Want to avoid getting sick on a plane this holiday season? Medical expert reveals best seat

The biggest risk for travelers won't be what they touch - but what they breathe, said Dr. Neha Pathak, chief physician editor of health and lifestyle medicine at WebMD. 

She added, "Your hands are really the critical piece here. . . . If you clean them regularly and avoid touching your face, you can dramatically reduce any risk that comes from surfaces."

It's "incredibly hardy," she said, referring to viral gastroenteritis - an intestinal infection that includes such symptoms as watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting or nausea and more, according to the Mayo Clinic. "And it can survive on surfaces for days."

She added, "That makes it the perfect candidate for surface transmission in places like airplanes - especially bathrooms and high-touch areas."

"The virus that gives you vomiting and diarrhea is more likely to hitch a ride on a tray table than the viruses that cause flu or COVID," she said.

With that in mind, Pathak revealed that to avoid getting sick, a window seat far from the bathroom is the best place to sit on an airplane.