Britt Jones
A couple who left their kids in economy while they flew in business class have defended their choice, saying it makes them ‘better parents’.
Minna and Andy Havstad are regular travellers, who have admitted they struggle with flying while seated next to their three-year-old daughter, Malva.
The 34-year-olds explained that their baggage, snacks, toilet needs and her wriggling all meant that none of them would be able to get some shut eye during the plane journeys, leaving them exhausted as soon as they touched down on the tarmac.
To combat this, the parents say they book their daughter a seat in economy, which allows them to sleep and get a little break from the chaos.
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Minna, a travel content creator from Woking, Surrey, said: "Last year we flew to China and Hong Kong, and we all sat in economy - none of us slept at all.
"We were all knackered when we arrived and it was challenging trying to get through immigration and to the hotel in a new country, with jet lag too.
"After that we had the idea to upgrade one seat and it made such a difference.”
Now, if you think they’re leaving Malva on her own in economy while they live it large in business class, that’s not quite what they do.
Instead, they book one seat next to their daughter, and one seat in business class and they will alternate taking care of their daughter while the other can rest.
They said they swap around the halfway point in their journey so they can each get a few hours of sleep.
While it may be controversial, they say it allows them to be better parents as they are well rested and can be present with their daughter.
"Having a bit of me time and lie down in business means we can parent so much better,” said Minna.
So far, their little routine has meant that they been able to enjoy their journey together, with Malva being able to visit 18 countries in her three years of life.
These have included places like Brazil, Norway, China, Morocco, Albania and Sweden, which can take a long time to get to.
Minna, who runs the 'Toddler Travel Diaries' blog and Instagram account, said: "The trip to Brazil was the longest we had done - we were flying from Sweden where we'd been staying with my family, so it was 17 hours. The idea of being in economy for 17 hours was tough.”
But they did their usual swap method and napped for a few hours each.
While the price of the business seats makes them hesitant, the pair have air miles which they use to offset the cost.