Air travel is often exciting, but many things go under the radar. Here are five things airlines would rather you didn’t know…
1. Airlines Stop Using Numbers That Are Bad Luck
You would expect airline staff, especially pilots, to be the most pragmatic people on earth. You would be right to expect this, of course, but it’s not entirely true. They can be particularly superstitious when it comes to flight numbers associated with negative events. This is the reason why airlines retire the numbers of these flights. Examples include Malaysian Airlines 370, which crashed over the China Sea just last year, and American Airlines flight 77, which is known for crashing on 9/11.
2. Avoid Consuming Tea, Coffee, or Food on Board
While it may indeed be tempting to pay for an overpriced tea or soup on board, you may want to think twice about it. The water they use to make your beverage or food is stored in tanks that may contain bacteria and other contaminants since they are so hard to clean. In other words, go for bottled beverages and packaged foods if you want to be on the safe side.
3. Some Seats Are NOT Safer Than Others
The evergreen debate when it comes to air travel is where exactly to sit on a plane if you want to increase your chances of surviving a crash. Although analyses of past incidents show that people sitting on the back of the plane have higher odds of surviving a crash, industry professionals tell a different story. If there really is a crash, and your plane is nose-diving from 30,000 feet over the ocean, it makes no difference where you’re seated.
4. Maybe You Should Reconsider Using the Seat-Back Tray
Many people who haven’t traveled with babies live in complete oblivion as to how unclean the seat-back trays are. Parents flying with their little ones often use the trays to change diapers, so you might end up with an unwanted surprise on your tray during your next flight. The trays are rarely cleaned and not well disinfected, so keep that in mind.
5. Every Plane Has an Issue
Every vehicle has its fair share of problems ranging from small to alarming. Like your car needing an oil change but you postponing the trip to the auto shop for a week. The same holds true for airplanes. Airlines have a system of routine scheduled maintenance for their aircraft, and some issues may not be dealt with until those checkups. Of course, if the problem is alarming enough, the aircraft will be taken out of service immediately.