Flying can be an exhilarating experience, but it can also be rather unsavoury. Being packed into a metal cabin with hundreds of other people is hardly the epitome of cleanliness, and some aspects of flying can be even less sanitary than others.
Travel experts at eShores have teamed up with two experienced flight attendants to expose the dirtiest parts of an airplane – and how best to avoid them. Kamila Jakubjakova, who has been a flight attendant for more than three years, advises against drinking plane water and suggests bringing your own bottled water instead.
While the quality varies between airlines, a Healthline report discovered microorganisms in some airplane water, including total coliform bacteria. Kamila notes that while the water may not be top-notch, it does have to adhere to certain hygiene standards.
She said: “Bottled water would be my first choice as the water tanks don’t get cleaned often due to time constraints. Although the aircraft water is not the best quality, they still have to follow the hygiene and sanitation standards.”
Another thing you should always bring is your own blanket or travel pillow. These small comforts are typically reserved for long-haul flights, but the experts reveal they are seldom cleaned – merely rewrapped for the next passenger, reports the Express.
One flight attendant, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that even first class isn’t exempt from this unpleasant rule. They revealed: “first class mattresses don’t get changed or laundered – a clean sheet is put over it. On short haul flights pillowcases don’t get changed, they’re probably just turned around.”
The third thing to steer clear of on planes is going barefoot – particularly in the bathroom. While it might be tempting to make yourself as comfortable as possible by removing your shoes, you should ensure you have a pair of slip-on shoes ready for bathroom visits.
The anonymous insider explains “the toilets are never deep cleaned, just wiped down with an antibacterial wipe and the toilet floors are never cleaned”. So if you want to avoid carrying all sorts of unpleasant things with you during the flight and back into your shoes, it’s best to keep that footwear on your feet.