Why You Should Never Use This Part of The Seat on a Plane
April 8, 2025
source: pixabay
Now let’s discuss something that will likely spoil your next trip through the sky, but also protect you from an inadvertent germ fest at 30,000 feet. You see that little pocket on the back of the airplane seat in front of you? The one that’s really convenient for keeping your water bottle, a snack, perhaps your phone, perhaps the in-flight magazine, if you’re feeling nostalgic? Yeah … that seatback pocket doesn’t like you. Indeed, it’s one of the dirtiest spots on the whole plane, often making the airplane seat one of the dirtiest parts. I know — betrayal.
The first time I discovered this, I had just jammed my half-eaten protein bar in there as I wrestled with my carry-on. I thought it was genius. Functional. But apparently, that was a rookie mistake. Because once you know what actually lurks in those stretchy seatback pockets, you’ll think twice about slipping your phone or sanitizing wipes into them.
Why the Seat Pocket Is So Disgusting
Okay, here’s the real dirt. The seatback pocket is not cleaned between each flight. Shocking? It shouldn’t, if you’ve ever witnessed how swiftly turnaround times can occur based on boarding groups. If tray tables, armrests and bathrooms get at least a cursory wipe-down, but what about the seat pocket? Not so much. It’s the neglected middle child of airplane-cleansing protocols.
The flight attendants and airline crew said these pockets are often strewn with used tissues, tattered boarding passes, chewed gum, snack wrappers, and, on stinkiest days … dirty diapers. Yes, real diapers have been discovered crammed into those innocent little mesh or cloth pouches. And the next time you think about slipping your Kindle or AirPods case into that little pouch, keep in mind that it might be snuggling with someone else’s snot rag from a previous flight.
The seat pocket material also plays a part in the grunge quotient. They’re usually covered with fabric or mesh that soaks up spills and clings to crumbs and bacteria. Then there’s cleaning: They’re seldom deep-cleaned, which can allow them to turn into petri dishes over time, particularly in the case of long-haul flights requiring high turnover. Though studies have even shown that seatback pockets may harbor harmful bacteria like E. coli and MRSA — both of which you absolutely do not want mixing with your personal belongings.
Other Surprisingly Filthy Areas of a Plane
Now that we have crushed your illusions about the seat pocket, let’s zoom out and look at some other parts of the plane that are sneakily filthy. Spoiler alert: a big offender is your tray table.
That little plastic fold-down table you use to eat your snack or put your laptop on? Studies have reported more bacteria per square inch on tray tables than the airplane bathroom flush button. That’s not an exaggeration. Many eat off them, nap with their faces on them, and use them to change baby diapers (yes, this occurs). And like seat pockets, they are not necessarily sanitized between flights.
Another germ magnet: The seatbelt buckle. Consider this: Everyone handles it, over and over, often after sneezing or coughing into their hands. Overhead air vents and touchscreens on seatback entertainment systems fall into the same category. Those are the parts touched by hundreds of fingers, and they’re seldom, if ever, disinfected during a typical turnaround.
Even the in-flight periodicals, if they haven’t been banished on your airline, are handled by innumerable passengers. If you’re thumbing through those pages, you’re probably acquiring some microflora shared with the last dozen passengers who thumbed through them.
And don’t even get me going on the airplane bathroom. The latch, the sink tap, the toilet flush button, they’re all high-touch surfaces and you will often give them just a quick scrub. It’s a wonder many more of us don’t get sick after flying.
How to Protect Yourself Mid-Flight
So what’s a traveler to do? While flying in an entire hazmat suit — still a no-no at TSA anyway — isn’t a viable option, there are some practical things you can do to avoid the worst of the airplane germs.
For one thing, bring disinfecting wipes. Good ones — the kind that can kill bacteria and viruses, not just push crumbs around. The second you reach your seat, wipe down the tray table, seatbelt buckle, armrests and touchscreen, if applicable. Sure, people might look at you funny, but you can have the last laugh when you aren’t brewing a head cold two days later.
As a best practice, avoid using the seat pocket at all. If you absolutely need to store something, pack a small travel pouch that clips onto the seat tray or a carabiner clip for your bag. Put the phone in your pocket or use a hands-free neck holder. Anything that goes into that seat pocket should be disposable or wiped clean afterward.
Use hand sanitizer frequently — particularly after going to the bathroom, touching the overhead bin or before eating. Avoid touching your face during the flight, and if you find yourself lucky enough to be in a window seat, that wall is not as clean as it appears, either. A quick wipe-down there doesn’t kill you.
Put on socks or slippers if you have to remove your shoes. For the love of all things sanitary, do not walk barefoot into the airplane bathroom. That wet spot on the floor? It’s probably not water.
What to Do at Home After the Flight
After you’ve landed home, the germ-avoidance mission isn’t over. It’s best to immediately unpack and toss any clothing that you wore on the plane into the wash; wash your hands well and disinfect your phone and any electronics that you used during the flight. It may seem like overkill, but consider it a post-travel detox — your future self will thank you.
If you are using a carry-on bag, wipe it down (the handles especially), and clear out any snack wrappers or tissues or napkins that may have accumulated in the bag’s pockets on the flight. And while it’s immediately tempting to just get horizontal and relax, a quick shower is a wise idea to wash off the airplane air, particularly if it was a long haul.
Airline Hygiene: What Has Changed and What Hasn’t
After COVID, a lot of airlines said they were stepping up their cleaning game. Electrostatic spraying, deep-cleaning between flights, contactless boarding — it all sounded so reassuring. But now, years down the line, those protocols have mostly eased. The truth is that unless you’re in a new airplane or first class, your seat probably isn’t getting the spa treatment between passengers.
Some lines are better than others, but most are under the gun to get people up and onto the plane, leaving very little time to do a thorough clean. Which is why—especially on public transportation—passengers need to take basic hygiene into their own hands. Treat your seat like your temporary home — would you eat at a restaurant table you hadn’t wiped off?
The Takeaway: Keep Your Pocket to Yourself
Traveling on an airplane is already filled with so many small inconveniences — cramped legroom, dry cabin air, unexplained turbulence. The last thing you want is to return home with a bonus cold or stomach bug because your granola bar snuggled up to someone’s used napkin in a seatback pocket. As convenient as those pockets might be, they’re not worth the microbial danger.
Next time you fly, just be that person. Wipe down your space. Avoid the gross zones. And please, for the love of God, get your snacks the hell out of the seat pocket. Your immune system (and your sanity) will appreciate it.