Christine Sarkis

SmarterTravel.com

Even though the coronavirus pandemic has prompted the the Trump administration to ban flights from Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland for the next month and the airlines have made historic cuts to their international and domestic routes in an attempt to weather the storm, some travelers' circumstances are such that they can't avoid getting on a plane right now.

On the upside, the decreased demand for flights pretty much guarantee you'll be able to practice social distancing right now. And the airlines say they've doubled down on their sanitation programs, both on the ground and in the air.

Delta Air Lines, for example, has taken a cue from hospitals and begun fogging the planes it uses for transoceanic flights. According to its website, crew spray commonly touched surfaces with a high-grade EPA-registered disinfectant and virucide "that is highly effective against many communicable diseases," including coronaviruses yet is safe for customers and crew immediately after use. They're also using the same disinfectant to wipe down tray tables, seatback screens, consoles, and common areas like lavatories and galleys.

But if you're like supermodel Naomi Campbell and prefer to take your airplane hygiene into your own hands (minus the hazmat suit), there are a number of steps. you can take to help sanitize your seat, from the seatbelt buckles to the tops of aisle seats, which often get touched as passengers enter and exit the aircraft.

SmarterTravel is here to ease your mind with a step-by-step guide to disinfecting your airplane seat using minimal supplies.

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What you'll need

You’re going to need to plan here a bit and score some disinfecting wipes before you get on the plane.

You can opt for a familiar brand name like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, which come in handy packs of nine or 15. Note that these have a pretty intense scent (the lemon is not what I’d call “good lemon,” and whatever the green package scent is smells a bit like a freshly cleaned public bathroom).

You can also get disinfecting wipes with a milder scent, or, in a pinch, you could use wipes primarily meant to disinfect hands rather than surfaces, like Purell Individual Sanitizing Hand Wipes.

Are the grocery stores and pharmacies near you are sold out? Try a home improvement or office supply store. If you or a traveling companion is a veteran and there's a military base near you, try the on-base PX store.

Get out your wipes as soon as you board

Packing wipes is only half the battle. Once you’ve boarded, you’ll need to overcome your aversion to creating a minor spectacle as you stow your gear, whip out your wipes, and get disinfecting. If it helps, you can pretend that those are stares of envy at your traveling prowess rather than garden-variety side-eye.

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Use your wipes (correctly)

There’s a right way to use disinfecting wipes, and many wrong ways. To do it correctly: Wipe down all hard, nonporous surfaces thoroughly. Make sure you read and follow the package instructions about how long the surface needs to stay visibly wet. This ranges from about 30 seconds to four minutes. This is when the germ-killing magic happens, so you can’t rush it.

Note that this means you’re going to be provisional for a bit longer before you settle and make yourself comfortable. Kidding: Everyone knows you’re not going to be comfortable on the plane. But at least you can maybe emerge illness-free.

Video: Naomi Campbell's airport routine is amazingly extra – but very sanitary

Don't use them on fabric seats

Don’t use disinfecting wipes on fabric surfaces: It won’t work and it will make the cloth wet, which creates a whole separate problem.

If you’re concerned about exposure to germs on fabric seats, you can pack a washable and reusable seat and tray table cover. There are also smaller covers that cover just the airplane tray or the headrest.

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Bonus PSA about seatback pockets

No pocket needs a protector like an airplane seatback pocket, home to one of the airplane’s highest concentrations of germs. If you’re one of those travelers who uses this pocket to stash your water bottle or extra snacks in the seatback pocket, just please don’t ever again.

Until some genius (you perhaps?) invents a disposable liner for the seatback pocket, opt for a seatback-pocket replacement accessory like the Flight 001 Seat Pak (I’ve had mine for nearly 10 years and swear by it) or Genius Pack’s High Altitude Flight Bag, which both hang from the seatback tray latch.

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