Key Points
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Flight attendants said the seatback pocket is the part of the plane they trust the least for cleanliness.
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If you have to use the seatback pocket, flight attendants recommend cleaning the area with a disinfectant wipe first.
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They also don’t pick seats near the lavatory or use the lavatory barefoot or in just socks.
How clean an airplane is—or isn’t—is something I usually prefer not to think about, in the same way I don’t like to ponder what’s really in sausage. But on a recent flight, I reached into the seatback pocket to grab my AirPods, and my fingers brushed a wet wipe I hadn’t put there. It was a big “ ew” moment.
That got me wondering: What do the people who work on planes every day avoid when they’re traveling as passengers? To get some insight, Travel + Leisure spoke with three flight attendants about the parts of the cabin they skip, side-eye, or approach with caution.
While the answers varied, one theme came through clearly: convenience often wins, but the seatback pocket is definitely the dirtiest part of a plane.
The seatback pocket really is as gross as you think.
While you might see the seatback pocket as an innocent space to stash your phone or other objects you’ll want within arm’s reach, all kinds of things make their way into this compartment, like used tissues, partially eaten snacks, or random garbage.
“The seatback pocket is one of the dirtiest places on the plane,” Danielle, an Atlanta-based flight attendant who has been flying for eight years, told T+L. “I’ve seen people put everything from used Kleenex to dirty diapers in there.”
It’s worth noting that these spaces may not get the same level of between-flight wipe-downs as other parts of the plane since the cleaning crew often has a short amount of time in between flights. “The cleaners check it for trash that the flight attendants don’t collect, but they don’t wipe it down unless there’s an obvious spill,” she added.
These are the other areas flight attendants avoid.
If you’ve ever booked last-minute and got the seat next to the bathroom , you probably already know why that’s considered an undesirable spot by flight attendants and everyone else. Not only is it difficult to rest with a bathroom line constantly forming near your seat, but a couple of hours into the flight, smells of the lav may start to waft into your space.
“I never choose a seat next to the lavatory, since it is noisy and often smells, especially after a couple of hours in the air,” Catherine, a former flight attendant for a U.S.-based carrier, and travel writer , told T+L.
Since using the lavatory during a flight might be unavoidable, flight attendants strongly advise passengers to wear shoes and prevent taking extra germs and bacteria back to their seats.
"That isn’t water on the floor—it’s probably pee,” Danielle added.
Practicality Over Panic
Not every flight attendant completely swears off the seatback pocket, though. For some, convenience wins—but only after a wipe-down or limits on what goes inside.
“I use the seatback pocket, but I bleach-wipe it first,” Catherine shared.
Eliza Poll, a 12-year flight attendant veteran and content creator , says visibility matters. “I often use the seatback pocket if it’s a see-through net and it’s not as filthy," she said. "But in an actual pocket, I would just use it for a water bottle.”
Danielle takes the stricter approach. “When I fly, I keep my stuff in my carry-on bag and just don’t use the seatback pocket at all," she said.
As for me, I’ve recently gone over to “team leave the seatback alone.” For years, I just willed myself not to think about how germy that area was, but all it took was one questionable wet wipe to make me keep my belongings in my under-the-seat bag.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
