20 rules to follow next time you fly
Flight done right
Flying in a plane requires a lot of remembering: did I pack everything on my checklist? Am I wearing the right clothes? Did I bring along my passport?
The mental checklists are endless, but it’s more important than ever to be prepared. As Terry Suero, senior board member of Safe Travel Pathways, says, “Until the airlines are back to normal with routes and staffing, it is important to plan for the unexpected. Flights will be delayed; airplanes will be in the tarmac for extended periods of time; staffing is limited; people are stressed; flights will be cancelled; etc.”
Not to mention getting through security. One key to a stress-free trip? Make sure you never do these things on an airplane.
Don't eat food after it's fallen on the tray table
Airline crews do their best to sanitise the plane, but there are still things on a plane that don’t get cleaned as well as they should.
“The tray table is notorious,” says professor of epidemiology, Stephen Morse. “Those tray tables are used for all kinds of things,” adds Ferguson. “During flights, I’ve seen parents changing babies on top of tray tables. I’ve seen people put their bare feet on top of tray tables.”
One study found that trays harbour an average of 2155 colony-forming units of bacteria per square inch. Compare that with the 265 units on the lavatory flush button. And while all samples tested negative for potentially infectious bacteria such as E. coli, you’ll still want to steer clear of that tray.
An extra safety tip in the time of COVID-19: wipe down your tray table and any other surfaces with disinfectant wipes before using.
Please! Don't walk around barefoot
Going shoeless on plane might annoy your neighbour, but there’s a more important reason you shouldn’t do it. Flight attendants have seen everything from vomit to blood to spilled food hit that carpet.
“We see people walking from their seats into the bathrooms all the time barefoot and we cringe because those floors are full of germs,” said Linda Ferguson, a flight attendant for 24 years.
“Never walk barefoot into the bathroom or the galley area because sometimes we drop glasses and there could be sharp glass there, too.”
Don't touch your face after you've touched your seat
Though a full meal is a flight experience you likely won’t be having during the pandemic, you’ll probably break open a snack during a long flight. Just don’t do it after you’ve touched your seat.
“I see plenty of people carry alcohol wipes with them that will wipe the area around their seat,” says Ferguson. “If there was a backlight and they could light up a plane with all the germs, I think it would petrify everybody. My rule of thumb is I never put my hands in my mouth or near my face.”
If you do need to touch your face, just be sure to use some hand sanitiser first.
Don't sit in your seat the entire flight
On an airplane, you are at a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a type of blood clot that usually forms in your legs.
DVT has been coined as ‘economy-class syndrome’, and walking around for a few minutes or standing up to stretch are good bets to help prevent it. (Just remember to put your shoes on!)
Also, try to avoid tight clothing that could cut off circulation while in flight.
“The most important thing is to try to move around and move your legs at least once every hour,” said Catherine Sonquist Forest, MD, a primary care doctor at Stanford University Health Care.
“If you can’t get up, you can do exercises in your seat by lifting alternate knees up to your chest and twisting in your chair from side to side.”
Don't line up for the bathroom
Long lines at the bathroom may be a habit that changes after coronavirus.
“If passengers brazenly queue up for the bathroom mid-flight, those who are seated near to the toilets will have no choice but to be in close proximity with several people. So, don’t disregard other passengers’ safety just because this system wasn’t a health issue previously,” says Satwinder Singh of Citrus Holidays.
So instead of joining a long line, just keep your eyes peeled for a better opportunity to use the lavatory.
Don't use the blankets
There’s a reason airplane blankets are on the list of things you can’t take from a plane. In many cases, those blankets and pillows offered are recycled from flight to flight and don’t get properly washed until the day is over.
Items like pillows and blankets are ideal places for germs and lice to camp out and spread from person to person. “I see people wrap their feet in the blankets, I see people sneeze in the blankets,” Ferguson says.
Bring your own travel blankets or warmer clothes, like sweatshirts or jackets, to stay warm while flying.
Skip coffee, tea, and ice
An EPA study in 2004 found that out of 327 aircraft’s water supplies, only 15 per cent passed health standards.
Since the 2009 creation of the EPA’s Aircraft Drinking Rule Act, standards have risen and most airplanes don’t serve drinking water from the tap, but their ice cubes are often still made from the same water. “Water tanks on an airplane are old and they’ve tested them and bacteria is in those tanks,” explains Ferguson. “I would definitely drink bottled water – that’s why they hoard tons of bottles on an airplane.”
Your flight attendant won’t tell you this, but that’s also why you should avoid ordering coffee or tea during your flight – it’s been made with plane water.
Don't forget the hand sanitiser
There is perhaps no better use for hand sanitiser than on an airplane. “Because aircraft are small enclosed spaces, they have many ‘high touch’ areas,” aviation industry expert Steve Deane says.
“For example, it’s very common for passengers walking up the aisle to touch the top of every seat along the way to steady themselves.”
By sanitising your hands before and after touching items while on your flight, you can help prevent the spread of germs to both yourself and others. Don’t forget to bring along some disinfectant wipes as well.
Don't use middle armrests unless you're in the middle seat
Have you ever wondered who has dibs on middle armrests? Well, you’ll be glad to know the experts agree it’s the person in the middle seat. “The unlucky passenger who has the middle seat should be granted the privilege of using both armrests,” says Rose Gray with Fox World Travel.
Daniel Levine with the Avant-Guide Institute agrees with Gray. He adds, “This is one economy class rule that nobody but the most seasoned frequent flyers know.”
Don't be afraid to ask to be moved if necessary
Travel medicine physician, Dr Kunjana Mavunda, recommends her patients take common-sense precautions like wearing multi-layer or surgical masks instead of cloth masks, using sanitising wipes to clean their seat, and applying hand sanitiser.
She also tells her patients that if someone around them isn’t observing COVID restrictions (for instance, the guy wearing his mask under his nose, or the one not wearing a mask at all) you should find a flight attendant and ask to be moved.
Don't fall asleep before take-off
If you do, it will be harder for you to equalise the pressure in your ears (which you’ll do more quickly if you chew gum or yawn).
If you’re prone to flight-induced headaches, hold off on your snooze until your ears pop.
Don't forget to stay hydrated
Parched throat mid-flight? Don’t just blame the salty snacks. Airplane cabins are known for their low humidity because the manufactured air in the cabin is made to mimic the highest altitude humans can breathe at, usually between 1800 and 2400 metres, according to the World Health Organization.
“For every leg of [a] flight, each flight attendant will try to drink a full 16 ounces of water,” says Ferguson. “That’s the most important. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.”
You might not think of it as an airplane hack, but drinking plenty of water could be the difference between showing up at your destination refreshed and stepping off the plane with a headache.
Don't try to cut the line when you're disembarking
We get it. Long flights are exhausting and you want to get off the plane as quickly as possible, but cutting the line isn’t something polite people do on airplanes.
Besides that, allowing the people in the rows ahead of you to leave first will actually speed up the process for everyone.
Gray puts it simply: “Disembark in an orderly way. Everyone is anxious to get off and many other passengers have a tight connection.”
Don't stand up immediately when the flight lands
There’s a reason the fasten your seat belt sign remains on after you touch down on the tarmac. “Do not stand up immediately when the plane lands,” says Bayram Annakov, founder and CEO of App in the Air.
In fact, he says it could be dangerous since the plane is still in motion.
So if you want to avoid injury, just follow the airplane safely rules and wait until your hardworking flight crew tells you it’s safe to stand.
Don't wait until the last minute to use the bathroom
One of the simplest airplane hacks is knowing when to use the bathroom. Says Levine, “Don’t wait for the announcement that the plane has started its initial descent to go to the bathroom unless you want to wait in a long line.”
Even if you don’t mind lines, there’s another reason to avoid using the bathroom at the end of the flight. At that point, those toilets have seen a lot of action.
As Levine puts it, “Don’t wait until the end of the flight to go to the bathroom if you like clean bathrooms.”
Don't close the overhead bins
While you might think you’re being helpful if you close an airplane bin that appears to be full, it’s up to the flight crew to make that determination.
Says Levine, “Travellers coming down the aisle need to know if those bins have any room left for them. Maybe someone else is just looking for a place to stash a bulky coat. Even in a bin full of bags, there may be room for something small or squishy. I’m constantly walking down the aisle popping open bins to see if there is room for my tiny computer case. Unfortunately, almost every flyer closes the overhead bin when they themselves feel they are full.”
So resist the urge to be ‘helpful’ when it comes to closing the bins to make sure everyone has a chance to stash their carry-on items.
Don't make loud phone calls
Yes, technically you’re allowed to use the phone while boarding a plane, but that doesn’t mean you should.
Gray says, “Be respectful when using your phone. The entire plane does not need to hear that urgent last-minute business call.”
So whenever possible, opt for a text message or email instead. Gray also adds that if you absolutely must make a call, it’s important to obey the flight attendants when they tell you it’s time to put your phone in airplane mode.
And definitely don’t turn your phone on before the plane has touched down. Pilots won’t tell you this, but it can interfere with their readings of how high the plane is.
Don't recline your seat during meal or snack service
You might not be hungry, but the person sitting behind you might be looking forward to having a bite to eat.
Gray says, “Don’t recline your seat during in-flight meal service (mostly for international flights where full meals are served, but also for snack/beverage service on domestic flights).”
If you do, the person behind you will have very little space to enjoy their snack or airplane meal.
Don't argue with the flight attendant
Flying makes some people crabby, especially when something goes wrong. We get it, but don’t take it out on the flight attendant.
You might not like wearing a mask or a seat belt, but it’s the flight attendant’s job to enforce the rules, so “no” is on the list of things you shouldn’t say to a flight attendant.
Not only is it the wrong thing to do, but as Levine says, “That’s the quickest way to get you booted from the airplane or even the airline altogether.”
Don't pack your medication in your suitcase
In a perfect world, our checked bags would always arrive at our final destination on time. In real life, however, that doesn’t always happen.
According to Suero, medication is one of the things you should always keep in your carry-on bag. He says, “Bags can easily be delayed or even lost. Clothes can be bought, but those pills might be harder to replace, especially internationally.”
Image credits: Getty Images
This article originally appeared in Reader's Digest.