When it comes to traveling, flying is usually the way to go if you can afford it. You get there in a lot less time, you have flight attendants to wait on you, and you get to just lay back and relax. There are a lot of conveniences that you have when flying too that you don’t get while traveling by car. For example, you get those ever-so-comfortable blankets and pillows, you don’t have to stop for a bathroom break, you get little bags of peanuts, and a tiny serving of soda. Flying may be enjoyable for most people, but after reading these 18 airline secrets, I’m going to think twice about booking that next flight. A good road trip may be in order instead. You decide for yourself, but don’t say we didn’t warn you!
1. Blankets and pillows left on the plane are not washed before being given to another passenger.
2. The handle above the emergency exit is actually so the flight attendant won’t get pushed out of the plane.
3. There is a certain number of screws a plane can be missing, and it’s still able to be flown.
4. You may want to think twice about drinking that airline water. In 2002, the Wall Street Journal, did a test and found that bacteria levels in airplanes were 100x more than what is allowed in the US.
5. The illuminated lights are actually there for an emergency, not to give you a great ambiance while flying.
6. Any bag that is found vibrating will be searched. It might be best to remove any batteries before packing certain items.
7. The bathrooms on airplanes can be open from the outside. I assumed as much, but you may want to make sure you are extra nice to your flight attendant so they don’t open the bathroom door while you are in there.
8. A commonly stolen item on airplanes are the life jackets under the seats. Maybe start packing your own.
9. Airplanes are often struck by lightning mid-flight, but the passengers rarely notice.
10. You know how you like to sleep on a plane? Well so do the pilots! They often fall asleep on long flights.
11. Pilots are also given different meals than what the passengers are fed. They do this in the case there is any food poisoning.
12. If you need to use the oxygen mask, you better hope the plane lands within 15-20 minutes. Each mask will only contain oxygen for about that long anyway.
13. Next time you fly, pack your own headphones. These are typically used as well and then repackaged.
14. Have you ever been flying and noticed that food service is taking a little longer? They will delay food service depending on how many of the passengers are sleeping.
15. Flight attendants get free wi-fi and are often using their cell phones during the entire flight.
16. A scary fact is that some airline employees don’t get paid until the flight actually takes off. This may cause them to be in a rush when it comes to checking safety features, stocking the kitchen, and cleaning the airplane.
17. More than likely, someone has changed a baby’s diaper on your tray table.
18. Often times when a bomb threat is reported and the plane is over the ocean, the passengers will have no idea.
I don’t think I’ll be flying anytime soon. I really don’t like hearing that the pilots are catching up on their sleep while getting us safely to our destination or that the blankets & pillows have been used without being washed. I’ll definitely be weighing out other options for our next vacation.