# Ever used an airplane lavatory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541 "2025-12-09T03:37:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/121 "2025-12-15T19:31:19Z")
The head in my Columbia 28 sailboat is cramped even by by dwarfish standards. On the plus side, if you are using it while heeled over in a brisk wind w/ accompanying waves, it’s rather easy to brace yourself using any available surface! I would say it’s about 3/4th the size of a typical commercial aircraft lav. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/122 "2025-12-17T03:01:44Z")
I used to love the window seat, yet now, I go for the lowest-numbered aisle seat. So no good stories, maybe once or twice sitting near one and flush, click-door-opens, click-door-shuts, rinse and repeat. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/123 "2025-12-17T03:47:26Z")
A former instructor of mine died of a DVT acquired on a plane, and a friend got two clots in her heart. No thanks. Medically, I’m supposed to walk around at least every 2 hours, so I might as well use the facilities. It helps that I’m supposed to stay very hydrated. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/124 "2025-12-17T03:51:55Z")
We’re all supposed to stay very hydrated. A decent fraction of medical events on planes come from folks, mostly elderly, deliberately dehydrating themselves. Usually over some misguided aversion to peeing on a plane. Not a smart tradeoff IME / IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/125 "2025-12-22T00:53:23Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Those tiny lavatories on the A320 have been around for years. I can tell you from experience, Delta has retrofitted the old A320s they got from Northwest with similarly small lavs. smaller lavs could mean + 1 row in the plane, and that means, depending model 6 - 11 extra pax, and for easy math, assuming $1k x person on an international flight - that might be $10k per flight … maybe one of the resident pilots can opine on pax limitations in today’s planes (is it space (=rows) or weight or regulation (x persons per exit) or what not… ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/126 "2025-12-22T01:06:49Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > Who the hell flies and doesn’t use the restroom? You must have an iron bladder. There was (is?) a flight from Vienna to Bratislava … a distance that (if pressed) I could walk. so there are flights and flights … ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/127 "2025-12-22T01:12:05Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I took my first flight at the age of 9, so I’ve been utilizing air travel for over 40 years. From the years of 2003-2013, I was on approximately 1,200 flights for work, with several going cross-country non-stop. While talking with my wife this week, I realized I’ve never even set foot in an airplane bathroom. Is that weird? For the record, all my flights have been domestic. Given the impressive number of flights you were on, that does sound unusual. I don’t fly nearly so frequently, but between 1999-2022, I used the lavatory once on all the domestic flights I took during that time. Back in 2022 on a United flight, I had a difficult time using the restroom because the light didn’t pop on when I closed the door. I couldn’t figure out how to turn the light on, so I ended up using the flashlight on my phone to provide illumination. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/128 "2025-12-22T01:12:38Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > maybe one of the resident pilots can opine on pax limitations in today’s planes (is it space (=rows) or weight or regulation (x persons per exit) or what not… Pretty much it’s just length of jet’s cabin divided by reasonable seat pitch = max pax capacity. The exit count (and FA staffing) requirements come in pretty big buckets. And the base model of whatever jet is generally designed to pretty well flll the buckets. Such that a baby stretch means no more FAs or doors, but a big stretch requires adding doors and FAs. Which are very costly for the incremental passengers carried. Deciding to stretch beyond the place where extra doors or FAs become required is a bigger business hurdle for both the airplane maker and the airplane operator. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/129 "2025-12-22T01:15:42Z")
I figured this out, a couple of years ago … as doing #2 comes with a freebie #1 … and then I eventually noticed I don’t have to turn on the light when getting up at night to do a #1 and wake up the Ms. Bonustrack: There are german diss-expressions for “ **less than manly men** ” … and one is _Warmduscher_ (he who showers only with warm water (literally: warm-showerer)) and the other is _Sitzpinkler_ (he, who pisses seated (lit:seated-pisser)) … but as you mention - your benefits are tangible, whereas the disses ain’t … and I AM a practical man. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/130 "2025-12-22T01:54:32Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > > [@mozchron](#): > > > > Who the hell flies and doesn’t use the restroom? You must have an iron bladder. > > There was (is?) a flight from Vienna to Bratislava … a distance that (if pressed) I could walk. > > so there are flights and flights … I said i usually use the toilet on a flight. But truth be told, NY-BOS, NY-DC, Chicago-Indianapolis… there are lots of short hops where i generally don’t use the lav. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/131 "2025-12-22T02:09:52Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > so there are flights and flights … True. And once upon a time if I could expect less than 5 hrs from boarding call to deplaning I could confidently settle myself in the window seat for the duration. (Alas, that to which the flesh is heir especially among those past their 50s, has greatly narrowed that margin) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541/132 "2025-12-22T02:45:19Z")
Five hours is enough that i want to walk around. Even if i don’t actually need to pee, I’ll get up and use the restroom. Yes, even if I’m in the window seat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-used-an-airplane-lavatory/1025541.md?page=6)