The dangerous items parents take on flights – and why you shouldn’t ever bring them

GETTING comfortable on planes can be incredibly difficult, at least for adults.

But children are the one group of people who shouldn’t need any help getting settled in their seats, especially smaller ones.

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Yet in recent years, there’s been a growing trend of parents bringing all kinds of ridiculous contraptions on board to make sure their kids avoid having to deal with the horrors of sitting in a seat for a bit.

In this week’s blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll explain why these items aren’t only dangerous, but a total waste of money as well because a lot of the time, you won’t be allowed to use them.

The main item in question is the inflatable foot stool.

For some reason, parents think their kids need to be treated like a prince or princess and, short of bringing them to the airport on a sedan chair, they’ll do all they can to make sure they’re comfortable.

I get why – there’s nothing worse than having to try and console a child that’s unhappy, especially in the confines of a plane when their crying and shouting can irritate other passengers.

But a lot of parents nowadays go way over the top and it’s really way too much, particularly these foot stools.

The idea is that they are inflated and sit perfectly in line with the seat that they’re sitting on, allowing the child to pretty much lie flat in their chair and go to sleep.

In theory, it sounds really comfortable, but the reality is they’re actually quite dangerous.

They can block the aisles and irritate other passengers, who have to try and step over them on their way to the toilets, creating a tripping hazard.

The last thing you want is some stranger falling on top of your child because they couldn’t get past the obstacle you’d put in their way.

Argue about it all you want, that’s your fault.

What’s more, if there’s an emergency and we need to evacuate the plane, that obstacle is suddenly putting people’s lives at risk.

If someone trips over it in the dark and blocks the aisle for all the other people behind them trying to get off the plane as quickly as possible, it’s not going to reflect well on you.

That’s why, if we see a parent inflating one, we will always tell them to deflate it.

We know you want to treat your kids like royalty, but the reality is we need to keep people safe and those foot rests aren’t good things to have on board.

So don’t waste your money on them because they’ll just end up taking up room in your carry-on, only for you to not actually get any use out of them.

Of all the people who need help getting comfortable, I doubt your child is one.

They have more than enough legroom, wherever they sit, so leave the inflatables at home, or in the pool.

Meanwhile, these other items could be really dangerous in the confines of a plane cabin.

And this stupid new fad among passengers is really silly – so stop doing it.

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