[Alsacienne]

This may seem a sensitive issue to some, and perhaps risible to others, but I would ask for your kindness and help. A friend of mine is travelling with Swiss, and has heard that use of the toilet in flight might be prohibited. This ‘urban legend’ has been doing the rounds for several carriers, but to those who are travelling for the first time since some European countries were locked down back in March 2020, this can be a source of added stress … and often leading to increased use of the said facility.

Could someone who knows – Swiss cabin crew or current SLF – please confirm the procedure required …. to queue as normal and wait for the toilet to become free, or to press the call bell to attract the attention of cabin crew who will ‘grant access’ to the toilet, or ????

Could anyone confirm that the state of the toilets are checked at specific times during the flight on Swiss (as they are in the SOPs of other carriers) and if so at what interval (if this is not classified information). The person who needs to know would be mightily reassured by the information being asked for in this post.

I did ask the same questions from the Swiss customer service but today I received what I felt is a completely irrelevant and unhelpful response to my specific questions. I would be grateful for experienced SLF and Swiss staff to give me some guidance. Sincere thanks in advance.

2 users thanked author for this post.

sparkyflier, cybertravller

[cybertravller]

Hi Alsacienne,

I just flew back to London with Swiss from Zurich and I used the facilities so to speak. They were not prohibited or locked. I flew Aegean before that from Athens and the same situation. I am not sure where your friend got that information from.

Hope your friend has an enjoyable journey.

[Jaygi]

Hi Alsacienne

SWISS Cabin Crew here. Interesting rumour, but there certainly is no restrictions concerning the use of the lavatories. There is an announcement to refrain from standing in front of the lavatory in larger groups (as has been existent for a long time on flights to/from the US), which is now also in place due to COVID-19 – but no restrictions in terms of the actual use. As to the lavatory cleaning, on European flights this is conducted by ground personnel during every turnaround process (i.e. each flight starts with cleaned toilets), on longhaul flights the washrooms are cleaned regularly by the crew. Due to a recent reduction of the amount of cabin crew as a cost cutting measure this might be done less frequently than planned – but your friend can surely let the crew know if the lavatory is not up to standard. Safe travels!

5 users thanked author for this post.

Jacob, K1ngston, cwoodward, GivingupBA, LuganoPirate

[Alsacienne]

Thank you both SO much. I recently flew to Stansted with FR from FKB, and the toilet sign had the cross through it throughout the flight, although the toilet was empty and available and was used by passengers as and when needed. It’s good to hear from other travellers and professionals about their actual experiences, and I know my friend – whom I’ll be seeing this afternoon – will gain considerable reassurance from the information in your posts. Thank you for taking my question seriously and for valuable help. Happy landings and again, thanks.

[LuganoPirate]

I can also confirm the above posts flying Swiss, and the same applies to Lufthansa. Personally I’ve never used the bathroom on a short haul flight and on the long overnight hauls I try and be the first by waking up at 5am, but with both Swiss and Lufthansa have found the bathrooms always to be spotlessly clean.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Jaygi

[Alsacienne]

Thanks LP! Information to be passed on. xxx

[cybertravller]

I had the pleasure of flying Swiss European Business Class and can say the service and the cuisine were fantastic. My experience was that the toilets were clean as was the rest of the aircraft and the crew were friendly and professional.

[Author]

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