More on Avoiding the Flu When Flying

Use your seat as a barrier.

If the people behind you are coughing or sneezing, don't tip your seat back, or you put yourself directly in their line of fire. Likewise, if the germ factories are in the row in front of you, gaining even a few inches of distance from them can help.

Wear a face mask.

Yes, it looks silly. But the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cite airborne germs as one of the top two sources of cold virus infection. If someone near you is coughing or sneezing and you're unable to change seats, a mask is the only effective barrier between you and the airborne virus.

Ask to change seats if someone's coughing or sneezing on you.

This one can be tough for the shy or well mannered. If you're one of those who stay glued in your seat, terrified, for the entire flight, see our suggestions on how to change seats gracefully to avoid sick passengers. Of course, it's not always possible to move if the flight is fully booked and no one's willing to swap places. But it's always worth alerting the flight attendant that you wish to be moved. Sometimes a seat becomes available when another passenger upgrades to business class or vacates a bulkhead seat because of emergency requirements.

Protest if you're held on the runway with the ventilation system shut off.

There are documented outbreaks of flu on airlines in which passengers were held on the plane with the ventilation system turned off. In one case, researchers studied 54 people who were delayed on the ground for three hours because of engine failure before takeoff. Within two days, 72 per cent of the passengers became ill -- and the researchers traced the flu strain back to one sick passenger.

Current recommendations require that "passengers be removed from an aircraft within 30 minutes of shutting off the ventilation system," but the rule isn't always followed. If you're on a delayed flight and you notice the air go off, check your watch. After half an hour, approach a flight attendant and remind him or her that regulations require that the ventilation be turned on. If much more time passes, talk to your fellow passengers and see if you can garner some support, then approach the attendant again. In several such cases, irate passengers were able to get the ventilation system turned back on.