Grim plane secret staff won't tell you as on-board freebie is usually 'filthy'

A flight attendant who shares her adventures in the sky on social media has provided some insider advice on what passengers should definitely avoid while onboard.

Natalie Magee has been flying for 20 years so certainly knows what she's talking about. She's seen the good, the bad and the very ugly during her time looking after airline travellers.

However, there's one particular freebie that Natalie recommends refusing, especially on shorter flights because the risk of getting up close and far too personal with other people's germs is horribly high.

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Zooming through the clouds can often mean that it gets a bit nippy at times in the cabin, particularly if flying at night when the sun has gone down. So passengers may need a blanket to keep warm and cosy.

Complimentary blankets used to be provided by airlines on most flights for chilly customers but these days because of cost-cutting and environmental concerns it's usually only international, long-haul and first-class passengers that they are available too.

You may not think that's such a bad thing though when you discover what could be found on them either. According to Natalie, hair, food, bodily fluids and mould could all be lurking in the folds of the material.

She says travellers use them to wipe their nose, clean up spills and even to catch their toenail clippings but that's not all. "Probably one of the grossest things I've seen is someone using blankets to change their baby's diaper," Natalie, who is from Colorado, US, told Travel + Leisure.

That wouldn't be such a problem if they were laundered after every use but that doesn't always happen, according to the expert. "Most airlines have contract cleaners that take the blankets off after international flights and wash them in hot water, then seal them in plastic bags to be reused," she explained. "However, on domestic flights, I've had blankets on my flights that we are instructed to just refold and put back in the bin."

As a general rule she says if they aren't in a sealed bag, they aren't sanitary. So if you are someone who feels the cold when flying or needs to be covered to have a snooze, she recommends taking your own blanket. This way you know it's clean and you won't be snuggling up with someone else’s germs or illnesses.

Natalie has previously shared some of her many in-flight "peeves"and the most annoying things that passengers do. Along with parents changing babies on tray tables, people walking to the toilet barefoot and clipping their toenails while on board, she reveals one of her biggest pet hates is also hygiene related.

In a TikTok video she said she hates it, "when people don't shut the bathroom door or leave the bathroom a mess. Also when you can hear it flush but not the sink so you know they didn't wash their hands."

Despite the niggles of life in the air with total strangers in a confined space, she reckons most flight attendants think of the aircraft as their own domain, which is why they want people to treat it well. "We would love it if people treated the space as their home and were tidy and respectful," she said.

Natalie also believes it makes such a difference when passengers are polite and kind. "Honestly, when people say ‘thank you’ when they are getting off the plane (it is really great)," she reveals. "Or when they take the time to look at us when we are doing the beverage service and say please and thank you, we really appreciate it. I also like people who help others with their bags, especially mums and the elderly as we can't always help everyone when boarding."