Flight attendant warning of dirty areas on planes – ‘Not routinely cleaned’ | Travel News | Travel
She said: “Regardless of cabin class, there are some parts of a plane which are dirtier than others but not the toilets as you would expect.
“They might look clean enough but seatback trays are big germ hotspots. It’s always wise to have antibacterial wipes on hand to wipe them down before use.
“Seatback trays are not routinely cleaned between boarding especially on short turnarounds.”
It’s a good idea to carry antibacterial wipes in hand luggage as passengers may need them on the plane.
READ MORE: Passengers ‘trapped’ in airport amid 29-hour flight delay
Jane added: “Deep cleaning takes place overnight or during scheduled maintenance.
“Choose an early morning flight for the best chance to avoid the grot. You also don’t know what the trays have been used for.
“Instead of somewhere to place drinks and snacks, the previous passenger could have changed nappies there or slept on it.”
As hard as it might be to believe, some passengers do use the tray table to change babies’ nappies.
DON’T MISS
Jane warned: “Only accept blankets and earphones which are sealed in a plastic bag otherwise they could have been used by others.”
The majority of airlines will hand out blankets in a clean plastic bag to demonstrate they haven’t been used.
Pillows, blankets or earphones without a plastic bag could have been used by another passenger.
On some airlines passengers will be able to use their own earphones and connect to the plane’s screens.
Jane Hawkes shares travel tips on her blog ladyjaney.co.uk.
