Top 15+ Things Flight Attendants Would Never Do on a Plane—And You Shouldn’t Either

Eat the airplane food

Ever wondered why airplane food just doesn’t taste that good? It turns out there’s a scientific reason for that, and it’s not that all airplane food is bad. In fact, some premium airlines—like Emirates, Qantas and Etihad—serve freshly made meals that are flash frozen or chilled, Blackham says. “It can be as good as eating at a restaurant,” she says.

Jakubjakova agrees, but says the problem isn’t always the food. It starts with your tastebuds. “Due to different air pressure and dry air inside the airplane, our sense of smell reduces roughly by 20%, and so does the sensitivity of our taste buds, making the food taste blander,” she explains. (Who knew altitude could give you the culinary sophistication of a toddler with a head cold?)

A lot of aircraft food is often oversalted to compensate, Jakubjakova says. “For this reason, I prefer to bring my own snacks when I fly.”

What to do instead: If you’re sensitive to salt or are flying a budget airline, pack your own trail mix, sandwiches or protein bars. That way you control the salt, sugar and suspicious mystery sauces.

Wear shorts

Sure, they’re comfy. But so is your bed, and you’re (hopefully) not dragging that into a germ-filled public space. Airplane seats haven’t been deep-cleaned since the Bush administration—the first one. So when you wear shorts or any other skimpy clothing, you’re essentially offering up your bare skin to whatever else has been on that seat.

“People don’t realize how many spills and bodily fluids those seats have seen,” Rodriguez says. “It’s not like we steam-clean them between flights. If someone sat there with a diaper blowout two flights ago, there’s a decent chance you’re making direct contact.”

“I never ever wear shorts on a plane,” he adds. “I would rather be a little warm than play a surprise game of Name That Stain.”

What to do instead: Take your cues from what flight attendants wear on a plane. Opt for breathable, full-length layers like joggers, leggings or loose pants. You’ll stay comfortable, avoid freezing mid-flight and maintain a protective barrier between your skin and your seat’s questionable history. Bonus: You’ll be better prepared in the unlikely event you have to evacuate the plane. No one wants to slide down an emergency chute in booty shorts.

Drink the plane water

Sure, it’s technically safe—regulations require that—but so is wearing socks with sandals, and we still don’t recommend it. “Bottled water would be my first choice, as the water tanks don’t get cleaned often due to time constraints,” Jakubjakova says. “But I do want to say that even though the aircraft water is not the best quality, they still have to follow the hygiene and sanitation standards.”

While that’s true, studies have found some rather unsavory microorganisms in onboard water, including coliform bacteria and norovirus—a scientific way of saying “you really don’t want that in your body.”

Rodriguez agrees, saying that he also skips plane water unless there’s no other choice. “I have my own special flying water bottle—covered in stickers from all the places I’ve traveled—that I bring on every flight,” he says. “Plus, mine is insulated, and I put ice in it so it stays cold for hours.”

What to do instead: Stick with bottled water. Bonus points for bringing your own reusable bottle and filling it in the terminal before boarding. It’s eco-friendly, tummy-friendly and best of all—free from bonus bacteria.

Use the blankets, pillows and mattresses

Do you know what really happens to airline blankets and pillows? They may come in a sealed plastic bag, but that doesn’t mean they’re fresh from the laundry. “On long-haul flights, first-class mattresses don’t get changed or laundered—a clean sheet is just put over it,” Blackham says. “On short-haul flights pillowcases don’t get changed; they’re probably just turned around.”

She adds that the protocols are different with high-end airlines, so it might be worth splurging on a luxury ticket if you’ve got an overnight flight in your future.

What to do instead: Bring your own small travel blanket or scarf and a neck pillow. Think of it as self-defense against the ghosts of previous passengers’ naps. Ryan says she uses the pillows but covers them with a scarf or jacket first.

Go barefoot

Social media is full of passengers casually lounging with their bare feet propped up on armrests, dangling into the aisle or even walking to the bathroom. Bad idea.

“Just FYI, the toilets are never deep-cleaned—just wiped down with an antibacterial wipe—and the toilet floors are never cleaned,” Blackham says. Add in turbulence plus people who hover or stand to pee and … you get the picture.

“We’re not allowed to go barefoot, but even if I was, you couldn’t pay me to do it,” Rodriguez adds.

What to do instead: Keep your shoes on at all times, especially when leaving your seat. If you absolutely must give your feet a break, bring your own clean, washable slippers or flight socks—and still stay out of the bathroom in them. And for the love of all that is decent, never rest your feet on the seat or armrest in front of you.

Ignore the safety briefing

Yes, you’ve heard the safety speech a hundred times. You could probably recite it in your sleep: “In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling …” Excuse me, sudden loss of WHAT now?! But even if you’re bored, anxious or fully engrossed in trying not to make eye contact with the stranger sitting uncomfortably close to you, now is not the time to zone out.

“I’ve said it more times than I can count, but I still pay attention,” says Ryan. “It’s worth the few minutes of time.” And if someone who literally gives the speech still listens to the safety speech, so should you.

Andrew Holdsworth, managing director of Flightstore who has been working on planes for more than 25 years, warns that your pride might just be your downfall: “Aircraft types differ, and safety equipment is located in different places, so overlooking the briefing could cost precious time in an emergency.” Basically, assuming you’re an airplane expert because you once watched Air Force One on cable doesn’t count as proper preparation.

What to do instead: Pay attention to the briefing. Count the rows to your nearest exit—yes, physically turn your head and look. In a real emergency, you might be crawling through smoke in total darkness, and knowing it’s six rows behind you could make all the difference. And don’t forget to wear proper shoes—your life could depend on it.

Sit in the last row

Sure, it might be close to the bathroom, but that’s not always a selling point—unless your travel goal is to smell when it’s occupied. “The back of the plane is bumpier, noisier and closer to the, shall we say, aromatic end of the lavatory,” Rodriguez says.

Holdsworth agrees: “I avoid sitting in the last row if possible. It’s not just for comfort, but because turbulence can feel stronger at the rear of the plane and can cause motion sickness.” So if you don’t want to become a human snow globe during the flight, steer clear of the tail.

Another downside? The last row often has limited or no recline, and it’s typically the last to deplane. So yes, you still get to experience the miracle of flight—but only after every single person in front of you has slowly retrieved their bag and shuffled to the front.

What to do instead: If you can, choose a seat over the wings for a smoother ride, better balance and slightly more stability during turbulence. “I often don’t get to choose where I sit, but when I do, I try to choose a seat over the wings,” Rodriquez says. (Other flight attendants agree that these are the best seats on the plane!)

Have more than one alcoholic drink

Fun fact: You can get drunker faster, and with less alcohol, on a plane. This is because air pressure changes and lower oxygen levels can make one drink feel like two or three. Combine that with the Sahara-level dryness of airplane cabins and you’ve got the perfect recipe for dehydration, dizziness and dramatically oversharing with your seatmate.

“Trust me, cabin pressure and oxygen levels intensify the effects of alcohol when you’re up in the air,” Holdsworth says. “It’s not the same as drinking on the ground.”

Even off-duty flight attendants aren’t popping mini bottles mid-flight. “We can’t drink when we’re working, but even when I’m flying for personal reasons, I don’t drink at all,” Ryan says. “There’s always that thought in the back of my head that I don’t want to be even a little off balance if something goes wrong.”

What to do instead: Follow Holdsworth’s rule—limit yourself to one alcoholic drink, and match it with plenty of water. Pro tip from Ryan: If it’s a longer flight, she adds a packet of powdered electrolytes and vitamins to her water.

Book the very last flight of the day

We get it, the late-night flight looks tempting. Fewer people, cheaper fares and you can tell yourself you’ll just “sleep on the plane” (you won’t). But be warned: On shorter routes, those last flights of the day are prime targets for cancellation. Why? Because airline schedules operate like dominoes—if one flight gets delayed, every flight after it is affected.

“Delays really stack up by the end of the day, especially if there’s bad weather or staffing issues,” Rodriguez says. “I’ve seen last flights get canceled just because the plane didn’t arrive in time from its previous trip. It’s super frustrating for passengers, especially when there’s no later option.”

Holdsworth says he avoids them entirely as well. No one wants to end up sleeping in the airport or scrambling to find a last-minute hotel.

What to do instead: Book a flight earlier in the day, when planes and crews are still fresh, delays haven’t had time to snowball and there’s more wiggle room to get rebooked if something goes wrong. Bonus pro move from Rodriguez: “Try for a mid-morning flight. You’re less likely to hit weather delays, and you don’t have to wake up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport.” Win-win.

Wear contact lenses the whole flight

Unless you enjoy the sensation of having your eyeballs slowly shrink-wrap themselves like week-old leftovers, you might want to rethink wearing your contacts for the entire flight. Cabin humidity can drop below 20%—that’s drier than the Sahara Desert. Literally. And your eyes? They’re not built for desert life. By hour two, those contacts feel like they’re suctioned to your corneas and you’re blinking like you’re doing morse code in a hostage video.

“I made that mistake on my first red-eye and literally got red eyes,” Ryan says. “By the time we landed, I was dying. Now I always switch to glasses for long flights—comfort over vanity!”

What to do instead: Wear glasses. Or pack a contact case, a travel-sized bottle of contact solution and a pair of glasses in your carry-on. If you must wear lenses for takeoff, bring eye drops and consider popping them out once the cabin air kicks into full desert mode. Your future self—and your optometrist—will thank you.

Keep the seat reclined during meal service

The fight over the right to recline one’s seat vs. the comfort of the person behind you rivals politics and religious discussions. But if you’ve ever tried to eat with a tray of lukewarm pasta pressed into your nose, you know how painful this situation can become, particularly at meal times.

Reclining your seat during meal service isn’t just bad manners, it’s basically a full-body assault on the person behind you, Rodriguez says. You might be enjoying your in-flight stretch, but behind you, they’re performing a fork-to-mouth maneuver worthy of Cirque du Soleil. (Unless you’re lucky enough to have an empty middle seat behind you.)

“The number of times I have seen someone dump their entire drink into their lap because the person in front of them reclined mid-sip,” Rodriguez says. “The worst part is that the other person usually doesn’t even notice. I’m careful to never recline my seat when people are eating or drinking.”

What to do instead: Keep your seat upright during meals. It’s a small courtesy that keeps drinks unspilled, elbows unjammed and tempers unflared. Once the trays are cleared, feel free to recline gently—maybe even with a glance behind you to make sure you’re not launching anyone’s laptop into orbit.

Put valuables in the seat pocket

If you like games of chance, by all means, go ahead and tuck your passport, phone or engagement ring into that little stretchy pouch on the back of the seat in front of you. Just know that you’ve essentially entered the Bermuda Triangle of airplane storage. Once it goes in, the odds of it making it back out with you drop dramatically. Our flight attendants have found everything in there: wallets, wedding rings, AirPods, retainer cases (ew) and yes, actual cash.

“People don’t always realize how much swelling can happen during a flight,” Ryan says. “I’ve had passengers take off rings because their fingers puffed up, then they put them in the seat pocket and forget. We usually don’t find them until hours, or even days, later.”

What to do instead: Keep your valuables in a zipped bag, secure pocket or travel pouch you’re not going to forget about in a nap fog. Pro tip from Ryan: Never put anything in the seat pocket that would make you cry if it disappeared. “I keep a small zippered pouch in my carry-on for exactly this reason.”

Stand in the aisle right after landing

Everyone wants to get off the plane. We know. Your legs are stiff, your phone’s out of airplane mode and you’re ready to sprint to baggage claim like it’s the Olympic trials. But standing up the moment the wheels hit the ground? That’s not helping anyone. Especially when the doors are still closed, the jet bridge isn’t connected and the flight attendants are just starting the deplaning procedures.

“People standing right after landing is one of those things we see every single flight,” Rodriguez says. “And it just creates a traffic jam. We still have to disarm the doors, and there’s nowhere for anyone to go. It actually makes the process slower, not faster.”

What to do instead: Wait until the rows in front of you start moving before you stand up. This prevents aisle gridlock and saves you from playing human accordion with the people next to you. Bonus: You’ll avoid that awkward moment where you’re stuck hunched under the overhead bin for 10 full minutes like a budget-conscious gargoyle.

Eat right off the tray table

Here’s a fun little nightmare fact for you: One study published in the Journal of Nursing found more bacteria on airplane tray tables than on the average home toilet seat. Yep, the thing you’re about to eat your sad sandwich on is biologically filthier than the thing you avoid touching in a gas station bathroom. Still feeling good about that in-flight snack?

Ryan has seen it all: “I’ve watched people wipe boogers on it, toddlers lick it and so many sticky fingers and uncovered coughs. I even saw someone once try to change their baby on the tray table.” She adds that no one is wiping them down afterward. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even put my phone on one without sanitizing it first.”

What to do instead: Bring sanitizing wipes, and give the tray table a quick clean before you eat, work or rest your forehead on it. A travel-sized pack of antibacterial wipes is your best friend in the sky. And if you’re the type who forgets, at least put a napkin down between your stuff and the table.

Assume your checked bag will arrive with you

We all want to believe. Believe that our bag will make it onto the same flight. Believe that it won’t end up rerouted to Cleveland while we’re headed to Cancun. But the reality is that luggage goes missing. A lot. In 2024, 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers went astray, according to airline telecommunications and IT company SITA’s Baggage IT Insights report. That may not sound like much—until it’s your bag going on a solo trip without you.

“Although lost doesn’t always mean lost forever,” Ryan says, adding that sometimes it’s delayed, sometimes it’s misrouted and sometimes it’s just chilling on the tarmac wondering where its human went.

But while there’s not much you can do about those things, you can pack for that possibility, Ryan says. And, she says, this is why it’s so important to hang on to your checked bag receipt. “If it does go missing, this will go a long way to helping track it down,” she says.

What to do instead: Pack like your suitcase is an unreliable ex: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. “Keep all essentials like medications, a change of clothes, chargers, toothbrush and anything else that would ruin your trip if it vanished in your carry-on,” she says.

Another pro tip from our flight attendants: Add a colorful ribbon or a funky sticker to your luggage to make it easier to spot—that will help prevent it from getting lost at baggage claim and make it easier to describe to airport employees looking for it.

About the experts Emilia Ryan is a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline who started flying in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. She’s worked domestic and international routes and has seen just about everything midair—from overstuffed overhead bins to passengers barefoot in the lav. Kamila Jakubjakova has been a flight attendant for more than three years and shares her insider knowledge through travel and lifestyle content with eShores, a luxury travel site. She specializes in aviation etiquette and practical travel tips. Germaine Blackham has spent five years as an international flight attendant, working with several major carriers. From luxury cabins to long-haul economy, she’s well versed in what makes a flight comfortable—and what makes it unbearable. Evan Rodriguez has nearly 15 years of experience flying with U.S. airlines, both big and small. He’s known for his hilarious safety briefings and ability to calm down any passenger mid-air. Andrew Holdsworth is the managing director of Flightstore. He has more than 25 years of experience in aviation, and through his daily conversations with pilots, cabin crew and frequent flyers, he knows what works in the air—and what absolutely doesn’t.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Emilia Ryan, flight attendant; phone interview, Aug. 13, 2025
• Kamila Jakubjakova, flight attendant with eShores; email interview, Aug. 12, 2025
• Germaine Blackham, flight attendant; email interview, Aug. 12, 2025
• Evan Rodriguez, flight attendant; in-person interview, Aug. 13, 2025
• Andrew Holdsworth, managing director of Flightstore; email interview, Aug. 12, 2025
• Journal of Nursing: “The 5 Germiest Places On A Plane”
• SITA: “Baggage IT Insights 2025”