We’re in the middle of flu season, and everyone knows theres no better place to catch the disease than on an airplane on your way to that vacation you’ve been looking forward to for months.
You’re in a tight quarters sharing air, which means there’s a good chance if someone near you happens to be flying while sick, you’re going to be doing the same when you hop on your return flight in a few days.
Airplanes are always filled with germs, but during cold and flu season those germs are even worse, and in some cases can even be deadly. Thirty children have already died from the flu just this year.
While getting a flu shot is your best defense against getting the actual flu (you got one of those, right?) Travel and Leisure notes there are a few other things you can do to prevent getting sick in the air.
Pick a Window Seat
I know, you always sit in the aisle so you have easy access to the bathroom. The aisle seat is usually amazing, but while it gives you easy bathroom access it also gives you access to the germs of every single person walking down the aisle. At the very least you’re going to get exposed to all those while everyone is boarding, you’re also going to get exposed to everyone’s germs as they walk by your awesome aisle seat to get to the bathroom to blow their nose for the 50th time. A window seat reduces the amount of people you’re exposed to on the plane, which can be a decent line of defense against getting sick.
Wait to Board
Along those same lines, now is not the time to jockey for a better boarding position in a crowded line. If everyone is waiting to board in what looks more like a mob than a single-file line, hang back and board at the end of your group. Large, tightly packed together groups of people are not your friend right now.
Stay Hydrated
Your best line of defense against airborne diseases is the mucus membranes in your nose and mouth. When those start to dry out, something that happens often on planes, you’re making it much easier for you to catch a respiratory virus.
Try packing a small bottle of nasal spray and lubricating your nose before you board (and maybe mid-flight if it’s a long one).
Turn on Your Overhead Vent
I had actually heard you shouldn’t do this, but T+L suggests turning your overhead vent on when you board (this NBC article does a good job of explaining how airplane air circulation works). The idea being that the air vent improves air circulation and can move germs that come into your vicinity away from you.
Wipe Everything Down
I do this on every plane I get on year round. That tray table is gross and I assure you, no one is giving it a thorough cleaning before you get on board (unless you’re taking the first flight of the day, which can be a solid choice for a number of reasons).
The person who sat in your seat on the last flight could have used it to place everything from their child’s dirty diapers to their own snotty tissues and now you’re going to use it for peanuts. Wipe that bad boy down. I purchased a small package of antibacterial wipes from the drug store I keep in my book bag. I always wipe down the tray table, armrests and seat belt when I get on board and offer a wipe to my row mates in case they want to do the same. Assume the grossest person on the plane was sitting in your seat during the last flight and act accordingly.