That'll help against a cold ... not so much with the flu. Flu virus doesn't live long on hands, but thrives when airborne. You'd do better to wear a mask.
Since I started chemo over a year ago and have had low white counts and low immunity the entire time and I fly about every three weeks to and from Maryland, I carry those purels, never touch above my mouth, put my sleeve over hand to touch anything like escalators etc and use a window seat, and am alert for coughers and sneezers,,I have not been sick one time.
It is amazing but all those measures help. On a plane, we fly first class so we have more space and I use a wipe on the tray and do this procedure at grocery etc.
But what has amazed me is that hardly anybody is sickly on the plane. This trip there was one sick kid, coughing all the way, nose running and her Dad was sneezing. But the coughers and such are just not around.
If you ask me, sick people aren’t flying but I hear about them all round me.
I have been very lucky but am convinced handwashing, not touching above neck and such really works.
The masks’ greatest benefit are to keep your contaminated hands from making direct contact with the mucous membranes of your nose, or the moist oral cavities of your mouth. Both are easy routes for the virus to enter your body.
Unless you wear a ‘high-end’ mask, they won’t keep out airborne viruses reliably.