Surprising, Amazing Facts About Air Travel
More people than ever before are taking to the skies — according to the most recent report from the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), it’s estimated a record-breaking 4.3 billion passengers flew on an airplane in 2017, with the average traveler flying once every 22 months.
Chances are, you’ve been on a flight yourself over the past few months, and you may have caught yourself wondering about the quirks of air travel. Like, why does all airplane food smell the same? Where does the cabin crew disappear to in the middle of the flight? And what happens if someone engages in disorderly conduct while 35,000 feet in the air?
Well, wonder no more. Here are 15 interesting airplane tidbits to think about the next time you’re waiting for take-off. (With your seatbelt securely fastened, of course.)
You can be restrained on board a plane.
On a flight, the captain has the authority to restrain a passenger, or to direct flight attendants to do the same — and they have handcuffs for that very purpose.
Used only in the most extreme cases, these cuffs are not the metal kind you might expect, but often plastic zip ties or seat-belt extenders. Still, they get the job done.
While none of the flight crew can officially make arrests in the legal sense, the captain can call the police to meet the plane at its destination, if he or she believes the crew or the airplane’s safety are in danger.
Airplane food tastes weird for a scientific reason.
Plane food is notoriously bad, but that’s not entirely the fault of airlines. The dry air, low pressure and loud noises on a flight all contribute to a decrease in your senses. So even gourmet meals in first class may taste a little weird. (We’re totally up for trying them though!) To compensate for our dulled senses, the airlines’ catering services up the amount of sugar and salt, which can further diminish the overall quality of the meal.
But it’s not all bad news — according to research, umami (the savory fifth category of taste) is unaffected by altitude, and may even be enhanced by the high frequency of loud engine noises. This may be the reason tomato juice is so popular in-flight.
Airplanes have secret bedrooms.
Some airplanes have private sleeping quarters, and we’re not talking about those plush accommodations in first class.
On long-haul flights, the airplane crew needs to catch some shut-eye too, so some planes are fitted with private bedrooms called Crew Rest Compartments, accessed from hidden staircases behind the cockpit or sometimes at the back of the plane. Inside the small, cramped bedroom, there are about 5-10 beds for crew members to use. And on some planes, the pilot’s quarters come with a private bathroom.
The actual space varies, depending on the aircraft, but the room has enough bunk beds or side-by-side beds, divided by privacy curtains, to ensure the crew is well rested.
The safest place to sit on a plane is in economy class.
Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation. But in the unlikely event of a crash, where exactly is the best place to sit?
Of course it depends on the type of crash, but studies show that passengers in the seats at the rear of an aircraft have a better chance of survival. More specifically, some experts believe the middle seat in the back of the plane is the safest, because it is likely to be farthest from the point of impact. (Finally a positive to getting stuck in the middle seat in economy!)
Sitting near to — and being aware of — emergency exits also helps your chances of survival, so put your magazine away and listen to the emergency briefings by flight attendants. Count the rows of seats to your nearest exit in case you have to crawl in the dark. And keep your seatbelt buckled. The most common cause of injury in flight is when there’s turbulence, and passengers are moving around the cabin or not wearing a seatbelt.