And Is Malaysia Airlines Banning Babies In First Class?

When I read this article on news.com.au, I thought Malaysia Airlines is really taking care of its high-end passengers.

It said that the airline has introduced the baby ban after receiving a number of complaints about crying infants from first class passengers.

And I expect some quarters would take exception to the "ruling" because it does smack of "discrimination". Today, babies. Tomorrow?

Anyway, I thought we should not take the Australian Business Traveller's word for it, although it quoted Malaysia Airlines CEO Tengku Azmil as saying that first-class passengers complained about spending a lot of money and not being able to sleep “due to crying infants".

A colleague checked with Malaysia Airlines to confirm it there is such a ban.
A statement was swiftly issued.

MAS denied the story. No such ban.

The thing is bassinet facilities were originally available in the First, Business and Economy class zones of the 747’s.
"In 2003, Malaysia Airlines embarked on a revamp of First and Business class cabin of the B747s. The First class seat configuration was reduced from 18 to 12 for passengers to enjoy increased cabin space and extended legroom."

"Each new seat came with an electrically operated ottoman that doubles as a visitor seat and could convert to a lie-flat bed with the main seat. As a result of this seat revamp and the introduction of the ottoman, there was no facility for positioning bassinets in the First Class of the B747s."

"The business and economy cabins of its 747-400s, like the rest of its current fleet, are equipped with bassinet facilities to cater for infant travel."

So, what about Tengku Azmil's remark?

No comment on that from Malaysia Airlines.

Well...First class passengers don't want babies in their class, so they "pass them" to business and economy classes.

Babies don't fly for free. And when you travel in whatever classes, you share that space with other paying passengers. It is not your private space.
It's "public transport" -- not a hotel, as a close friend remarked.

There are ways to fly on public transport without having babies for company.....

Kids Not Welcomed On Flights?

Do you get irritated by bawling babies or cranky children on board airlines you're in?

I've never had to take my kids travelling on planes when they were babies so I cannot imagine how or what they'd be as passengers.

Just as well...

But I've travelled on flight where children were fellow passengers.

In all honesty, of course, you would be affected by babies or children crying. For me, it's not so much that I get irritated. I feel for the parent trying to soothe the child.

So far, I've never witnessed any passenger complaining about noisy or bawling kids.

Anyway, in a recent suvey, many people have owned up to being annoyed by children on planes.

According to the survey -- airlines are being urged to segregate children or ban them from certain flights altogether to keep business class passengers happy - according to a recent survey.

The articled:

The survey, posted on news.com.au, reported that 75 per cent of business class travellers said they were annoyed by the presence of children on planes, the The Daily Mail reports.

The survey, run in conjunction with the Business Travel and Meetings trade show, urges major airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates, to consider child-free flights.

Of the 1000 participants, three quarters of business class passengers found children on planes "irritating".

Campaigners have also suggested airlines use "flight zones" - where children and adults are segregated.

This idea draws inspiration from the "quiet cabins" which currently operate on railway services throughout the UK.

The Business Travel and Meetings trade show's director David Chapple said those paying more for their flight have a right to complain.

"It's understandably frustrating for business travellers, who have paid a premium in expectation that they can work and sleep in comfort, to have that peace disturbed by children," he told the Daily Mail.

But many people have opposed the campaign, and are worried where the ban might lead.

"It would be a bad decision by an airline to ban children," ex-Virgin Atlantic director, Paul Charles, said.

"Once you did, would you start banning other types of travellers? It would be a mistake," he said

The airlines are yet to respond to to the campaign efforts.

A "Home" That's Not a Home...

When a landslide killed 16 people including orphans of a home in Hulu Langat two weeks ago, the first thing on our minds was the precarious location of the orphanage -- which was at the foot of a slope.
Then of course, we started asking whether the home was registered, who owns and run it...and all the details that we all immediately wanted to know.
Other details emerged in the course of obtaining information, including the fact that there are so many unregistered homes and the long process of getting orphanages, old folks home and so on, registered with the Welfare Department.
Understandable that the department has got to make sure that people are not setting up homes to make money and exploit children and old people.
At the same time, the department does not hastily act against unregistered homes because of the fact that these homes do provide shelter and food for needy kids and the elderly etc...
However, it does not mean that these homes should escape supervision and monitoring.
In an ideal situation, we would like to see orphans, the elderly, the disabled and so on, well taken care of...
There is little sense in us going for all the benefits of a high-income nation when these groups are neglected..

And that is why we must prevent bad and evil people from setting up shelters and homes.
read this. If it's true, then it is a classic case of really bad people exploiting the misfortunes of others....

A WOMAN who was sent to a welfare home by her husband had gone missing when he came by for a visit, Malaysia Nanban reported.

M. Bhaskaran, from Kajang, said he had left his wife and their three children at the home in mid-May.

When he went there to meet her, the home's administrator told him that his wife had been transferred to another branch.

Not satisfied, Bhaskaran investigated and found that the home had sent his wife and two other inmates elsewhere to work as maids.

He lodged three police reports after the home's officials refused to disclose his wife's whereabouts.

It was learnt that two other inmates claimed that they were given stale food and treated harshly by the caretakers.

They also said that single mothers were sent out to work as maids and their salaries were credited into the home's accounts

The rest of the story HERE