When you gotta go, you gotta go!
Southwest Cabin
With that said, not every moment is optimal to use a bathroom — especially on an airplane. Knowing when and when not to use your cabin’s lavatory is tricky, so we turned to our well-traveled DFB team to figure out the BEST and WORST times to use a restroom on a plane!
Let’s start out with the bad times, since our team had TONS of opinions on this topic.
© Kevork Djansezian/Getty | Obtained via Business Insider
The most agreed-upon point to NOT visit the lavatory is during meal or beverage service. You’ll just end up in the flight attendants’ way, and you’ll have to deal with a potentially blocked aisle.
©Breeze Airways
If you’re on a long flight, try to go before a meal service or well after. We’ve noticed that on international flights, passengers will often use the bathroom about 30 minutes after a meal, and those lines can get pretty long.
©Delta
And you DEFINITELY DO NOT want to go to the lavatory while the plane is taxiing! We had an experience on a flight where someone got up to use it while taxiing, and the pilot legit stopped the plane and waited for them to sit down. That’s a big no-no.
Ready to fly?
So WHEN should you get up to go to the bathroom? Mostly during lulls when the “fasten seatbelt” sign is off and flight attendant activity is low. We’ve personally had a lot of success going to the restroom right before the sign turns back on in anticipation of landing.
Let’s fly!
That way, in case the plane needs to circle around, you’ve done your business and you don’t have to wait until your feet are on the ground at the airport.
Frontier Airlines
Ultimately, like we said initially, you gotta go when you gotta go. If you just can’t hold it and you’re allowed to walk about the cabin, then there really isn’t a wrong time. However, if you can afford to time your bathroom visit, we definitely recommend picking a quiet time when the cabin isn’t active with working flight attendants or a little bit before landing. Most airlines have ways for you to track your flight via apps and monitors on the plane, so checking the ETA definitely helps if you’re planning on timing your “trip” before the arrival.
American Airlines
What do you think? What tips do you have for using airplane lavatories? Let us know and continue to follow us here at DFB for all kinds of air travel tips!
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When do YOU think is the best time to go to the bathroom on an airplane? Let us know in the comments!
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On my last flight, I needed to use the restroom. We were experiencing turbulence and were told to remain seated, safety belt on. I walked to the restroom, where I found a flight attendant strapped into his seat. He told me I should be in my seat. I said I know but this was an emergency. I told him that he could decide whether I went back to my seat (risky) or wait to use the restroom (which was occupied). He told me to use the restroom. No matter what is going on during your flight, sometimes you just can plan your restroom visits.
Correction – sometimes you just CAN’T plan your restroom visits.