Read this at your own risk. If you’re a frequent flyer, you may or may not want to know the dirtiest places on planes to avoid on your next flight. If avoiding germs is your MO, ex-flight attendants share the germiest spots on commercial aircraft.
While some passengers treat aircraft as an extension of their bathroom (looking at you toenail clippers, beard groomers and shoeless wonders), others are keen to keep clean.
AllClear Medical Travel Insurance quizzed two former flight attendants about the most unhygienic passenger practices and found seatback pockets are among the dirtiest places on planes and are rarely cleaned.
Other germ-filled locations rounding out the top five dirtiest places on planes include tray tables, plane pillows and blankets, touchscreens and, obviously, the onboard toilets.
Research into unhygienic passenger practices uncovered that 70 per cent of travellers admit to bad habits while flying.
Around one-third (30%) store personal items in the seatback pocket, 19 per cent rest their head on the tray table, 13 per cent of travellers visit the toilet without shoes or in socks and six per cent have changed a nappy on a plane seat or tray table.
Rounding out the TMI list, one in 20 travellers (5%) admit to clipping fingernails or toenails while on a plane, while a further six per cent say they’ve plucked their own hairs mid-flight.
So, how to keep it clean and classy in the air? Flight attendants tip to avoid the seatback pocket, use your own resealable containers and a neck pillow, sanitise hands and wipe down the tray table.
