Aircraft Toilets, Airport Toilets

This is a story about toilets, airport toilets on the ground and toilets in the air. Everyone should take note.

Firstly, it was great to hear Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is giving its grey, boring toilets a facelift with four vibrant new colours schemes. But, easy does it, the Airports of Thailand (AOT) is taking a cautionary approach with a limited trial. This is wise when it comes to toilets.

Specially toilets on aircraft. In 2002 an American woman on a flight from Scandinavia to the United States claimed a high pressure vacuum flush in the toilet sealed her to the toilet seat. She had pushed the flush button while still seated, activating the cleaning system.

The woman remained on the toilet seat until it ended. Unfortunately her complaint to Scandinavian Airlines did not hold up. A cautionary tale, nonetheless, when going to the toilet on an aircraft.

Then there was the man who hid in a toilet on an Air India flight last year, causing a major security scare. He was not a terrorist, but a stowaway. He remained in the toilet for a long time before emerging and trying to pass himself off as a passenger.

Word to the wise here. Cabin crew can open a toilet door from the outside in case of emergency, so if you are planning to stowaway or spend an extraordinarily long time in the toilet to arouse suspicion, they can still get you.

Then there is the poshest plane toilet in the world in First Class on board an Oman Air A330-300 aircraft. It has luxury flooring designed to imitate a sandy beach, Amouage branded hand wash, hand lotion and cologne. And, the ultimate in in-flight indulgence - a bidet, the only one in the skies.

Finally there is the report that Ryanair, the original low cost carrier in Europe, has confirmed it will be charging passengers up to one pound (49 Baht) to go to the toilet on its flights. Its toilets will be redesigned to include a coin operated machine.

So in their quest to save a penny, airlines are now asking customers to 'spend a penny.'

Tuesday, 5th October 2010 at 8:33am

By Alastair Carthew, a former aviation employee, newspaper and television journalist. He is a freelance writer and consultant living on Phuket. Click here to go directly to his website: www.acprcounsel.com.