Secret which every traveller should know !

March 7, 2018

Travelling by air is one of the great luxuries of the modern age. It can also be one of the great trials, what with crowded airports, overbooked flights and questionable food. To make your next flying experience more enjoyable, we’re letting you in on air travel secrets every passenger should know. Whether it’s getting through security faster or knowing which part of plane it is best to sit in during turbulence, we’ve got you covered.

Seat upgrades are possible

You can sometimes upgrade from the tight seating of economy to the champagne joys of first or business class. Your odds increase if you are on a busy air route, are a regular customer of the airline, have a special reason for the upgrade (you’re on your honeymoon, pregnant, too big for an ordinary seat, etc.) or just ask nicely. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

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Cell phones aren’t dangerous

Airline restrictions notwithstanding, using a cell phone won’t interfere with the operation of an aircraft. The plane uses a different frequency than your cell phone and is designed to be safe from foreign signals. Apparently, the Federal Communications Commission (not the FAA) clamped down on cell phone use in the sky because the signals end up bouncing off multiple cell towers, tying up networks on the ground.

Get better meals

Even if you can’t upgrade to first class, some airlines are now allowing economy class passengers to upgrade their meals to more appetizing choices. Austrian Airlines, Air France, KLM and British Airways are among the airlines that let people buy better meals for a lower price than what they’d pay in a restaurant.

Book an early flight

Nobody likes a late flight, and according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 2 per cent of flights do not arrive on time. However, booking a flight that leaves earlier in the day may up your chances of getting to your destination on schedule. At least one study has found that flights that leave in the wee hours of the morning are far less likely to be delayed than ones with later departure times.

Buy your coffee in the terminal

Coffee, tea and water are better bought and enjoyed in the terminal. The water you’ll get from airplane pipes and systems is likely to be full of unsavory microscopic life (one reason why airline coffee always tastes bad). In a study done by the Wall Street Journal, bacteria levels in airline water were generally found to be tens and sometimes hundreds of times higher than U.S. government limits.

Get through security faster

Wish you could spend less time in security lines at the airport? Obvious answer, we know. In the U.S., you can sign up for the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck trusted traveller programme. Available at more than 180 airports, the pre screening allows you to zip through customs without having to take off your shoes or remove your laptop from its case.