So, you are considering taking a trip this holiday season? Are you concerned that you may be at higher risk for illness than if you flew on a charter aircraft? Well, of course you are! However, for some reason the ATA airline trade group does not feel that swine flu is all that great a risk for today’s travelers. Are they aware of how cabin air is circulated on an airplane?
On modern aircraft part of the cabin air is recirculated after filtering and part is fresh air compressed by the engines. How much, what percentage? That depends on the mode of flight. Most aircraft systems are designed for optimum performance during cruise flight. During cruise, 50% of the air that is coming into the cabin is fresh and 50% is recirculated. But is that 10% of the volume each minute or 1% each minute? What about climb? What about Descent? Climb and cruise results in the most fresh air and the most rapid recirculation. Descent results in very low fresh air being input to the cabin. (Health hint: If possible, do not breath during descent.)
Actually a study was done on a select group of passengers flying between San Francisco and Denver. 1,000 of these travelers were interviewed before the flight and then interviewed by phone again between 5 and 7 days later. Aircraft with recirculated air (newer planes) had 19% of the study participants reporting getting a cold. Aircraft with all fresh air (older planes) had 21% reporting getting colds. What is shocking to me is that roughly 20% of those flyers on both types of aircraft reported getting a cold. I don’t know about you but it has been several years since I had a cold. 20%? That is outrageous! I’ll never fly anything but charter ever again! With the Television and Newspapers screaming about H1N1, also known as swine flu, (which in the past would have been called the Mexican Flu) travelers are reasonably concerned. After all, the count on Swine Flu cases is now over 250,000 world wide.
Vice President Joe Biden told a television audience last spring that he was advising family members to avoid confined spaces with strangers, such as airplanes, for fear of contracting the flu from a sneezing passenger. This may be the only intelligent statement the VP has ever made. Airports from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have placed alcohol-based hand-sanitizing lotion in dispensers in high traffic areas. Many airlines are also wiping down the interior of the planes with strong disinfectant between flights.
The Air Transport Assn. of America, the trade group that represents most major airlines, says don’t panic. You are at no greater risk breathing the air inside an airplane cabin than you are in a crowded office or theater.
Well, I beg to disagree! You know those people in your office and they live in your local area. Who in the hell are those people sitting next to you on the airplane? Where did they come from? Did they wash their hands after they did you-know-what last time they had to?
Many airlines such as Southwest Airlines, which has removed all pillows and blankets from daytime flights (Everyone knows you can’t catch a cold at night) and Virgin America which has added sanitizing gel and antibacterial wipes on its planes, are taking precautions. Ineffective perhaps, but at least they are trying to make it look like they are doing something.
David A. Castelveter, of ATA, has been quoted as saying: "The myth is that you are more susceptible to influenza if you get on a plane," he said. "That is not the case." Well if David says so! To the contrary, a Lancet report, and other medical studies on the subject, caution that the air filtration system on the aircraft can't save you if you are seated within a few feet of a coughing, sneezing, virus-spewing passenger.
Naturally, with a wink and a nod, Airlines urge passengers to stay home if they feel ill. Don't worry about losing out on the cost of an airline ticket, say the airlines, just get a note from both your Mommy and your doctor and a refund will be on it’s way shortly. But if a coughing, sneezing passenger who did not take that advice takes a seat next to you, the airline flight attendants can move that passenger to another part of the plane or offer the passenger an influenza mask. (Kind of makes you wonder who the lucky passengers are at the new location. When was the last time you were on a flight where you could move to an empty area?)
So what’s the bottom line? Walk in the fresh air, stay away from pestilent people and fly charter. I say again, FLY Charter!!!
