That's why you should choose a window seat on an airplane during flu season

Created: 01/14/2022 11:34 am

By: Franziska Kaindl

Window seats are generally popular on planes.

© Imago

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to their seat on an airplane – but the window seat is particularly popular.

This also has its advantages during the flu season.

Due to the corona pandemic, the usual flu waves are currently absent - but that doesn't mean that there are no more flu sufferers.

Distance rules and the obligation to wear masks only ensure that people get infected less*.

There is also a way to protect yourself better against infection with influenza viruses on an airplane, as a study in 2018 revealed.

Accordingly, the choice of seat plays a major role.

Flu season: a window seat offers the best protection against infection

Overall, the

, according to the Emory University study.

However, the likelihood increases if you sit less than a meter away from an infected passenger.

Anyone who is in this “zone” is therefore infected with a probability of 80 percent.

More than 1,500 passengers on ten transcontinental flights were observed for the study.

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The result: in the future, the window seat should not only become your favorite spot because of the view.

Because passengers who sit outside by the window are best protected against infection, as the researchers found out.

At this position, travelers are said to be the most isolated from other people because they have only one seat neighbor and the greatest distance from the aisle where crew members and other fellow passengers can walk past.

Also interesting

This is how many “contacts” passengers have on an airplane, depending on their seat

Overall, people with an aisle seat would have 64 "contacts" with other passengers during the flight.

Those who sit in the middle seat usually come into contact with 58 people, while

.

This reduces the risk of contracting the flu enormously.