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There’s nothing quite as inconvenient as needing to use the bathroom mid-flight—especially if you’re in a middle or window seat. Navigating past other passengers, legs, and bags just to reach the lavatory can be awkward enough, only to arrive and find someone already in there. Now you’re stuck waiting in the aisle, which can get in the way of flight attendants trying to move through the cabin. 

So, when exactly is the best time to use the bathroom during a flight? Considering that both takeoff and landing are off-limits?

According to Sarah B., a flight attendant for a major international airline who requested her last name remain private, there are two ideal windows to head for the lavatory: shortly after the first meal service is cleared and just before the landing announcement.

“The best time to use the lavatory is right after we’ve cleared the first meal service or just before the landing announcement,” Sarah told Travel + Leisure during an interview published July 13. “The moment they announce that you’re going to land soon, everyone runs to the toilets. They also run there right after eating, and they can get stuck behind the carts for clearing the meals, and it’s difficult for them to get back to their seats.”

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On long-haul flights, the second meal is usually served about 60 to 90 minutes before landing, said Sarah. Waiting until then often means long lines, or worse, missing your chance before the seatbelt sign comes on for descent. The smarter move? Head to the bathroom right after the first meal cleanup, while most passengers are still watching movies or falling asleep.

This timing lines up with the general rhythm of a long flight: meal service, lull, second meal, then descent. That lull—when the cabin lights are dimmed and the aisles are calm—is prime time to go. Fewer people are up, and you’re less likely to have to navigate through crowded aisles.

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Travel coach and frequent flyer Rani Cheema shared that her go-to loo time is when everyone’s asleep. Since most of Cheema’s flights are long-haul, she’s found that bathroom lines tend to disappear once passengers settle in for some rest.

Cheema also has her bathroom timing down to a science, starting even before takeoff.

“I’m using the bathroom as many times as possible before getting on the plane,” she told Travel + Leisure.

For those who board early, she recommended using the restroom before the plane leaves the gate. Once in the air, her hydration habits help her control when she needs to go.

“I don’t drink a lot of liquid before my flight,” she says. “I drink a lot of liquid during my flight, so I don’t have to deal with the bathroom as soon as I get on.”

The post Flight Attendants Reveal The Best (And Worst) Times To Use The Bathroom On A Plane appeared first on MadameNoire.



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