'Are we spoiling our baby?' Singapore parents fly toddler on first class 4 times, here's why

Most of us would probably never consider sitting on a first class flight in our lifetime. 

But for 15-month-old Kaelus, it's already his fourth time.

And while some may think that the child is being spoiled, his parents have their reasons for doing so. 

Speaking to AsiaOne on Monday (Jan 9), the boy's mother, who declined to be named, says her child has only flown on business class and first class since his very first flight when he was nine months old. 

That flight was to Christchurch, where the family of three, including her 30-year-old husband, sat in business class from Singapore to Christchurch.

The family then took another business class flight from Queenstown to Sydney with Qantas before flying first class back to Singapore. 

Their most recent trip to Jakarta, which was for the couple's fourth wedding anniversary, set them back by 122,000 miles and around $150 in taxes, with Kaelus' ticket costing around $300. 

"Since then, he has also taken first class to Tokyo and coincidentally, he will also be taking his first Suites class flight tomorrow to London," shares the 28-year-old woman. 

She also adds that during their upcoming trip, the family will be jetting around on business, first and Suites class. 

But why are they doing this despite their child's young age? 

In a TikTok video uploaded on Jan 3, Kaelus' mum briefly shares their reasons behind doing so. 

"Are we spoiling our baby for flying him on first class?" she asks while citing reasons like extra space, comfort and exclusive attention". 

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"We don't believe we are spoiling him as he is actually too young to understand the difference between the various cabins," she later tells AsiaOne. 

"To him, it is just another mode of transport." 

Going into more detail with us, she says she and her husband's "main concern has always been to make it easier for [them] to look after [Kaelus] while travelling". 

To cite an example, she shares how flying a baby overseas means that half the luggage would be filled with necessities. 

"The extra baggage allowance will always come in handy, so, to us, it means getting one less item off our minds when packing the luggage as we don't need to worry about weighing the luggages," she explains. 

Additionally, the extra attention from the flight stewardesses also provides the family with "a more uplifting experience". 

"Many of them will voluntarily ask if we need help, for example, washing of the milk bottles, bringing over toys, helping to cut his food into bite-sized portions," his mother elaborates. 

And of course, being in first class gives them more "peace of mind" during this pandemic. 

"As there are fewer people travelling in business or first class, there's less of a chance that our baby will fall ill." 

What makes the idea even more attractive is Kaelus' age. 

As he is currently under two years old, he enjoys a fare that is 10 per cent of an adult fare. 

To his parents, this is "a really great steal", especially for first class and Suites cabins that have extremely limited seats. 

Their own tickets were paid for using a combination of cash and miles, says Kaelus' mother. 

Haters will hate 

The family is pretty open to sharing more about Kaelus' flight adventures and their TikTok page is full of videos documenting the memories. 

However, they've received their own fair share of criticism from those who disagree with the child enjoying such a luxurious lifestyle. 

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"As with anything that goes onto the internet, there will definitely be a few negative reactions, mainly revolving around the fact that we are spoiling him," confesses the young mum. 

She also shares that some netizens have unhappily voiced out that having kids in premium classes will be a nuisance to other passengers. 

Despite the negative comments, Kaelus' mum shares that they "are genuinely not affected" by them. 

"Those who have witnessed him on the flights first-hand know that he is extremely well-behaved," she says, adding that not only air stewardesses compliment his behaviour, but fellow passengers too. 

She shares that the majority of netizens have been very positive. 

"Most people feel Kaelus is very lucky — it is not just them, we think so too!"

ALSO READ: What to know before you book your first-class flight on Emirates Airlines

melissateo@asiaone.com

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