Flight attendant reveals why you should never use a plane’s seat-back pocket

A long-haul flight attendant warned passengers against using their seat-back pockets. Photo / File

Avoiding germs and staying healthy while flying has always been a challenge for travellers and one we’ve become all the more aware of since the pandemic.

According to one long-haul flight attendant, there are ways to minimise the risk of catching something nasty... starting with your seat back pocket.

When asked to share ‘disturbing secrets’ passengers should know, flight attendant and Reddit user HausOfDarling shared about the dirtiest places on an aeroplane.

“I ALWAYS recommend you never, ever, ever, EVER use or put anything in the seat pocket. They are cleared of rubbish but are never ‘cleaned’,” they wrote.

The attendant said the cleaning crew find all sorts of disgusting things while clearing out these little pockets, such as “dirty tissues, sick bags, knickers, socks, . . . gum, half sucked sweets, apple cores.”

It isn’t difficult to imagine a used tissue getting scrunched up and stuffed into the seatback pocket, waiting for the next passenger to board and promptly pop their phone, headphones, computer or digital tablet on top.

At worst, it’s a recipe for picking up a sickness by touching another person’s trash. At best, it’s pretty darn gross.

During a series of 100 swab tests done on 18 flights in 2018, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found seat-back pockets tested positive for aerobic bacteria, mould, coliforms, and E.coli.

As a solution, the flight attendant recommended bringing antibacterial wipes or sanitiser on board and avoiding the seat back pockets, especially on short-haul flights.

“A lot of airlines will have the crew ‘turnaround’ the plane meaning they pick up your rubbish, fold your seatbelt over, file your magazines in the seat pocket and then welcome new passengers on board,” they wrote.

By packing sanitiser wipes, you can give surfaces like tray tables, window blinds, seat belts and tv screens a thorough wipe.

Writing on Instagram, one traveller also recommended packing a plastic bag for their personal items. “This is why I always take a plastic bag on a flight,” they wrote. “If I have a tablet, book, magazine, or whatever I need quickly, I put it in the bag then put it in the pocket.”