If you’re one of the 4.7 million Brits planning an overseas trip this Christmas, then you’re probably aware that flying can be a risky business – but not in the way you’re thinking.
Planes can be very unhygienic places, and your chances of getting sick skyrocket when you’re breathing in the recycled air of hundreds of other people.
Contact with a sick person increases your risk of getting infected by 80 percent and, according to research from the National Academy of Sciences, there is a seat on the plane which can make this risk even higher.
Passengers in aisle seats interact with an average of 64 people on a flight, compared to just 12 interactions from those in the window seat.
Jamie Fraser at Wild Packs says this is a concern as norovirus is currently on the rise: “This means aisle-seat passengers are at a higher risk of contracting this while on their winter flights. That said, travellers shouldn’t panic.
“Modern aeroplanes are equipped with hospital-grade HEPA filters that circulate air and trap bacteria, meaning germs are unlikely to spread more than a metre.”
Therefore it’s wise to book the window seat, as not only are there fewer interactions with potentially sick passengers but the air in the cabin is circulated from the sides and directed downward toward the aisle.
This means that those sitting on the window are the first to receive freshly filtered air, reducing your exposure to airborne germs.
Other ways to keep yourself from catching a nasty bug include sanitising everything, and Fraser recommends keeping hand sanitiser close for the whole flight.
“Use it as soon as you sit down, especially after touching luggage, seat belts, or overhead bin handles to minimise any germ transmission.”
You can also choose to wear a mask, which although no longer mandatory, are a good idea to prevent illness.