Only flight attendants know this dirty truth about plane toilets—now you will too
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A former flight attendant has lifted the lid on a dirty secret airlines don’t want to talk about.
He said the issue is so widespread it’s become routine for crew members—despite being both unsanitary and distressing.
But instead of addressing the problem, he claimed airlines remain silent out of fear of offending certain passengers.
Marcus Daniels worked for more than five years in Australia and the Middle East before quitting his role in 2019.
He said one of the worst parts of the job was the condition of aircraft toilets—particularly on international routes linked to developing nations.
‘As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations,’ Mr Daniels said.
‘We’ll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too.’
The trend, he claimed, involved some passengers defecating on the floor or urinating outside the bowl due to unfamiliarity with Western-style toilets.
He said crew members often braced themselves mentally before certain flights, expecting to find messy bathrooms throughout the journey.
‘You just do your best to smile and not say anything,’ he said.
Daniels said the issue wasn’t about culture or malice—it was a lack of education.
‘Most of the confused passengers don’t speak English as their first language so we can’t really explain how to use the toilet,’ he explained.
‘The issue is education. If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.’
He suggested airlines should provide simple visual guides that show passengers how to use toilets correctly, rather than only including instructions on flushing.
‘It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.’
The former flight attendant said passengers would often try their best, but language and cultural barriers made communication nearly impossible.
In one example, he described a passenger who continued peeing on the floor even after he attempted to show her the proper way.
‘She would nod and agree, then do it again,’ he said.
‘It got to the point where it was unsanitary for me as well so I had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.’
Daniels said that while the problem was well known among international cabin crew, airlines had failed to implement meaningful change.
‘Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don’t want to offend anyone,’ he said.
‘All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.’
He added that years after leaving the job, his friends in the industry were still dealing with the same issue.
‘It would be a dream come true,’ he said.
‘I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it’s still an issue.’
If stories like this have you rethinking your next flight, you’re not alone.
Many travellers don’t realise the small things they do on planes can create big headaches for cabin crew—and sometimes, even for themselves.
For more insider tips straight from flight attendants, here’s another eye-opening read.
Read more: Discover the Shocking Airplane Mistakes You're Making According to Flight Attendants!
Is it time airlines prioritised hygiene over political correctness?
He said the issue is so widespread it’s become routine for crew members—despite being both unsanitary and distressing.
But instead of addressing the problem, he claimed airlines remain silent out of fear of offending certain passengers.
Marcus Daniels worked for more than five years in Australia and the Middle East before quitting his role in 2019.
He said one of the worst parts of the job was the condition of aircraft toilets—particularly on international routes linked to developing nations.
‘As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations,’ Mr Daniels said.
Former crew reveals grim toilet reality. Image source: Pexels/Photo By: Kaboompics.com
‘We’ll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too.’
The trend, he claimed, involved some passengers defecating on the floor or urinating outside the bowl due to unfamiliarity with Western-style toilets.
He said crew members often braced themselves mentally before certain flights, expecting to find messy bathrooms throughout the journey.
‘You just do your best to smile and not say anything,’ he said.
Daniels said the issue wasn’t about culture or malice—it was a lack of education.
‘Most of the confused passengers don’t speak English as their first language so we can’t really explain how to use the toilet,’ he explained.
‘The issue is education. If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.’
He suggested airlines should provide simple visual guides that show passengers how to use toilets correctly, rather than only including instructions on flushing.
‘It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.’
The former flight attendant said passengers would often try their best, but language and cultural barriers made communication nearly impossible.
In one example, he described a passenger who continued peeing on the floor even after he attempted to show her the proper way.
‘She would nod and agree, then do it again,’ he said.
‘It got to the point where it was unsanitary for me as well so I had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.’
Daniels said that while the problem was well known among international cabin crew, airlines had failed to implement meaningful change.
‘Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don’t want to offend anyone,’ he said.
‘All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.’
He added that years after leaving the job, his friends in the industry were still dealing with the same issue.
‘It would be a dream come true,’ he said.
‘I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it’s still an issue.’
If stories like this have you rethinking your next flight, you’re not alone.
Many travellers don’t realise the small things they do on planes can create big headaches for cabin crew—and sometimes, even for themselves.
For more insider tips straight from flight attendants, here’s another eye-opening read.
Read more: Discover the Shocking Airplane Mistakes You're Making According to Flight Attendants!
Is it time airlines prioritised hygiene over political correctness?
