Travel is getting back on track post-pandemic, with many plotting a getaway this summer for the first time in a few years. A frequent flier and flight attendant has revealed five 'must not do' tips to help make your trip better - and more sanitary.
From simple etiquette to avoiding making a fool of yourself, the tips cover a range of in-flight behaviour. Others cover hygiene at 25,000 ft, reports MirrorOnline.
Deanna Castro is a flight attendant with 16 years of experience, and is the founder of Future Flight Attendant a US career centre for aspiring flight attendants. Speaking to InsideHook she offered the inside track on flying:
Step out of the aisle
When boarding and trying to get your bag into the overhead lockers, always step into your row to let passengers pass. Deanna said it was fine to spend more time getting ready, but to try to never block the walkways and cause congestion.
She said: “When boarding, it’s polite to step into your row and allow other passengers to pass behind you. It’s okay to take a few extra minutes to get ready, but please step into the aisle and wait for a lull in traffic."
On top of this, she said it was also imperative for safety. She continued: “When you are dangling body parts into the aisle, flight attendants can trip and get hurt. Not only that, but you could get hurt — especially from a cart.”
Know where to store sick bags
The flight attendant highlighted an obvious point - never hand your sick bags to the crew.
“Place it under your seat”, she said. "We can give you an extra bag to wrap it up in, but please don’t push that hot steaming bag of vomit into a flight attendant’s hands."
Troubled fliers may be in a rush to get the sick away from themselves, but she asked them to spare a thought to who they were giving it to.
Beware of the windows
Cabin crew member Tommy Cimato said that some parts of the plane were dirtier than others. And because of this, some should definitely be avoided.
“Do not fall asleep or lean your head on the window,” Tommy said. He warned that you never knew how many people had done the same and whether the window had been cleaned or not.
He said: “You are not the only one that has done that and you don't know how many people or children have wiped their hands or other things all over the window.”
Long trousers only
Similarly, the crew member cautioned people against wearing shorts for the same reason. As fliers never knew how clean the plane was and which bits would be, or would not be, cleaned, he recommended sticking to trousers at 12,000 feet.
“Don’t or try not to wear shorts when you're on an airplane,” he said. “It's the same thing as the window – you never know how clean it's going to be, so if you have pants, you're going to have less germs.”
Beware the flush button
The final recommendation was simple. Never touch the flush button. Always flush they insisted, but never, under any circumstances, press the button. Tommy was blunt in his description of it, calling it “pretty gross”.
He said: “Do not ever touch the flush button with your bare hands. It's honestly just super unsanitary and pretty gross, so when you flush, use a napkin or tissue that's in the lavatory.”
