Leana’s post I’m Paying My Teenager $120 to Give Up her Business Class Seat got me thinking more about the situation. And now, I’m strongly considering this option.

Logic for Flying Parents Up Front and Kids in Back

I’m in the process of searching for award flights from Lisbon to DFW for our trip next year. I already booked flights for all 4 of us in business class for the flight to Portugal. I want to spend fewer miles on our return trip back because I need our miles for other trips. Flying home in Premium Economy and Economy (instead of business class) has always been on the table.

I’m heavily leaning towards flying home on Iberia. The problem is that they typically only release two award seats in Premium Economy on the flight we need. So, I’m considering having my husband and I fly in Premium Economy (which is a separate cabin and closer to the front) and my two kids fly in Economy. Here is my reasoning:

• My kids will be 16 and 13. They don’t bicker nearly as much as they used to. For most flights, they are on their electronics. They don’t need any assistance with food or bathroom stuff.
• My husband and I are in our late 40s, and we have some aches and pains we didn’t have when we were younger. We could really use the space and comfort of those Premium Economy seats. Our teens are smaller than us and really don’t need any extra width or pitch with their seats. They can fall asleep almost anywhere and in weird positions without hurting the next day.
• The Economy section on this Iberia flight has a 2-4-2 layout. My kids could be in a row of 2 by themselves without sitting by a stranger.
• The Economy section is right behind the Premium Economy section. Our kids could likely gets seats just a few rows behind us, so they would be fairly close despite the wall/curtain that separates the two cabins.

What do my kids think of this idea?

I talked to both of my kids about this idea. Surprisingly, they didn’t care at all. My son is super excited about this trip to Portugal, so I think he would be willing to strap himself to the top of the plane if it meant he could get there. My daughter just shrugged and said, “I’m fine with that.”

The bigger point of contention with them would be which one will get the window seat. We will either have to flip a coin or offer a small incentive for one of them to take the aisle seat.

Bottom Line

If award availability was plentiful and our stash of miles was huge, I’d fly us all up front. But, the reality is that when you’re flying a family on multiple trips, you often have to make compromises. Flying me and my husband in Premium Economy and our kids in regular Economy is one of those compromises that makes sense.

Parents, have you considered flying in a different cabin from your kids?