Flight attendant reveals why you should never wear shorts on a plane

Next time you jet off on holiday (whenever that may be), we recommend you bear in mind a few key tips.

These have been shared by a seasoned flight attendant and TikTok user who goes by the name of Tommy Cimato.

In a video posted to his account he set out “five things you should NEVER do on an airplane”, and some of them are quite surprising.

For example, you might get so excited for your beach break that you don your summer gear for the flight – but this is a real no-no.

"Don’t or try not to wear shorts when you’re on an airplane,” Tommy says in his advice reel.

He explains that you “never know how clean” the seats are going to be given how many other passengers have sat in them over the previous days and weeks. So the more you cover up, the less exposed to germs you’ll be – it makes sense.

He recommends passengers wear trousers if they want to avoid germs@tommycimato/TikTok

A similar rule applies when it comes to getting comfortable: "Do not fall asleep or lean your head on the window,” he stresses.

“You’re not the only one who has done that and you don’t know how many people or children have wiped their hands or other things all over the window.” (That’s enough to put us off our inflight meal…)

Tommy’s other three tips are as follows:

1. "Do not ever touch the flush button with your bare hands. It’s honestly just super unsanitary and pretty gross, so when you flush, use a napkin or tissue that’s in the lavatory.”
2. "Don’t forget to drink water. Stay hydrated. You want to have about 16oz for every flight you go on, so keep that in mind.”
3. "Don’t feel afraid to let a flight attendant know if you’re feeling sick. So if you need food, water, or an air sickness bag, please feel free to let us know."

Tommy revealed his top tips for a healthy and hygienic flight@tommycimato/TikTok

His clip racked up more than 1.1 million views and 138,00 likes in just one day, as fellow TikTokers shared their take on the guidance.

A number expressed concern that his recommendations suggest planes aren’t regularly cleaned, with one asking: “Don’t they sanitise after every flight?”

One respondent explained that there’s simply no time for that, even with the added demands on hygiene placed by the Covid pandemic.

“Practically speaking, it’s not possible to clean a 130ft plane every single stop,” they wrote. “They just spray or wipe.”

Another agreed, writing: “I was a cabin cleaner and trust me, we only have 20 minutes and there’s only six [people] cleaning at once so that the airplane takes off [on] time.”

It looks as though Naomi Campbell might have been right with her intensive pre-flight cleansing routine after all…

(In case you haven’t seen it:)