Your Airplane Seatback Pocket Is Full Of Germs

As if we weren't already aware of the germs, and just general yuck, on airplanes, the Covid virus made us even more aware.

Trying to stay healthy on flights has always been an issue for travelers. We're not only keeping Purell in our carry-on bags now, but we're disinfecting every other area on the plane from potential germs!

According to flight attendants, and Travel and Leisure magazine, there's one thing that most travelers often ignore: the seat-back pocket.

A Reddit user and long-haul flight attendant, posted on an r/AskReddit thread about some of most germ filled places you can find on an airplane. “I ALWAYS recommend you never, ever, ever, EVER use or put anything in the seat pocket."

They are cleared of trash, but are never 'cleaned',” the user wrote. Eww.

They went on to talk about the numerous gross things cleaning crews have found while clearing the plane: dirty tissues, air sickness bags (not empty ones), underwear socks, chewed gum, half sucked candy, apple cores, orange peels... The list goes on and on.

Think about it for a minute: A passenger is hacking into a wad of tissues and instead of immediately throwing them out - because they're in the window seat, and don't want to get out -  they just shove them in the seat-back pocket. It’s very common, and we've all done it.

Not only is it disgusting, but your feet swell while flying, so it's going to be harder to put them back on while everyone is trying desperately to just get off the plane, and get home, or start their vacations.

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Check your carry on bag's dimensions at home and make sure they adhere to your airline's limits. Remember, European carriers' limits vary slightly from those in the U.S.  Blame it on the metric system that we were supposed to learn the one Tuesday, 40 years ago, but never did.

Even on next-gen jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350, cabin humidity levels rarely top 20% (and are only around 8-10% on conventional aircraft). To avoid looking like a prune after your flight, pack a light moisturizer and apply it frequently.

Preferable only on longer flights, and only after food has been served (if there is food on your flight), so the person behind you can eat comfortably.

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If you're in the middle seat, flight attendants say YOU get both armrests. I mean, that's the least you can do, aisle and window people!