Can I use a Plane Pal or other sleep aid on Flights?

This post is sponsored by Plane Pal

My five-year-old has done two long-haul trips this year- once to the US and once to Scotland, and for both trips, she has used a Plane Pal sleep aid. The Plane Pal inflates and fills the footwell of the seat, creating a flat surface for your child to sleep on. It was a game changer for us, giving her a solid amount of sleep each flight and saving our sanity!

But there has been a lot of questions around Plane Pals and other sleep aids from mums after it has been widely publicized in the media and online that many airlines have banned these devices due to safety concerns.

Where can I use the Plane Pal?

In July, this year Qantas released a memo on its website saying that use of these in-flight travel accessories was prohibited, but that ultimately it was at the discretion of the cabin crew. We left for our trip to the US in late June and Qantas, before the statement was released, and returned afterward. Both ways we had no problem using the Plane Pal for the window seat. We inflated it at lights out and deflated it when the lights came on and the attendants said nothing to us about it.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines and Air Vanuatu actively encourage the use of sleep aids on their flights, as long as they are used in the window seats and in the middle seat in the centre row of seats.

So, what other airlines have approved the use of sleep aids on board? Below is a comprehensive list so you can see if your airline supports using the Plane Pal.

Aegean Airlines
Air Asia
Air Vanuatu
Alaska Airlines
Alliance Airlines
American Airlines
Austrian Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Dragon
Cathay Pacific
Cebu Pacific
China Eastern
China Southern
Delta Air Lines
Easy Jet
Etihad Airways
FlyBe
Garuda Indonesia
Hawaiian Airlines
Iceland Air
Japan Airlines
Jet2
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Norwegian Air
Oman Air
Philippine Airlines
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines
Scoot
Silk Air
Singapore Airlines
Swiss Air
Thompson Air
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin (America)
WestJet

Is the Plane Pal Safe?

If you use the Plane Pal correctly it is perfectly safe. Make sure to only use it at the window seats or the middle seats in the middle row. It must be deflated during take-off and landing and make sure you use it in the correct position for your seat. There are three ways to position your Plane Pal, depending on the type of seat you are in. To find out how to use the Plane Pal visit www.planepal.com.au/instructions