50% Recycled Air

Here's the gem I picked up from training yesterday. The air inside a pressurized Airbus cabin is only 50% recycled. And, what's even better, is the air that comes out of the vents overhead (the gasper vents if you want to get technical) is 100% new air, or air from outside the plane.

The moral of the story: if someone next to you is coughing and wheezing, it might not be such a bad idea to raise yourself up in your seat a little and put your face as close to that vent as possible, breathe normally, and hope for the best/pray for good health.