Every year, thousands — if not millions — of Americans fly across the country and even around the world. Whether it is to visit family back home, go on vacation, or to attend business functions, people fly all the time.
If you’re looking for some insider info on the tricks of the trade, we have you covered. After reading these secrets of airline travel, you’ll see things totally differently.
1. Just because the plane you’re on is missing parts or has several broken parts doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Planes are allowed to take off with missing parts by the FAA. It really is nothing to worry about.
2. Depending on the airline, you can have a much different ride. For example, Southwest is said to have much faster flights because they will take the shortest route possible, despite turbulence and other factors, but American Airlines is all about passenger comfort, regardless of how fast the flight is.
3. Never drink the coffee on an airline. No one ever washes the container, and even if someone had the moxie to do it, the attendants aren’t given the proper supplies to do so correctly.
4. Not every seat is created equal or has the same features. There are numerous sites such as SeatGuru and Route Happy that score the seats on planes.
5. Flight attendants are sometimes given lists of who is on the plane, to indicate the presence of people like frequent fliers or relatives of airline employees. If you think certain flight attendants are treating you differently than others, you’re probably right.
6. The armrest next to the aisle can be lifted with a little button on the underside of the of the armrest.
7. Put your pet’s name on the piece of luggage that they will be traveling in, since things will be much easier for your pet if flight attendants and baggage workers can call them by name.
8. Turbulence can’t bring down a plane, but in some extremely rare cases, it has broken people’s necks. But people who are worried about turbulence usually have never experienced really severe turbulence, which happens only a handful of times a year. Don’t panic if and when you finally do!
9. If you are nice to flight attendants, they will be nicer to you. Seems like a no-brainer, but courteousness counts, even when you’re thousands of feet in the air.
10. If you have a problem with your airline, tweet about it. Twitter is a powerful tool that will help get your message to a higher-up who can help you out faster than anyone who’s in front of you.
(via Up Voted)
I don’t know if I feel better or worse about flying now. Either way, if you need to take a flight somewhere in the near future, remember these helpful tips and you’ll probably have a better experience.