Flying means sharing an enclosed space with many other travelers for several hours. While the experience remains comfortable and exciting for many, some experts point out that seat choice could play a role in the level of exposure to germs on board.<\/p>\n
According to several infectious disease specialists, the aisle seat offers the greatest risk of indirect interaction with other passengers. Dr. Jarod Fox, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health, explains that this seating position puts you directly in the path of travelers moving through the cabin. Going to the restroom, accessing luggage, or simply stretching your legs: these movements are frequent.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ashley Drews, an epidemiologist at Houston Methodist, also points out that this type of seating involves more unintentional contact with people moving in the aisle. A study from Emory University indicates that approximately 40% of passengers get up at least once during a flight, and nearly 20% get up several times. In other words, the aisle becomes an area of constant traffic, where encounters are more frequent.<\/p>\n
Experts emphasize one crucial point: the main risk depends not only on the seat, but primarily on proximity to an infected person. Sitting next to an infected passenger increases the risk more than simply sitting in an aisle or window seat. Seats directly next to, in front of, or behind an infected person may therefore be more at risk, as the proximity is direct and prolonged.<\/p>\n
A study<\/a> published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that close interactions between passengers strongly influence the likelihood of exposure to infectious agents on an airplane.<\/p>\n In contrast, a window seat is often presented as a "quieter" option. People seated by the window tend to get up less often, which reduces contact with other passengers. Less movement also means less walking in the aisle, and therefore potentially fewer interactions with moving surfaces or people.<\/p>\n However, experts remain cautious: no seat guarantees total protection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk depends on many factors, such as flight duration, passenger density, and the presence of symptoms in some individuals.<\/p>\n Beyond the seats, several areas of the aircraft are regularly affected and can harbor microorganisms. The most frequently cited are:<\/p>\n A study conducted by TravelMath has shown that certain surfaces in the cabin can harbor bacteria, simply due to the high number of contacts throughout a flight.<\/p>\n Without becoming obsessive, a few simple habits can help reduce exposure to microbes during a flight:<\/p>\n These habits do not eliminate the risk, but they help to limit contact with potentially undesirable agents.<\/p>\n Despite these factors, experts point out a reassuring fact: modern aircraft are equipped with highly efficient air filtration systems. HEPA filters capture a large proportion of airborne particles and regularly renew the cabin air. In other words, while exposure to microbes is never completely eliminated in a shared space, conditions on airplanes are better controlled than they might seem.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the aisle-side seat may be exposed to more foot traffic, but the key factor remains the same: human proximity in an enclosed space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Flying means sharing an enclosed space with many other travelers for several hours. While the experience remains comfortable...","protected":false},"author":8375,"featured_media":438626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[96338],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-voyage"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kelly-_-Pexels-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kelly-_-Pexels-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kelly-_-Pexels.jpg","author":{"name":"Fabienne Baure","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fabienne_baure-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":96338,"name":"Travel","slug":"voyage","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":96510,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Travel section of The Body Optimist shares destination ideas<\/strong> and practical advice for planning your trips, close to home or abroad: preparation, budget, packing, transportation, solo or family travel. We also cover what guidebooks often leave out, like traveling with peace of mind in a fat body, on a plane or at the beach, so everyone can get away and truly relax.<\/p>\n A comfortable flight starts when you book. Check seat width and legroom on the airline\u2019s website or on a seat map, and if possible reserve an aisle seat or a row with extra legroom. Read the airline\u2019s policy for passengers who need more space, sometimes called a \u201ccustomer of size\u201d policy: some airlines let you buy a second seat, occasionally refundable, while others don\u2019t. On board, you can discreetly ask a flight attendant for a seatbelt extender. Wear soft, stretchy clothes without a tight waistband, and get up regularly to stretch your legs. Our tips on choosing the best seat on a long-haul flight<\/a> round out this advice.<\/p>\n We talk about travel without clich\u00e9s: no \u201cbeach body\u201d to earn before you go, no destination reserved for one body type or budget. We focus on practical advice, accessible ideas and real-life experiences, and we also tackle the thornier topics, like overtourism and the environmental impact of travel. Our goal: helping you travel the way you want, solo, as a couple, with friends or with family.<\/p>\n For a first solo trip, choose a destination known to be safe, well served by public transportation and where you can easily make yourself understood. A large, walkable city, a region of your own country you\u2019ve never explored, or a stay at a guesthouse or hostel lets you find your footing gently.<\/p>\n Prices generally drop outside school vacations and holiday weekends. The shoulder seasons between peak and off-peak periods (late spring and early fall in the Northern Hemisphere) often strike a good balance between pleasant weather, lower prices and smaller crowds. Being flexible with your dates, comparing trains, buses and flights, and traveling with just a carry-on can also help you save.<\/p>\n Yes. Most airlines carry seatbelt extenders on board and lend them on request; you can discreetly ask a flight attendant as soon as you board. For safety reasons, airlines generally require you to use their own approved extender rather than a personal one.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Build a vacation wardrobe that feels like you with our Fashion<\/a> section, and travel more responsibly with our Green<\/a> section.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":288,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":96338,"category_count":288,"category_description":" The Travel section of The Body Optimist shares destination ideas<\/strong> and practical advice for planning your trips, close to home or abroad: preparation, budget, packing, transportation, solo or family travel. We also cover what guidebooks often leave out, like traveling with peace of mind in a fat body, on a plane or at the beach, so everyone can get away and truly relax.<\/p>\n A comfortable flight starts when you book. Check seat width and legroom on the airline\u2019s website or on a seat map, and if possible reserve an aisle seat or a row with extra legroom. Read the airline\u2019s policy for passengers who need more space, sometimes called a \u201ccustomer of size\u201d policy: some airlines let you buy a second seat, occasionally refundable, while others don\u2019t. On board, you can discreetly ask a flight attendant for a seatbelt extender. Wear soft, stretchy clothes without a tight waistband, and get up regularly to stretch your legs. Our tips on choosing the best seat on a long-haul flight<\/a> round out this advice.<\/p>\n We talk about travel without clich\u00e9s: no \u201cbeach body\u201d to earn before you go, no destination reserved for one body type or budget. We focus on practical advice, accessible ideas and real-life experiences, and we also tackle the thornier topics, like overtourism and the environmental impact of travel. Our goal: helping you travel the way you want, solo, as a couple, with friends or with family.<\/p>\n For a first solo trip, choose a destination known to be safe, well served by public transportation and where you can easily make yourself understood. A large, walkable city, a region of your own country you\u2019ve never explored, or a stay at a guesthouse or hostel lets you find your footing gently.<\/p>\n Prices generally drop outside school vacations and holiday weekends. The shoulder seasons between peak and off-peak periods (late spring and early fall in the Northern Hemisphere) often strike a good balance between pleasant weather, lower prices and smaller crowds. Being flexible with your dates, comparing trains, buses and flights, and traveling with just a carry-on can also help you save.<\/p>\n Yes. Most airlines carry seatbelt extenders on board and lend them on request; you can discreetly ask a flight attendant as soon as you board. For safety reasons, airlines generally require you to use their own approved extender rather than a personal one.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Build a vacation wardrobe that feels like you with our Fashion<\/a> section, and travel more responsibly with our Green<\/a> section.<\/p>","cat_name":"Travel","category_nicename":"voyage","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438625"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":439697,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438625\/revisions\/439697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} The window seat: a little quieter?<\/h2>\n
The surfaces of the aircraft are also affected<\/h2>\n
\n
A few simple steps to travel more peacefully<\/h2>\n
\n
An environment that is better controlled than we think<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Travel section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you fly comfortably as a plus-size traveler?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Where should you go on your first solo trip?<\/h3>\n
When is the cheapest time to travel?<\/h3>\n
Can you ask for a seatbelt extender on a plane?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Travel section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you fly comfortably as a plus-size traveler?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Where should you go on your first solo trip?<\/h3>\n
When is the cheapest time to travel?<\/h3>\n
Can you ask for a seatbelt extender on a plane?<\/h3>\n