The Fly LegsUp travel device. Picture: Fly LegsUp

Qantas and Jetstar announced this week it was banning a suite of gadgets, including inflatable cubes and leg hammocks, that were designed to help kids sleep comfortably during flights.

The airlines said the prohibited items were those that attached to aircraft seats, were inserted between seats, or which blocked access to seat rows or aisles.

The new rule effectively rules out the use of products such as the Fly LegsUp, PlanePal, and Fly Tots Bed Box on Qantas and Jetstar flights.

Now the Gold Coast-based makers of Fly LegsUp — a hammock designed to be attached to the tray table — have hit back at the airlines’ decision, saying independent aviation engineers had tested the product and concluded it did not create any more of an in-flight obstruction than kids’ pillows or toys.

“Personal belongings including bags, children’s toys, pillows, and blankets often occupy the same space and would therefore also constitute a similar obstruction as the hammock does,” Fly LegsUp’s inventor and director Jenny Cayzer said.

The Fly LegsUp travel device. Picture: Fly LegsUpSource:Supplied

“Our independent Aviation Engineering Report, publicly available on our website, refutes the claims made by Qantas and Jetstar regarding the safety of our flight hammocks. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority classed our hammock as a carry-on comfort aid that did not

constitute an obstruction if used during cruise flight only and not during takeoff and landing.”

She said the Fly LegsUp hammock could be removed in just five seconds and its inflatable pillow could be deflated quickly, if needed. .

Her comments came as the makers of the PlanePal — an inflatable cushion that fills the space between a child’s seat and the one in front — said Qantas and Jetstar’s new ruling was “forcing” parents to fly with other airlines.

“We have been inundated with messages from families frustrated with Australian airlines Qantas and Jetstar,” PlanePal’s founder Samantha Cardone said.

“Many are choosing other global airlines that do permit devices that make travel enjoyable for children, parents and fellow passengers.”

When questioned by news.com.au last month, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said airlines did not have to allow people to board with these devices.

“Never attempt to bring these things on to an aircraft without speaking to your airline first,” CASA spokesman Peter Gibson told news.com.au.

“They do not have to accept the use of these types of devices.

“Second, do not attach anything to any part of the aircraft or seat. Again, if there is a reason to want to do this talk to your airline before your flight.”

Mr Gibson also said passengers were encouraged to always keep their seat belts done up at all times. This could make some products, which allow children to lay flat, difficult.

“While it is only required when the sign is on it is best practice to stayed buckled up to deal with unforeseen events such as turbulence,” he said. “We would not recommend a child be left unrestrained.”

He added that passengers should “not block aisles or the ability of people to get into and out of seat rows”.

“When the seat belt is on these devices must be stowed away at all times,” he said.

“Again, talk to your airline well before your flight if you are thinking of using these. The airline does not have to agree.”

In an updated list of prohibited in-flight items on its website, Qantas said items that attached to seats, were inserted between seats or blocked access to rows and aisles had “the potential to impede access to seats and aisles, damage aircraft seats and fixtures, and block access to emergency equipment”.

It continued: “Examples of prohibited in-flight accessories include, but are not limited to, inflatable cubes, ‘bed boxes’, and ‘leg hammocks’. This list is not exhaustive, and the decision to permit use of a particular device rests with the cabin crew on-board.”

Jetstar’s online list of prohibited items now includes “leg hammocks, or any seat attachments which obstruct customer movement to aisles”. It also bans items that restricts the recline of passengers’ seats.