Catch a Flight, Not a Cold with AllSafe

Most of us has suffered from the infamous plane cold at one time or another, and that dodgy tummy that you blamed on the prawns? It could have been a bug picked up from your flight. Don’t let illness spoil your trip, use our AllSafe guide to staying healthy on your flight

1. Which? Airline

Which? recently ran a customer survey, one of the questions asked was how customers rated the cleanliness of their aircraft – Ryanair came out bottom of the pile with around half of their customers stating that cleanliness was ‘below standard’, and a quarter of those saying that it was actively ‘poor’. You might think that this is typical of budget airlines, but two-thirds of EasyJet customers said that cleanliness on board was ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, so it goes to show that the price you pay isn’t always an indication of standards on board.

2. Seating

Where you sit on your flight can have a big impact on how clean your seat is. If you’re seated near the toilet or even the exits, general exposure means that your seat maybe dirtier than most. Window seats tend to have the least germs and bugs, as they’re the least touched of all seats on-board and not to mention, the view is great too.

3. Take precautions

So, you’ve picked the best seat you can, either by pre-booking your seat at a premium or arriving at the gate the very second it opened, but you’re still not convinced that your seating area is clean – give it all a wipe. Granted, this might get you some odd looks, but a recent Canadian study found harmful levels of mould on seats, armrests and seat pockets and even some bacteria only usually found in human faeces on the safety cards. Just wipe, it’s worth the looks!

4. Wash your hands

If you’re braving the in-flight meal or raiding the snack trolley, you must wash your hands before you eat or drink. This is, without a doubt, the best way to avoid illness on planes and everywhere else. It’s estimated that almost 95% of people don’t wash their hands sufficiently well to kill harmful bacteria and viruses after using the loo. If you happen to be one of the 95%, perhaps pop over to the NHS Website? They have a step-by-step guide on how to wash your hands thoroughly, your fellow passengers will thank you.

5. Sanitiser

If the captain has illuminated the seatbelt sign and you’re stuck in your seat, hand sanitiser can be helpful if you simply can’t wait for a snack. Most sanitisers claim to kill 99% of bacteria, but be warned colds, the flu and most vomiting bugs are caused by viruses, which often aren’t affected by these germ busting gels. In fact, the only thing that’s effective against the winter vomiting virus is warm, soapy water and good washing technique.

6. What if you’re the one with the germs?!

It’s your responsibility to keep them contained as best you can. So, follow the above advice where possible, pack tissues, sit nearer the loo if necessary and wash your hands – a lot.

Chances are the common cold won’t spoil your holiday, but if you have a pre-existing medical condition or you happen to pick up something more harmful, it’s important that you’re correctly covered. Get a quote today!