- Airplane bathrooms are small to maximize passenger space, which means more revenue for airlines.
- The best time to use the restroom is when the seatbelt sign is off and it’s not during a meal or beverage service.
- Passengers should wait for their turn to use the bathroom in their seats, not by lining up in the aisle.
Friends, it’s true: Everyone poops. It’s true on the ground. It’s true on the go. And that means it’s true on airplanes.
Now, listen, no one is arguing that going to the bathroom on a plane is the most pleasant part of your travel experience. Airplane bathrooms are tiny, not always tidy, and you often have to wait in line to use them. But it doesn’t have to be awful every time.
A few professional tips and tricks can help make your airplane potty break better.
Next time you get the urge to go on a plane, here are a few things to keep in mind. And please, for the love of God, keep your shoes on in the lavatory.
Why are airplane bathrooms so small?
“Money, I think is the number one reason,” Rich Henderson, a flight attendant at a major U.S. airline and one of the authors of the Two Guys on a Plane blog, told me. “The less space something like a bathroom takes up on an airplane, the more space there is to put passengers, and more passengers means more money.”
In a way, that means smaller bathrooms may mean smaller ticket prices, but that’s cold comfort when you’re wedged up against the wall trying to do your business.
However, Henderson and his husband (and co-author), Andrew Henderson, said it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.
“Talk to your flight attendants. We know which bathrooms are the largest, we know which ones have the accessibility features to them. Some of the bathrooms have collapsible walls so we can get wheelchairs into them,” Andrew said. “Talk to your flight attendants and we’re going to tell you which one is the best for your needs if you can’t identify it yourself.”
Both men added that flight attendants want to help if you have any concerns about the airplane facilities, but they won’t necessarily want to make things awkward by approaching you about them first.
“We don’t always know exactly when to step in,” Rich said. “One skill that most flight attendants possess is being discreet and being a safe space for people.”
He also added that passenger pressure can work to force airlines to make changes for the better. A long-standing campaign by accessibility advocates paid dividends last year when the Department of Transportation enacted a new rule requiring more accessible bathrooms on aircraft.
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When is the best time to use the airplane bathroom?
Ultimately, that’s up to your body, but there are two times you definitely should not go if you can avoid it in any way: whenever the seat belt sign is on, or during the drink, snack or meal service.
“The seat belt sign is definitely the biggest indicator of when you can or cannot use the bathroom,” Rich said.
He added that visiting the loo while the plane is on the ground isn’t always ideal, either.
“A lot of times they’re still servicing the lavatories on the ground so the water and the flushing might not actually work,” he said. “You might not be able to use the bathroom at that time.”
Andrew added that flight attendants are happy to move carts if you have a bathroom emergency during the cabin service, but if you can hold it in, it’s probably better for everyone.
“I don’t think people understand how heavy that cart is,” he said. “There’s not a lot of space. If we don’t have empty seats or we’re not near a cutout to get you around us, getting you around the galley cart is not always easy.”
If you absolutely must go when the cart is in the aisle, Andrew said your cabin crew would appreciate it if you were patient on your journey down the aisle.
Where should you wait for the airplane bathroom if there’s a line?
Both Rich and Andrew agreed the best place to wait is your seat, even if it seems counterintuitive.
“Post-9/11 there’s a lot of rules with people congregating on an airplane,” Andrew said.
“For flight attendants, everything comes back to safety. It’s still not the safest to have tons of people up and about. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye on an airplane,” Rich added. “I don’t think people realize it’s not quite safe to just be wondering around an airplane.”
That’s why I’ve written so many times that you should leave your seat belt fastened whenever you’re seated, even if the seat belt sign is off. But I digress.
Rich and Andrew agreed that a line for the bathroom is a self-defeating cycle on airplanes.
“That lining up makes it worse because everyone thinks there’s always going to be a line,” Rich said. “I promise there will be a lull in the bathroom traffic. (Flight attendants) have to go as well. There’s usually a gap in there that we can jump in, so there should be one for passengers as well.”
He said if everyone would just stay in their seats waiting for their turn, the bathroom traffic would probably be spread out more evenly throughout the flight.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.