Flyaway Kids Travel Bed Review – We tried it on several long haul flights
Looking for a way to help your child sleep comfortably on long flights? The Flyaway inflatable bed creates a flat, spacious sleeping surface for children aged 2-7, potentially saving your sanity on long journeys.
The alarming prospect of fidgety, sleepless children on long-haul flights is enough to make any parent think twice about that dream holiday or vacation, us included! So when we hear about any sleep product, we are always keen to see if it works!
We first tested two of these specially designed inflatable kid’s mattresses – the Plane Pal and Flyaway Kids bed to London to Sydney via Singapore return, with Singapore Airlines with our three kids under 6! Not sure whether to choose the Flyaway or Plane Pal? See our full comparison here.
Expert Verdict Overview: After 10+ years as a flight attendant and testing this with 3 kids under 6, the Flyaway Bed is one of my top picks for long-haul Economy, especially if you have the bulkhead seat (with an infant at the bassinet..) Unlike the Plane Pal, it sits on the seat, creating a seamless bed that doesn’t slide. It’s one of those most likely to approved eg BA, Virgin, American also approve it. ( more info one airlines that do and don’t is below.)
- Best for: Kids 2–5 who are more likely to bend legs a little as they sleep.
My Flyaway bed review covers:
- How it works and key features
- Photos of it in use.
- What airlines OFFICIALLY allow this inflatable travel bed
- Instructions and Where it can be used
- Pros and Cons
- Our Verdict
- A 10% discount code
(For other kids travel pillows and neck pillows see this post). Disclosure: This product was given to Flying With A Baby in order to review but as you can see, we are very picky on what products we choose to review!
AD/Affiliate link. This article may contain affiliate links. Please read more in our disclosure policy here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Flyaway Inflatable Travel Bed Review
If you are wondering how can I get my child to sleep on a plane, this may be the answer? More than a travel pillow or an inflatable leg rest pillow, the Flyaway bed is an L-shaped mattress, where the uppermost section rests on top of the aeroplane seat, supported by a ‘leg’ which braces against the floor and keeps the bed level.
Weighing only 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs and inflating in under 2 minutes, the Flyaway bed is a convenient and portable solution for traveling with kids.
Using the Flyaway Kids Travel Bed & Instructions
Made of light grey vinyl, it’s a very slick piece of product design, with easy instructions. Inside the box is the bed, a travel bag and a small pump which are compact and lightweight.
We had it in our carry on luggage and stored it under the foot rest until after the kids had eaten and were ready to get comfy with a movie and hopefully sleep!
Inflating this travel bed takes less than 3 minutes via the hand pump. Although, we have since found this amazing tiny electric pump which works, if you want to save a bit more space.
It took us about 100 seconds to inflate. There are two inflation valves which operate one-way to prevent any air escaping while you blow it up, and a third escape valve which releases air pressure if you over-inflate.
The Flyaway Travel Bed (affiliate link) is designed to fit between any economy or premium seat and can adjust to fit the space between seats.
This unique feature of the Flyaway Kids Bed, includes separate adjustable air compartments that can be inflated to ensure it fits securely on all economy class seats from all airlines.
The length can adjust from 60cm – 80cm long and the width adjusts to inflate the space available on the seat between the arm rests, ensuring the product stays firmly in place throughout the flight.
But there appears to be a slight design compromise if you need to inflate it fully: one of the valves is in the pillow area, which could cause discomfort for a child resting their head on the plastic cap. However we found the airline pillow or carry-on pillow fixes that issue.
It’s important to note that this part must be wear your kids head is and NOT under the traytable for safety reasons.
The Flyaway’s unique feature is it’s comfy design which our kids loved: with the mattress resting on top of the plane seat’s base, any child lying on it benefits from one seamless, 80cm flat ‘bed’.
It even has a couple of token side bolsters, though whether they’d have the heft to stop a kid rolling off sideways is questionable. However, I found these are useful during play time; to stop toys and crayons rolling off the wipeable seat, especially if it’s wedged in a seat with a seat in front.
I found we couldn’t drop too many things on the floor because the bed takes up most of the space.
The Flyaway can be used at a bulkhead position, (where there is no seat in front of you) or in normal seats. Many airlines will state exactly where it can be used on an airplane. The general rule is it must not block someone else.
I was initially concerned about the seat in front of me reclining and that causing an issue, but that was well considered during the design process.
The Flyaway is made of a highly durable material and will adjust to fit the space available making a comfortable bed. The red pressure relief valve located on the side of the product will automatically release air pressure to adjust if required. Clever!
It is pricier than other sleep devices such as the Plane Pal and Fly Tot but cheaper than than Stokke JetKids Bed Box.
Pros and Cons of the Flyaway Kids Bed
Pros
- It works!
- Lightweight and compact
- Easy to use
- The designer worked with IATA airline association to help get it approved on many airlines
- Storage space under still available unlike other travel bed designs
Cons
- The price point of US$159 puts it on the higher end but can resell second hand.
- it works best at a bulkhead seat if your child is tall.
Verdict for the FlyAway Inflatable Airplane Travel Bed
My four-and six-year-old, both preferred the comfort and robustness of the flat, one-piece Flyaway mattress. Staying exactly in place helps keep children slumbering – which is what every parent wants on a long-haul flight. The Flyaway bed was comfortable, compact, easy to use and helped the kids sleep on the plane! A big thumbs up!
Need to Know Before You Buy
The Flyaway Kids Bed is considered a “carry-on” piece of equipment and an in-flight sleeping aid (same as inflatable pillows) and it is not regulated by aviation authorities including the FAA / EASA or CASA.
The Flyaway Kids Bed was designed with input from IATA to ensure it meets all of IATA’s strict criteria for inflatable comfort devices. However, it is up to the airline to decide if it is permitted on board and some do forbid many types of sleep comfort devices.
Airline Compatibility
Some airlines prohibit the use of inflatable mattresses, seeing them as a safety hazard that could block seat rows in the event of an evacuation.
Lots of airlines do permit their use but check which ones first!
The airlines that do permit them are quite prescriptive about where they are used: the window seat of outboard rows, and the middle berths of a four-seat central cluster. Full details below
You can use at bulkhead seats (where the bassinets are) Check your airline’s website’s Travelling With Children section for their particular rules.
Flyaway Bed Approved Airlines
Do Airlines Allow Airplane Toddler Beds & Inflatable Footrests?
Quick answer? Some airlines do and some don’t. Below details the airlines which officially allow or prohibit them and state this on their website. Just click on the links to view their entire policy.
Airlines who officially do NOT allow most sleep travel gadgets/airplane beds for toddlers and say so on their website are:
- Air France
- Air New Zealand – they do have a SkyCouch though. Note: they do not allow the CoziGo either.
- Alaska – they do not allow any inflatable footrest or anything that extends a seat or attached to the seat.
- Condor
- Delta – List of things prohibited: Knee defender, footrest or sling (Designed to attach to seat-back or window) Inflatable wedges, beds/cubes, Infant/baby hammock, personal pods and tents.)
- Emirates – will only allow Cozigo bassinet cover
- Eurowings
- Jetstar
- Hawaiian – no inflatables or travel mattresses are allowed.
- Lufthansa
- THAI
- TUI
- Turkish Airlines – Confirmed directly with safety team that they do not allow any inflatable devices)
- South African
- Qantas – in August 2026 they allowed inflatable ones like Planepal – see below for more official details
- Qatar – Note they do not allow Cozigo either.
- United .
Airlines which OFFICIALLY APPROVE some sleep devices for children (as long as certain guidelines are met) These airlines give clear guidelines and rules for use on their website:
However, note that the final decision will always rest with the crew.
- Air Asia They must meet certain criteria, including, fitting the seat’s pitch and width and properly secured onto the seat without interfering or causing damage to the armrest, tray table, and seat pocket.
- Air Canada – Infant beds like eg Flyaway, Bedbox can be used onboard when the plane seatbelt sign is off ie NOT during taxi, take-off, turbulence and landing. If traveling with Air Canada, and queried, please ask the crew politely to check their manuals as this is a recent change. Similar items are not permitted if they attached to a fixed part of the aircraft.
- Air Mauritius Note: children MUST be removed from any device if the seat belt sign is switched on.
- American Airways – Yes – see image below for full details.
- American Airlines – see image below
- ANA (Hammock-type bed products cannot be used) but inflatables such as Planepal, Flyaway or Bedbox types are allowed.
- British Airways. Now allow Planepal, (Can be used on a window, centre and bulkhead row centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row or on an aisle seat) Flyaway (Can be used on a window, centre and bulkhead row centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row or on an aisle seat) .and Bedbox (Can be used on a window and centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row, bulkhead row or an aisle seat.)and Kooshy Kids Kushion: (Can be used in all window and centre seating, including bulkhead rows when the person sitting next to the child is part in your party. Cannot be used in aisle seats. Not permitted in an emergency exit row, or one row forward or behind an emergency exit row.)
- Brussels Airline Inflight bed/leg rest extension e.g. BedBox, Fly Tot, 1st Class Kid Travel Pillow, Plane Pal are allowed. A device of this type is allowed, as long as it is not attached directly to the seat. It may not be used during take-off, taxiing or landing and it may not hinder other passengers.
- Cathay Pacific
- Etihad
- EVA air
- Garuda Note: fasten the seatbelt at all times when using
- JAL
- KLM – (e.g. Wick, BedBox, Fly Tot, 1st Class Kid Travel Pillow, Plane Pal). (Inflight bed/legrest extensions that are attached to the seat (e.g. Fly LegsUp or FlyeBaby) are not permitted.
- LATAM
- Malaysia Airlines -(I verified with a current Malaysia Airlines crew member in Jan 2025 that Planepal was allowed.)
- Qantas Since August 2026, Qantas allow inflatable cubes – but they must not be self inflating. They must be able to Inflates manually – cubes with a battery powered pump or self-inflating battery-operated cubes can’t be used onboard. There must be a quick-release valve or another way to release air quickly if needed.
- Singapore Airlines – Note: Fasten the seatbelt at ALL times when using.
- Swiss: Some are allowed as long as they don’t attach to the seat. Devices for extending the seat cushion to create a flat space for small children may be used on seats next to a window or on middle seats in a block of seats between two aisles.
- They may not be used on aisle seats, in the row of seats behind a bulkhead, or on emergency exit seats.
- Virgin Atlantic – allow JetKids by Stokke BedBox (can only be used in middle or window seats (not in aisles). and Planepal and Flyaway brands only. Note: Fasten the seatbelt at ALL times when using.
- Virgin Australia
- WestJet – Say on socials they are permitted as long as they don’t attach to the seat.
Is the Flyaway the best travel mattress?
We’ve tried most of the most popular permitted ones; including Plane Pal and Flyway and compared them both here on the same flight. Our kids preference who slept on both was the Flyaway, as the mattress didn’t move at the bulkhead. It feels a lot more snug between seats.
They thought it was more comfortable and sturdy due to staying exactly in place. However, it is more expensive. We thought that the Planepal has the edge for taller kids, as the Plane Pal can make for a longer mattress because it adds up to 75cm to the seat base’s length.
Flyaway Specifications
The Flyaway comes in a convenient travel pouch with its own small pump and easily fits into your carry on luggage.
- Dimensions: 50cm wide x 60-80cm long x 52cm high
- Weighs: 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs
- Load: up to 50kg/110lbs
- Max height: 130cm/4 ft,3 ” On most long-haul aircrafts children up to 110cm / 3 feet 7 inches will be able to lay or curl up for a comfortable sleep. Taller children will enjoy stretching out their legs with their seat in recline for a comfortable sleep.
- Age range: 2-7 years
Price: Approx $159.00/£121.00 Currently only available from the Flyaway website, although they do ship internationally. Use my discount code below (affiliate link)to get $10 off. If you are ordering from another country, the equivalent amount will be taken off in your currency.
Flyaway Discount Code
and the link for the tiny electric pump again. What do you think? Is the Flyaway the best toddler bed for plane travel? Any questions just ask me in the comment section below. What kids’ travel accessories do you recommend?
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Hi! Great review, really interested to try this product, I tried the code you had and it doesn’t seem to be working. Wondering if the code expired or if you could get it extended? THank you! :)
Hi Leanne, I will contact Flyaway and get them to check and let you know ASAP!
Hi Leanne, the code should be working now!
This product is AWESOME! I’m so glad we found this article:) The bed made such a difference on our 9.5 hour flights for so many reasons. My daughter had her own space that was bigger than just the seat/tray and was able to lie down when she was tired. She slept perfectly! The bed was a great germ barrier for the airplane seat and I loved that you can wipe it down. Also the bed deflates very small so it was light and easy to put in our carry-on. We recommend it to all our expat friends – it’s a must have if you fly with kids!
I’m so glad that we found this product! We flew with our toddler a few months ago and were so pleasantly surprised and relieved that the Flyaway Kids Bed works so well! The Flyaway kids bed was so easy to setup and put away and helped our child sleep much better on the long flight.
We’ve tried other “beds” in the past that don’t work as well and aren’t as comfortable for our daughter. With the other ones, she wouldn’t want to sleep for more than an hour and we would need to hold her to sleep.
Using the Flyaway Kids Bed, our daughter slept for 6+ hours each way! We were a bit worried that the bed might not fit well in the premium economy class, but it actually fit quite perfectly. We made a makeshift canopy top to help block out as much ambient lights from the cabin to help her sleep better (we made sure to ask the flight attendants if that was ok).
The Flyaway Kids Bed is such a godsend product for parents that fly. It worked so well we bought another one as a Christmas gift for our friend! Would definitely recommend to anyone.
Hi Carrie!
After reading your review we ordered and received our two Flyaway Kids Bed for our upcoming flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne. We’ll be flying Virgin Australia with our 16 month old twins. The boys are too big for the bassinets (34 inches tall and around 29 lbs each.) We’re also currently booked for the Bulkhead Row, the middle 4 seats. I just took a look at the instruction sheet included with the beds it said that it cannot be used in the bulkhead. So I tried looking on the Virgin Australia website and it only said that they cannot be used in an emergency exit row. Any chance, do you know if the bulkhead row is considered an emergency exit row? Or have you had any experience using this on a Virgin Australia flight? And thank you for providing such a great review. Fingers crossed it works for this trip!
Hello Cassidy,
and thank you so much for you kind words! So glad they help! The bulkhead seats are sometimes near an exit row – but they don’t allow children on an exit row, or parents with infants, so you will be given a seat that is suitable for your little ones and the Flyaway. If you book online the system shouldn’t let you choose seats by the exit. :-)
Hi Carrie, Just travelled to Colombia and back (11.5hrs there, 9.5 hrs back) with the Flyaway Kids Bed and I wanted to recommend it wholeheartedly. Fantastic gadget! I found the best way to keep my 3 year old on it was to lower the armrest (didn’t do it outbound, big mistake as she ended up halfway on me so I couldn’t move LOL), and to construct a tent over it out of a blanket. Nearly 8 hours of sleep on our way home! The little bolsters on the side kept my daughter’s toy and cup of water on the bed. I’d also recommend not inflating it completely fully, to leave it a little softer while still securely standing in its “leg”. fully inflated it was too hard and uncomfortable. You were right, a small travel pillow was a good idea too. Thanks very much for a great suggestion, it will get used over and over again!
Amazing! So glad it worked out for you!