Man who's traveled to 40 countries urges people to avoid making gross mistake on long-haul flights

A travel expert has warned passengers against making one simple but very gross mistake on flights, particularly when it comes to long-haul journeys.

Mitch Glass has visited more than 40 countries and been on countless flights after deciding to backpack the world.

Now working as a digital nomad, Mitch has a ton of experience to provide his insight on all things travel and knows there are a lot of unofficial rules when it comes to flying, particularly when it comes to reclining chairs and feet being out.

If you know, you know.

You might well have to take your shoes off to walk through TSA security scanners, but making your way around the plane without shoes on really isn't something you should be doing.

Speaking to UNILAD, Mitch explained the difference between being comfortable, and being disruptive.

He explained: "On the flight itself, I usually keep [my shoes] on for short haul and take them off for sleeping on long hauls. Obviously it’s important to wear clean socks that don’t smell and bother other passengers."

I mean, it's the last thing you want to see on a flight (Getty Stock Photo)

However, while kicking off your shoes in your seat is one thing, there is one mistake many passengers make when it comes to long-haul flights.

The travel expert explained: "Always put your shoes back on when you walk around the plane, especially to the bathroom!"

When you think about the mess that passengers might accidentally make while peeing during turbulence, it's easy to understand why you should always wear shoes in the plane bathroom.

The travel expert went on to discuss the airport fit more generally and what you should consider wearing for a long-haul flight, which isn't particularly necessary on those short-haul, domestic flights.

"I have my go-to outfit that I use for almost all my flights no matter the length," Mitch explained to UNILAD. "But in general, I’d focus on wearing sleep-friendly clothes for long-haul flights.

"Whereas on a short flight, you can just wear whatever you plan on using when you get off the plane.

Mitch Glass has visited more than 40 countries (Supplied)

"In my case, my sleep-friendly clothes are pretty versatile, so I can use them for whatever I’m doing right off the flight."

Mitch runs the YouTube channel Project Untethered, where he documents his travel adventures with his wife, who he just so happened to meet while backpacking in South America.

He told UNILAD: "I stopped in Cali, Colombia to take salsa dancing classes. I only planned to stay for a couple weeks, but God had other plans for me.

"I met a cute Colombian girl in class, those couple weeks turned into a couple years, and before we knew it...we were married and traveling the world as digital nomads."

You can also check out more from his travel voyages on his website.