The Passenger Shaming Instagram account recently shared a photo of two travelers sleeping on a plane. One passenger was laying horizontally across three seats. The other is lying down on — wait for it — the floor of the airplane. There are plenty of unspoken rules that should almost never be broken during a flight. Among them? Taking off your shoes and socks; clipping your nails; and getting too frisky.
But we have to admit, even we've never seen this before:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0gTDNJl7iq/
First of all, there are simply so many things wrong with this photo. Our first question is just, why? And where are her shoes? How did they decide who slept on the seats and who slept on the ground?
Either way, nothing can really justify the willingness of someone to sleep on a floor that has not been cleaned in, well, who knows how long. After seeing this, we may not blame Naomi Campbell for her insane pre-flight cleaning ritual.
Here at TPG, we always want to teach you the best ways to travel, so we are officially advising against this method of sleeping for quite a few reasons.
1. The turn time of a plane determines how much it gets cleaned.
For all our AvGeeks out there, this isn't really breaking news. A turn time is how long a crew has to turn over the plane from when it lands to when it takes off again. So, while business travelers love those shuttles to and from major cities, we have some bad news: These fast-turnaround flights are most likely the least clean.
2. Flight attendants focus on seats, armchairs and folding trays.
These areas are normally the parts of an aircraft travelers touch directly with their hands. So, you can probably bet the floors are too dirty for your face. Other areas of an airplane to watch out for? Headrests and seatback pockets.
3. Overnight cleans often only include vacuuming.
Taylor Garland, spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told TPG that plane carpets are occasionally vacuumed between flights. If that makes you feel comfortable enough to lay your head on the floor, props to you. Personally, I'd need a thorough, deep clean before I even consider resting my face on the floor of a public airplane.
4. Airlines perform 'deep-cleans' about once a month.
United reported deep-cleaning every 35 to 55 days, and American every 30 days, according to the Wall Street Journal. When an airline deep-cleans a plane, they sanitize the ceiling, walls, overhead bins and shampoo the floor. I don't know about you, but I'm really hoping these two individuals knew the airline's deep-cleaning schedule before boarding.
5. There are no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleaning guidelines.
Yes, you read that correctly. The FAA doesn't regulate or inspect the cleaning of planes, according to the same WSJ story and USA Today.
6. Sleeping on the floor is also extremely unsafe.
Garland also told TPG that, in the photo, it appears the woman sleeping on the floor may be in an exit row. This means the passenger is, "Blocking egress in an emergency," Garland said.
Adding to the safety issues, Garland pointed out that, "Neither of them appear to be wearing seat belts which could lead to severe injury, especially laying like that, in the event of turbulence."
7. There are specific products designed to help you sleep in an airplane seat.
Everyone has different sleep patterns, but bringing along products like earplugs, neck pillows and noise-canceling headphones can help you fall asleep no matter where in the world you are. We also enjoy roll-on lavender oil to feel calm and relaxed. We've reviewed eight, yes eight, different eye masks and you should always change into comfortable clothes before trying to doze off.
Bottom Line
Sleeping on the floor of an airplane is not only disgusting, but it's also unsafe. There are plenty of ways to upgrade or book a lie-flat seat for your long-haul flight as well. Come prepared with everything you need to sleep on a plane, and at least attempt to sleep in your seat.
