Should children be allowed in airport lounges? Traveler sparks etiquette debate over allowing children into VIP areas – but many say it’s the ADULTS who don’t know how to behave

Flight etiquette is an ongoing topic of debate, but one traveler is now turning his attention to airport lounges.

In a Reddit thread Entitled “honest opinion about children in airport lounges,” the traveler explained that they “often hear people complain about children being allowed in lounges.”

Although they visit lounges “about 30 times a year” with an American Express (Amex) Platinum card, they say the kids there are “well behaved” “99 percent of the time.”

Instead, they report that they have seen “adults acting like immature brats much more often,” with the “biggest areas of immaturity” involving “lounge access rules for passengers or their guests,” “scolding lounge staff about being waitlisted for access,” and “complaining to staff about being charged extra for premium drinks.”

To gauge the opinions of other loungegoers, they simply asked, “Anyone else agree/disagree with this?”

Flight etiquette is an ongoing topic of discussion, but one traveler has shifted the focus to airport lounges

The thread quickly racked up more than 1,000 comments, with most Redditors agreeing with the traveler that adults were the most annoying lot.

Many people find the noise of adults on their mobile phones offensive, compared to children in the living room.

Recounting a recent experience, one traveler wrote, “Remember, the businessmen are having loud phone calls on speaker phone.

‘On Friday, a guest was present in the AA Flagship (First) lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3 on a noisy Zoom call.

“As soon as he hung up, a lot of people clapped loudly and cheered. For a short 30 minutes it felt like we were all friends with Dave in his 1:1. I fully support such disgraceful behavior.”

Another Redditor wrote: ‘Usually the loud businessman on the phone annoys me, unlike kids.

‘The bigger problem is that non-airline lounges are chaotic now that virtually every credit card offers a priority pass/lounge pass etc. Half the time I won’t even bother and just find a quiet part of the terminal.’

Some parents also joined the discussion.

One mother shared how she approaches lounge visits with her young family to minimize disruption to those around her.

In a Reddit thread titled “Honest Opinion on Children in Airport Lounges,” the traveler explained that they “often hear people complain about children being allowed in lounges.”

She said: ‘I take my baby and toddler to the lounges during layovers when we travel as a family.

It’s a privilege I pay for [Amex] and usually they let me pay or use a guest pass for my three year old.

“If it’s super quiet, we’ll always find a spot in the back or far away from most people. If it’s super busy and crowded, we’ll take all the available seats. I always estimate what that lounge looks like that day.

“If it’s loud, I’m not too worried about the noise they make. I would never just let them run free, but we walk around to burn off some energy.

‘At 7am after a red eye, we usually have breakfast, use the bathroom and head out. No one needs to hear my son’s commentary on everything he sees at that hour.

‘Honestly, I think this is the safest place in the airport to let my little ones walk around, stretch their legs and go to the toilet. If they ever became disruptive, we would leave.

“For the record, I hate kids – except my own. But I’d rather see a kid have a little fun in the lounge than throw a tantrum on an airplane.”

Some Redditors said they couldn’t remember ever seeing children in lounges or being harassed by them.

One parent called these messages “very reassuring.”

They explained: ‘I get nervous when we go to the lounge with our kids.

“We have firm expectations that we don’t “bother other people” and use indoor voices, etc., but they are kids! Thanks for understanding.”