26 September 2023 , 10:18
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A flight attendant has revealed the one item they always pack on holidays to help them avoid "feeling sick".
Feeling unwell can ruin a holiday or make a flight feel particularly arduous, and while there are plenty of ways to avoid germs on flights, one member of cabin crew says you can put the odds in your favour by packing a humidifier. Simon Wu, a flight attendant with Cathay Pacific, told Travel + Leisure that he "absolutely need[s] a humidifier for my skin after a long plane ride". Because of hand luggage restrictions, he's invested in a portable one that's approximately the size of a drinks can.
He's not the first flight attendant to have praised the gadget. Speaking about the Portable Mini Humidifier from Movtip, another flight attendant added: "This has saved me on many layovers in dry hotel rooms. I don’t wake up feeling sick anymore and it definitely is super quiet and lasts me all night."
Simon Wu recommended using a mini-dehumidifier (Amazon)If you want to give it a try, you can buy the mini humidifier on Amazon from £24.97. Of course it's not the only option available - if you're after different portable humidifiers, The Range has some from £16.50, while Currys offers various sizes and styles on its website here. Boots also has a portable Vicks one from £54.99.
If you are really concerned about getting ill on a plane, there are some measures you can take to minimise the risk of picking something up from your fellow passengers. One 2018 study suggests that to minimize contact with other passengers, you should try and book a window seat.
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Vicki Hertzberg, a biostatistician at Emory University, co-led the study with scientists at Boeing and found that passengers sitting in window seats came into contact with others less regularly than those sitting in the aisle. Generally speaking, if you are sitting close to someone who is ill and infectious, your chances of catching something are increased. Those sat a few seats away from a poorly person are unlikely to get sick.
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As well as sitting in the right spot - something which is very often down to luck - passengers can do two other main things to protect their health. The first is to wash their hands thoroughly and more often during and after a flight, to lessen the chances of picking up a bug through touch.
The second is to drink lots of water. The air in planes is low-humidity meaning there is little water in it and that it can dry out mucous membranes in the nose. This in turn makes them less protective against infections, according to Dr. Mark Gendreau, an aviation medicine specialist at Lahey Medical Centre.