9 Ways to Fight Germs and Other Health Hazards on a Plane

An airplane offers the perfect petri dish for germs to thrive: close quarters, frequent passenger turnaround and recirculated air. And certain areas — the ones we're most likely to touch, as it happens — are especially icky: According to a study by the folks at Travelmath, who collected bacteria samples on flights at five different airports, the “hot spots” inside the cabin include the tray table — that was the worst offender, worse than bathrooms — overhead vent, bathroom flush button and lock, and seatbelt buckle.