(CNN) – How likely are you to get sick on your next flight?
According to a new study, that depends on where you sit and what you do during the flight.
Crammed with people stuck at 30,000 feet with just inches of personal space, airplanes can be the perfect incubators for germs and disease.
According to a new study in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,” the best way to avoid getting sick is to book a window seat.
The study found people with a window seat were less likely to get up to use the restroom or check the overhead bin, meaning they were less likely to come into contact with germs.
Researchers said lavatories are covered in germs, since there are usually only two of them on a flight of about 150 passengers.
Researchers also analyzed passenger movements and studied air samples.
They found passengers sitting within two seats or one row away from a sick person have an 80-percent chance of catching an illness, compared to passengers sitting farther away.
But for most of the other passengers in the cabin, the risk of catching anything is minimal.
Still, you can lower your odds even more by not touching your face and keeping your hands off the aisle seats.
Copyright 2018 CNN. All rights reserved.
