the-10-darkest-secrets-of-airplanes-that-passengers-dont-know

Last Updated on January 4, 2021

© SafeBee

Airline workers have a really hard job to maintain. Not only they are required to do many things in a little time, but they have to provide an excellent customer service.

However, every airline crew must stay professional and not talk poorly about their job. Technically, everyone should be like that. But, aren’t we all a little curious to know the darkest secrets of airplanes?

I have a friend, who has been working in this job for the past 2 years, and I couldn’t help but spill out all the questions I have in order to know what truly happens behind our backs, especially that travel is my favorite thing to do and airplanes are basically where I sit the most during my vacations.

dying-on-a-plane

© Medscape

Death could happen to us anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t wait for the “right time” to visit and take your soul away, so there is a chance that someone may lose his/her life during a flight.

However, the airlines require the nurse of the flight to check the passengers who died during the flight. They have to deliberate misdiagnosis that the passenger fainted, get him/her to the aid station, and then call a doctor who can pronounce death.

The reason is diagnosing death on the flight means that the plane has to be grounded until the doctor comes, and that will basically cost $15 thousand/one hour.

The Food!

the-food

© Seatmaestro

It is not a surprise that most meals served on planes are frozen and reheated in the ovens of the plane, which is why the taste and quality are not the best.

But it is worth to mention that you lose 30% of taste sensation when you are at high altitudes, and that’s the reason why the foods need to be cooked with strong herbs and flavors. Also, it is another reason why long flights have better food than short flights.

The truth is eating fast food in the airports is way better than eating the airplane’s food, and that’s okay because most airports have great places with different cuisines that you can choose from.

The employees

the-employees

© News24

Instead of hiring real employees, airlines are hiring “contractors” to work for them, which allows them to pay less. Even though each airline is different, most of them have employees who work for Menzies, G2, or another contractor.

These employees are mostly ticket counter, customer service, cleaners, wheelchair helpers, freight, ramp workers, etc. Depending on the State they work in, these people make $9 to $15 per hour.

The pilots and flight attendants are the only ones who can actually work for the airline.

The pilots

the-pilots

© Aviation Geeks

One of the most disturbing dark secrets is that, in some countries, becoming a pilot is not about how hard you study or how incredibly amazing you are at that job, but it is based on class structures or family status, which is very concerning.

So maybe some pilots could not be able to deal with some big issues that occur, and also, these “captains” have to make sure that nothing happens because their personal reputation is way more important than the passengers’ safety.

With that idea in our heads, it must be hard getting in a large plane knowing that the pilot could possibly be inconsiderate of our lives.

The air we breathe

the-air-we-breathe

© SHUTTERSTOCK

The air you breathe inside a plane is not as healthy as you may think because it is re-circulated. So if you feel lightheaded, then you must complain. Hopefully, they would agree to turn the air ratio up then.

The worst part is if the plane had to stay landed for too long and with vents turned off, all the germs stay there for the next people to invade. The “insane” people we see on planes wearing masks might not be that insane after all.

Obviously, being in a closed space for many hours with hundreds of people is not a healthy environment, so try your best to be cautious about the air you breathe and even the surfaces you touch.

Our safety

our-safety

© Dreamstime.com

Are you ready for the deepest-darkest secret? We all believe that our safety is the number one concern for the airline staff, but unfortunately, our safety is number two!

The experts stopped being in control 35 years ago, and now the airline companies are basically focusing more on profit and financial advantages, which technically, compromise safety.

The only reason that could make the airlines consider our safety first is if CEO put family members on each flight… It is sad!

A list to avoid

a-list-to-avoid

© SHUTTERSTOCK

In case you didn’t know before, the airlines have a blacklist on their booking computes of passengers’ names that have caused trouble in the past while on board. So when these people try to book again with the same airline, the computer will say that there are no flights available.

The interesting part is that most of these names are celebrities who basically thought that they are so cool and special that they can get away with anything. Just try to stay away from any issues because after all, travel should be a fun experience!

Crop dusting the passengers

crop-dusting-the-passengers

© The Sun

Let’s face it, all humans fart and it is a basic need that could happen 20 times every day, and some of us may even reach 40, or 50 times. Since the flight attendants are also humans who need to pass gas every now and then, they have to do it in their specific areas, and it is the gallery.

They tend to fart discreetly by going up and down the plane’s aisle pretending they are making important status checks or even seeing if the passengers are comfortable. This practice is actually very known that they have a slang name for it!

After all, the flight attendants may never see the same passengers again.

Planes were more hazardous

planes-were-more-hazardous

© The Independent

For many years, the commercial jets had stowed between 500 and 1,500 kg of depleted uranium (highly radioactive) in each aircraft.

In fact, the airlines have been using the uranium that was left over from nuclear power plants in order to counterweight the wings for years. The most dangerous, and potential risk is the release of that radioactive material, which can lead to an “accidental” explosion.

During the crash of El Al Flight 1862 back in October of 1992, the depleted uranium was released. Thankfully, the usage of this extremely dense material has phased out.

Sit in the back, always!

sit-in-the-back-always

© The Points Guy

In case of a crash, your chance of surviving is higher if you were sitting in the very back of the plane. Actually, the chance of anything to happen is way too little when you are back there.

Plus, you will get to have the flight attendants’ attention so easily and way too much better. In conclusion, every industry has dark secrets and the airlines are no different.

But if we think about it, traveling in an airplane is way too safer comparing to other forms of transportations, as long as you stay patient during the turbulence, though.

After all, the beauty of travel is not complete unless you fly to your destination, right?

1 COMMENT

  1. There is something called the “2 nanosecond rule” which means that whatever happens to you also happens to the pilot. The pilot has every incentive to do the job right.

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