Here’s Why You Should Never Choose an Aisle Seat When Flying During the Flu Season- Study Reveals
Flights are more likely to be part of any itinerary, be it a holiday or work trip. With that, the competition for picking the best seats, a.k.a. window seats, arises– a challenge many are willing to take on. Window seats provide an aesthetic flight experience but researchers suggest that there is an added health benefit to it. A study assessed the behaviors, movements, and transmission of pathogenic respiratory droplets and evaluated a data chart to indicate the risks associated with aisle seats. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2018.
The researchers observed the infection transmission and virus-shedding rate in the economy cabin on single-aisle seating of 10 transcontinental US flights. They collected 229 environmental samples from 1540 passengers and also identified a danger zone inside the cabin most susceptible for passengers to be infected with viruses. Eight of these planes were sampled during the influenza season. The pathogens include strains of influenza, coronavirus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and others. However, only one of the passengers was observed coughing several times out of the rest and none of the crew members showed any such symptoms.
Even though all passengers face the risk of infection on long flights cramped up with multi-national travelers, some seats have a higher probability than others. The most concerning aspect is the air inside cabins that are recycled for hours and shared by hundreds of passengers. This air becomes a breeding ground for several infections and diseases and is inevitable until the destination. Aisle seats threaten the well-being of a passenger because of the increased number of contact with other passengers in contrast to window seats that are isolated. Crew and passengers frequent through the aisle, often coming into contact with the person sitting on the side.
The study collected data and found that passengers in aisle seats had an average of 64 contacts with others– the greatest number of all three seat positions. Middle seats had about 58 contacts whereas passengers sitting in window seats had only 12 contacts. It was suggested that passengers closer to the aisle get up from their seats more frequently to visit the lavatory, thus, increasing their likelihood of contracting germs and eventually facilitating transmission. About 80% of aisle seat passengers leave their place at least once whereas less than 40% of window seaters move within the flight, per the study.
Prevention is better than cure and a 2022 study advised sitting in the last few rows of the aircraft cabin reduces the possibility of coming in contact with air from other passengers. It “prevents you from being breathed on from behind, because airflow generally moves forward and not backward — therefore, your chances of catching a contagious illness will be lower,” a report by Travel + Leisure. The researchers of the study analyzed COVID-19 transmission and explained that the “most dangerous seats” are often beside passengers infected with some kind of pathogen in addition to the rows behind.
The general tactic is to limit breathing the potentially contaminated air with preventive measures like masks and sanitizing your surroundings whenever possible. During the pandemic, usage of face masks increased as it was the most effective way to avoid contamination from others. Frequent hand washing and avoiding contact with humans was also necessary including cleaning household surfaces with sanitizers and antibacterial wipes. Appropriate hydration while traveling was also mandatory.