Nothing has revolutionised the experience of long haul flights for parents travelling with children as much as the personal video and games console offered on most aircraft flying international routes.
Children have an endless capacity to play games and watch videos and these systems give them something to do other than chant "are we there yet" endlessly.
But in providing this entertainment, airlines must also provide appropriate information for parents. Sadly, a recent trip on the national carrier as proven this is not always the case.
In fact, the current Q magazine probably breaches classification guidelines while in Australian airspace and certainly works against the interests of parents with children flying on Qantas.
The magazine advises parents travelling with children to "check the Australian Content Classification guidelines and supervise your children accordingly". That would indeed be good advice if the classifications were accurate.
The magazine lists the Peirce Brosnan movie Married Life as being classified PG - it is not. The Classification Board has rated the film M. While I accept that the magazine may have had to be printed before the classification was granted surely a movie about a man seeking to kill his wife so he can marry his young mistress should have raised alarm bells and the airline exercised appropriate caution.
In any event, the airline has no excuse for listing the wrong classification of The Golden Compass. Its PG classification was issued in December 2007 yet you list it as a G film.
The airline magazine's advice to parents is that some movies will not be suitable for young passengers. It is right. The website Parent Preview says of The Golden Compass "parents will undoubtedly be concerned over the portrayals of cruelty and violence. Lyra is in peril for most of this film, and is fearful of adults. Other scenes show children locked in steel cages while bolts of electricity attempt to separate them from their daemon. And when the battle begins to brew, people are killed with spears and guns as the situation in this already dark film begins to intensify".
Many parents rely on the classification system to make informed choices on behalf of their children. Qantas surely has a duty of care to provide them with accurate information to enable them to do this.
Children have an endless capacity to play games and watch videos and these systems give them something to do other than chant "are we there yet" endlessly.
But in providing this entertainment, airlines must also provide appropriate information for parents. Sadly, a recent trip on the national carrier as proven this is not always the case.
In fact, the current Q magazine probably breaches classification guidelines while in Australian airspace and certainly works against the interests of parents with children flying on Qantas.
The magazine advises parents travelling with children to "check the Australian Content Classification guidelines and supervise your children accordingly". That would indeed be good advice if the classifications were accurate.
The magazine lists the Peirce Brosnan movie Married Life as being classified PG - it is not. The Classification Board has rated the film M. While I accept that the magazine may have had to be printed before the classification was granted surely a movie about a man seeking to kill his wife so he can marry his young mistress should have raised alarm bells and the airline exercised appropriate caution.
In any event, the airline has no excuse for listing the wrong classification of The Golden Compass. Its PG classification was issued in December 2007 yet you list it as a G film.
The airline magazine's advice to parents is that some movies will not be suitable for young passengers. It is right. The website Parent Preview says of The Golden Compass "parents will undoubtedly be concerned over the portrayals of cruelty and violence. Lyra is in peril for most of this film, and is fearful of adults. Other scenes show children locked in steel cages while bolts of electricity attempt to separate them from their daemon. And when the battle begins to brew, people are killed with spears and guns as the situation in this already dark film begins to intensify".
Many parents rely on the classification system to make informed choices on behalf of their children. Qantas surely has a duty of care to provide them with accurate information to enable them to do this.
