SUPPORT SEATING FOR DISABLED PASSENGERS

We are proud to offer two different types of support seating for our disabled passengers. These are the "Burnett Body Support" and "Travel Chair". Both of these supports are approved for use in an aircraft seat, and are designed to help children and adults who need spinal support and posture control to sit upright.

For safety reasons, passengers are not normally permitted to use their own support seat onboard. The only exceptions are the "Crelling Harness" and the "AmSafe Child Aviation Restraint System".

If you have your own specialised support that you would like to use on-board, please contact Special Assistance.

The Burnett Body Support is a sheepskin-covered beanbag that has full back support with headrest, and two side arms. The support moulds itself around the passenger when the cabin crew remove the air inside it with a foot pump.

The Burnett Body Support is ideal for passengers aged 12 years old and upward who are in need of spinal support or posture control, such as Cerebral Palsy.

To make arrangements please contact Special Assistance.

The Travel Chair is designed to help children with disabilities embark on air travel in comfort.

The travel chair fits snugly into the aircraft seat, and has a 5-point harness that provides extra upper-body support. It is ideal for use by children aged between 3 to 11 years, however use of the chair is dependent on the size of the child, not age specific.

To make arrangements please contact Special Assistance.

The Crelling Harness is a supportive chest and/or waistband with shoulder straps that assists a passenger in maintaining an upright posture in an aircraft seat. The harness also prevents a passenger from having involuntary movements.

Only Crelling Model No: 27 is accepted for use onboard. Type 27 I is for infants up to 5 years, Type 27A for 5-8 years and Type 27B for 9 years to adult.

Virgin Atlantic does not supply the Crelling Harness, therefore parents/personal attendants must take full responsibility for fitting it to the aircraft seat as the crew are not trained in its use.

The Crelling Harness can be fitted to any aircraft seat, except those located in an emergency exit row or adjacent to aisles, for safety reasons.

For more information please refer to the manufacturer’s website at www.crelling.com.

If you would like to bring one of these types of Crelling Harnesses onboard, please contact Special Assistance.

The CARES harness is manufactured by AmSafe Aviation based in the USA and is a harness that fits around the back of the seat and attaches to the aircraft seatbelt, to provide restraint for the upper part of the child's body.

This device has been approved for use during all phases of flight by the US Federal Aviation Authority & the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

It is approved for children, (both able bodied & disabled), between 2 and 4 years old, weighing between 22lbs - 44lbs (10-20kgs), whose height is 40ins (100cms) or less and who are capable of sitting upright in their own aircraft seat.

The harness weighs 1 pound and fits into a small carry case.

On Virgin Atlantic, CARES can be used in the Economy and Premium Economy cabins only. For safety reasons the harness cannot be fitted in an emergency exit seat, any aisle seat, the A340-600 aircraft bulkhead rows which are fitted with an airbag seatbelt or our Upper Class cabins which are also fitted with an airbag seatbelt.

Virgin Atlantic does not supply CARES, so parents/personal attendants must take full responsibility for fitting it to the aircraft seat as the crew are not trained in its use.

The harness is available exclusively through the www.kidsflysafe.com website.