If You're Trying Not To Get Sick On Your Next Flight, Definitely Avoid This Highly-Coveted Seat
yacobchuk from Getty Images | Canva Pro If you're like most travelers, you have a favorite type of airplane seat, and you'll do whatever it takes to make sure you get a window or aisle. Unless you're one of those weirdos who actually likes middle seats, of course.
People will argue till the cows come home about whether aisle or window seats are the best, but when it comes to all the germs on those planes, there's one seat that is teeming with microbes.
Research shows aisle seats are the worst for germ exposure on planes
If you're anything like this writer, you'd rather fly in the cargo hold than sit in a middle or window seat. The extra legroom alone is a godsend, as is being able to stand up, stretch, get in the overhead bin, and go to the bathroom without having to make a whole production of it. Aisle seat forever!
But if your list of flying concerns includes catching something on board, the research is not on the aisle seat's side.
We all know that boarding a plane, especially during cold and flu season, is basically walking into a tin can full of everyone else's germs. That was always true, but it's people often think about it now, since we've added a whole new ailment to the mix. And it turns out the aisle seat puts you right in the middle of it.
Aisle seats have the most contact with other passengers
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This is somewhat of a paradox: The aisle seat is certainly not where you're squashed up against other people like the middle seat is. But it is where you have the most human contact overall.
This is what researchers from Emory University and Georgia Tech found when they flew 10 cross-country flights and tracked the movements of passengers and crew in economy class. In what they called the FlyHealthy study, about 80% of aisle passengers got up during the flight, compared with 60% of middle seat passengers and just 40% of window seat passengers.
All the trips to the bathroom or every time a parent got up to chase their toddler down the aisle add up. Aisle seats were also the ones most likely to come into close contact with people heading to the bathroom and with flight attendants making their rounds.
Vicki Hertzberg, who co-led the study, told NPR, "So the window seats are a little less risky than the aisle seats."
And think about the boarding process. Several passengers file past the aisle seats before the plane even leaves the gate, and once you're in the air, the drink cart and the flight attendants brush past you again and again.
You know all those people who grab the top of your seat to steady themselves as they walk by? They're leaving something behind right next to your face. Researchers have found that on shorter flights, aisle passengers have higher exposure to contaminated surfaces.
These seatbacks have ended up being the key connectors in the cabin's contamination network, carrying germs from one section of the plane to the next. According to the researchers, most high-touch surfaces in the cabin are contaminated within two to three hours.
How to protect yourself from getting sick on an airplane, no matter where you sit
The good news is that there's no need to become a germaphobe, but a few habits go a long way. Bring sanitizing wipes for your tray table, armrests, and seatbelt buckle. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often, stay hydrated and avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, and mouth.
And if you're an aisle devotee who refuses to give up your seat (because, same), there's one more trick worth borrowing from the research: Stay put as much as you can. Hertzberg told NPR that after the study, even she stopped moving around as much on flights.
Your legroom will survive a little extra hand sanitizer, we promise.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
