Vomit, Dirty Diapers Among Complaints By Grossed-Out Air Travelers

(CBS) -- What's not being done before takeoff that could make you sick, CBS 2's Marissa Bailey reports.

Janet Masters will never forget the return flight for her anniversary trip to Hawaii.

Masters found a full bag of vomit in the seat back in front of her and while handing the bag to a flight attendant, it spilled on her clothes.

"Smelling that smell on us and around us was just totally, totally disgusting," she said.

And we found other fliers who say they too have found gross things on planes.

"With my last flight it was bubble gum attached to the Hemisphere Magazine to the pocket itself," said Randi Starr.

"They laid the baby on her lap," said Kelli Nowak. "They were actually changing the baby's diaper… dirty, poopy diaper right there."

Most airlines hire third party companies to clean planes. One company told CBS 2: a group of 5-to-10 people spend about 20 minutes quick-cleaning planes between departures and 40 minutes for deeper cleanings.

But consider this: a recent study by the American Society for Microbiology showed E.coli and MRSA can live on airplane surfaces for days, even up to a week.

"There's at least a perception out there that that there's some basic hygiene things have slipped through the cracks," said DePaul professor and transportation expert Joe Schwieterman.

Flight attendants are the ones who see the messes up close. Shawn Kathleen runs a passenger-shaming blog where she highlights the worst of the worst.

"There was a gentleman treating his warts with compound W," Kathleen said.

A representative from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants admits that often, "the time between flights does not allow for a proper and thorough cabin cleaning."

Chicago-based United Airlines tells CBS 2 that smaller domestic planes get "deep cleaned" every month, meaning washing overhead bins, shampooing carpets and cleaning ceilings.

Still, passengers we talked to say it's not enough.

"I would love it if other passengers were considerate and conscious about their travel mates," Nowak said.

"I think that airlines should step it up a notch and focus more on cleanliness with the airplanes," said Starr.

Janet Masters was offered a $300 credit towards another flight, but airlines are not under any obligation to offer compensation. The World Health Organization has guidelines for airplane sanitation, but the FAA did not respond to our request asking it if it also has guidelines.