How to pick the best seat on a plane when you live with MG
In choosing among aisle, middle, or window, I've found what works for me
Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat when you travel?
Before I got sick during my deployment to Iraq (2009-2010), I used to love to travel. I never had to give much thought to flying. I always went with the cheapest ticket or the best deal.
When I was medically retired from the Army in 2011, I all but gave up the idea of traveling solo; my health was just too poor. Gradually, with the formal diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2018 and continued improvement of my treatment plan, the idea of traveling started percolating in my noggin once more.
In May 2023, I flew to Denver to spend a long weekend with my mom at a work convention. It was my first solo trip in nearly a decade. For this flight, I relished the window seat. Unfortunately, it was a less than stellar experience because of my physical disabilities and my PTSD. For the next 18 months, I put in the physical and mental work so that if an opportunity presented itself to travel again, I’d be ready.
As luck would have it, just such an occasion presented itself in the form of a post-traumatic growth (better known as PTG) workshop held at the Travis Mills Foundation, a veterans retreat center. I jumped at the opportunity and made it happen. But when I got the travel itinerary showing a layover, I started second guessing myself.
Research and experience
With that in mind, I started doing a deep dive into some research to appease my concerns. In the process, I found some wonderful information about how an airplane is designed — and specifically, how the cabin air is circulated.
According to the information on the International Air Transport Association website, the cabin air itself is better than most indoor environments. That’s because of the high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters used on board, as well as the cabin air refresh rate, which is around 20-30 times an hour.
These statistics were published during the COVID-19 pandemic. When combining the HEPA filtration and the air cabin circulation, the bacteria/virus removal rate was 99.993%!
In the passenger cabin area, the airflow itself goes from the top, then to the aisles and walls, and then underneath the seats before going back to the air-mixing and filtration area.
So what does all this technical mumbo jumbo have to do with picking a seat when you have MG and you’re looking into flying?
If you’re on immune suppressants, a lot.
Making my selection
One of my main concerns was getting sick because I’m on the immunosuppressant Imuran (azathioprine) as well as prednisone. I don’t like wearing a mask for a handful of reasons, the primary one being that I find it hard to breathe because of my diaphragm weakness. Armed with the knowledge of the cabin airflow, I selected an aisle seat.
I used to think that an aisle seat would be worse for me for a couple of reasons: first, being exposed to everyone walking by, and second, having to get up if my row mates needed to use the bathroom. Turns out, I was wrong.
Yes, everyone walks by, but the air flow keeps the germs from settling. So fear numero uno was laid to rest. But what about having to stand for my row mates?
I had to stand and go to the bathroom when I flew to Denver and chose a window seat. I also had to stand and let my row mates out during my flights from Maine back to Wisconsin, where I now live. I was shocked to realize that sitting in an aisle seat made standing up easier because I had more room and objects to use as supports.
Another benefit that I didn’t realize until just now is that I didn’t have to speak as loudly for the flight attendant to hear me. That prevented any hoarseness that may have come from my fatigued vocal cords.
With these two experiences under my belt now, I can confidently say that an aisle seat is better for me, a traveler with myasthenia gravis.
Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.
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