Flying is uncomfortable - especially for kids, who can be prone to letting the whole cabin know if they're sick of sitting in their plane seat. Photo / 123RF
No one likes feeling stiff and uncomfortable in economy class during long flights.
And that especially goes for little kids, whose discomfort can make flying difficult for their parents — as well as everyone else on the plane.
But there is a way to make flying a lot more luxurious and comfortable for kids, hopefully keeping them happy and quiet in the process.
And it involves a $5 Kmart item you probably wouldn't expect to buy for your children — a fleece pet bed.
The clever idea was shared on the Facebook group Bondi Babies by a flight attendant who saw a family using pet beds on a flight.
"I'm a flight attendant and just had a passenger travelling with three little kidlets," the flight attendant wrote.
"She bought three soft dog beds ($5 Kmart) as a comfy pillow.
"The soft padded bits around the edge softened hard armrests, buckles etc, and also served as a pillow and leg rest.
"It was a winner! Perfect for airlines that don't allow BedBox/Fly Tot etc."
Expensive contraptions such as the Fly Tot, JetKids BedBox, Fly LegsUp, Plane Pal and other devices that promised to make flying more comfortable for children were banned on Qantas and Jetstar flights last year.
Qantas said those products had "the potential to impede access to seats and aisles, damage aircraft seats and fixtures, and block access to emergency equipment".
Air New Zealand also banned the products, "due to safety concerns and potential reliability issues".
Virgin Australia banned the products but reversed the ban in November.
Still, those items could be costly for a travelling family and the $5 round fleece pet bed from Kmart — the cheapest of all the pet beds sold by the retail giant — looks to be just as good.
By sitting in the bed in their seats, kids get a built-in pillow, arm rests, and lots of comfy cushioning.
And the 60cm item could be easily folded up and stashed in a bag to be carried on and off the plane.
All we need is a $5 hack for making plane seats more comfortable for grown-ups, too.
When there's nothing as far as the eye can see, you may appreciate the company.