Are airplane blankets safe? Flight attendant exposes shocking truth, bizarre passenger habits you need to know

Are complimentary blankets provided to passengers on planes safe? Should travellers use blankets given to them during flights? Frequent flyers often remain confused about whether or not they should ask for complimentary airplane blankets as it might put their health at risk.

Flight attendant Natalie Magee, who holds two decades experience in the field, has advised people to avoid using them as they have things like hair, bodily fluids, food and mold among others, Travel + Leisure reported.

Weird passenger behaviours

Speaking to the travel magazine, Magee discussed unexpected things that she and her colleagues have witnessed passengers doing with these blankets on flights. She even acknowledged that these are so unhygienic that even flight attendants refrain from touching them while at work.


On weird behaviours of the passengers, Magee highlighted that they have seen people wiping their nose, cleaning out their spill, and other messes.

Not just that, she has even claimed to have seen a passenger using the complimentary blanket on airplane to get their baby's diaper changed, calling it as "one of the grossest things".

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What's the schedule to clean these blankets?

For those who wish to know how often these blankets are washed, Magee said this completely depends from one airline to another as well as the type of flight -- international or domestic.

She told the magazine that most of the airlines have hired contract cleaners. Once these blankets are used by the passengers of international flights, they take them away and wash them out in hot water. Later on, these complimentary blankets are again sealed in plastic bags so that they can be used by the travellers again.

However, the situation seems a bit unhygienic and problematic when it comes to domestic flights as Magee said that she has herself seen blankets on flights that her team members were asked to simply refold after usage and put it back in the bin without cleaning it.

Best advice to travellers

According to Magee, the best advice in such situations for the passengers, especially the ones who are frequent flyers, is to bring their own blankets on flights rather than relying on the airline to experience a soothing and comfortable journey.

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Magee noted that this is something that she has always followed as she wants to "use it for comfort".

Further, she has even provided a tip to the passengers that they should avoid blankets that are not in a sealed bag as "they aren’t sanitary.”

FAQs

1. What all airlines offer blankets to passengers onboard in the US?
Most of the airlines in the country offer blankets, especially during international flights.

2. Where to buy personal travel blankets?
People can buy these from Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.