When it comes to air travel etiquette, most passengers focus on who has a right to the arm rest or the best way to secure overhead bin space. But flight attendants are highlighting one area where travelers should pay more attention to their manners: the plane bathroom.
The small space aboard aircraft seems like it would be straightforward enough for passengers to use without issue. But there’s one lavatory habit that becomes a source of confusion for fellow fliers and an added stress for cabin crew.
When passengers in the lavatory don’t fully lock the door, that means that the bathroom’s “occupied” light doesn’t light up, and other fliers think that the bathroom is free to use. This causes passengers to leave their seats—only to have an awkward encounter when they realize someone actually is in the bathroom. Fliers will then wait outside the lavatory, sometimes even forming a line in the aisle or in the aircraft galley, which interferes with flight attendants’ work flows.
“When the door lock isn’t engaged properly, people can walk in on someone by accident,” one anonymous cabin crew member told the Mirror. “It’s embarrassing for everyone involved and wastes valuable time, especially when there’s a queue during busy periods.”
The locks on the bathroom door usually slide from one side to another and can sometimes take an unexpected amount of muscle to fully engage, especially on older aircraft. Passengers should firmly slide the lock all the way across until they hear a click and cannot push the bar any farther. On many aircraft, the lights inside the bathroom only turn on when the lock is engaged as a visual cue to fliers.
Some airlines are beginning to simplify the waiting process for the plane bathroom. Cathay Pacific, for one, recently rolled out a new in-flight entertainment system with its Aria business class suites that allows passengers to check the lavatory occupancy from their seat.
The new lavatory check system is also available in premium economy and regular economy on the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER jets. “This intelligent feature helps travellers manage their time more effectively, reducing stress and unnecessary waiting,” Cathay Pacific says.
However, even that high-tech solution is still reliant on all passengers being able to fully lock the lavatory door.
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