What happens when bad parents take their kids on a plane? Maybe you get the bizarre incidents I saw in a Scandinavian airport a few weeks ago. There was one toddler sprawled across the terminal floor while Mom tried to politely negotiate with him to return to his stroller. There was a young child sternly lecturing two adults – probably his parents – as they listened deferentially.
And, of course, the screaming infant in the back of economy class on Scandinavian Airlines, and no one tried to do a thing about it. The experience made me wonder: Are bad children a problem in travel? Or are bad parents ? Check out Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler.
But don't tell anyone! I'll have the correct answer in a moment. But first, let's push the rewind button. Earlier this year, I pointed out that the problem of free-range children at the airport had taken a turn for the worse.
And this summer, we had plenty of naughty children who traveled besides the ones I met in Europe. They include a boy who stubbornly refused to buckle his seatbelt and caused a one-hour delay on a flight from Santa Marta, Colombia, to Bogota, and a toddler who cried so much on a flight in China that strangers cruelly locked her in the toilet to "educate" her . You can't help but wonder where the parents are in all this.
Longer vacations are in. Here's h.
