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Bink from sia site said:
Hi everyone,
I travel to America 2 or 3 times a year and I have just encountered a problem with one of the larger airlines.
I booked my tickets on Friday and as I always do, I rang the special assistance phone number for the airline to arrange help for getting on the plane etc.
During the conversation I innocently happened to mention that I sit on my ROHO cushion when I'm on the plane.
Mistake NO.1
The lady on the phone said it was illegal to sit on my cusion on the plane and that they were happy to provide extra cusions and blankets for me to sit on but under no circumstances was I to be allowed to sit on my ROHO.
I aksed why.
She said that the cusion hadn't been flame tested and that it was a safety hazard!!
So I said, well I think you'll find that most of the items of hand luggage on the plane been flame tested either.
That's different she said.
I normally remove the base cusion on the plane seat and put my ROHO in place instead.
I couldn't do that because is compromised the structure of the seat even though all the base cusion of the plane seat is made of normal thin foam.
I asked her if she could offer an alternative to the regular plane cusion but she said that because eveyones disabilities are different, they couldn't offer an alternative.
MISTAKE NUMBER 2
During the converstaion I stated that it was quite possible that by sitting on a hard plane seat for 9 hours, I could develop a pressure sore.
She said that she would have to mention this to the Airline doctor and if he thought that there was a chance I may develop a pressure sore he wouldn't allow me to travel on their airline.
Now for some, sitting on a regular plane seat wouldn't cause much trouble, but I'm very boney and I can only imagine the sweating and discomfort 9 hours on one of their chairs would cause.
I have used this airline 4 times and other countless airlines before with no trouble at all with removing the seat base and putting my own cusion on instead.
Has anyone else had a similar problem.
Regards
Bink
Well,
I've flown about 3 times a year return for the last 14 years, in fact, last year I made 10 flights, and not once have I been refused a flight for sitting on my Jay cusion during my flight. Just this month alone, I've flown 4 times, and not a squeek from the airlines!
But, I haven't flown with Virgin ... Yet!
I think the morel of this story is wait untill you are lifted onto the plane, with a full passenger list, then put your cusion on your airline seat.
Do you really think they're going to offload you and your luggage, and miss their slot, just because you're sitting on a cusion?
Only give the information the airlines ask for when booking your seat. Sure, tell them you need pre-flight boarding, you need lifting into your seat, you need to stay in your own wheelchair untill boarding at the aircraft door. But, don't give the jobsworth's ammunition to refuse you a ticket, I think most of the staff on the plane are alot more flexable than the penpushers behind a phone.
The fact that the cusion hasn't been flame tested, and it being used for a medical condition is just ill thought. I don't see the difference between a cusion, and say my fleece jacket. When I go on a long plane journey, I have to wear my fleece jacket because I get cold. This could lead to hypothermia as I'm a c5/6 quad, but do you really think the airline would refuse me a ticket because I needed to wear a fleece jacket that wasn't flame tested. I have to wear the fleece jacket due to my medical condition, but to refuse people the right to wear jackets on a plane would in my view set a president, which could be compared to that of having to sit on a cusion.
I have heard good reports about Virgin airlines, maybe this was an isolated case, they all get the odd one now and again.
Simon.
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Sit on your cushion - they probably wont even notice!! I they do tell them its a new trouser accessory or something!! 
