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Today we will analyze such questions as why planes are the safest type of transport, where to keep your hands during the flight and other interesting points that any passenger should know!
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00:00That little yellow hook you can see from the airplane's window if you're sitting next to the wing
00:05is there to help you in case of an emergency landing.
00:09Inflatable slides can only be deployed from the emergency exit doors in the front and the tail of the plane.
00:16In the middle, the passengers would have to walk right out on the wing and get to the ground from
00:21there.
00:21But jumping from the plane wing isn't safe because it's just too high.
00:26And here's where those little yellow hooks come in handy.
00:29The flight attendants tie ropes from the doors and through the loops for the passengers to hold on to.
00:35This way, everyone can safely get to the ground without injuries.
00:39Now, you want to try to avoid cozying up under airplane blankets.
00:44Some airlines only wash them about once a month.
00:47Better use your own travel blanket, a scarf, or a jacket.
00:51And always remember to wear your shoes while walking around the plane.
00:55That carpet on the floor can't and won't be clean to perfection between flights.
01:00It's just too much time and effort for the cabin crew.
01:04The dirtiest place on a plane isn't the bathroom.
01:07It's your tray table.
01:08It has eight times more bacteria than an onboard toilet flush button.
01:15Now, in case of emergency, oxygen masks only have enough airflow to last for about 15 minutes.
01:21Luckily, it's just the amount of time a plane needs to find a suitable landing place
01:26or to at least descend to the altitude where people won't need oxygen masks anymore.
01:33You may wonder why you're asked to lift your seat back and close your tray table before takeoff and landing.
01:39But it's for your own safety.
01:41A reclined seat is comfy for you, but it makes it harder for the passenger behind you to get out
01:47of their seat,
01:48which is crucial in case of an emergency.
01:50The lower tray table is the same way,
01:53only this time it's you who won't be able to stand up fast enough if anything happens.
01:58Besides, the tray table prevents you from assuming the secure position in the event of an emergency landing.
02:05This position requires you to bend over in your seat,
02:08put your head between your knees,
02:10and cover the back of your head with your hands.
02:12Imagine doing that while your tray table is open.
02:16If you look around the cabin,
02:18you'll notice little black or red triangles around the midsection of the plane.
02:23These stickers let the flight attendants know where the airplane wings are located
02:27so they can immediately look out the right window to see if something is amiss outside.
02:34You shouldn't lower the window shades while taking off, taxing, or landing for two reasons.
02:40First, the flight attendants must always be able to monitor the situation outside.
02:44And open shades help them with that, obviously.
02:48Second, if something's gone wrong on board the plane while it's on the ground,
02:52for example, a fire,
02:54the ground crews won't be able to see it and evaluate the situation before going in
02:58unless the windows are open.
03:01That tiny hole you see at the bottom of any airplane window isn't there to scare you nuts.
03:07In fact, it helps keep the pressure from the inside and the outside of the window equalized.
03:12The hole itself is only made in the second layer of glass,
03:16and there are three of them overall,
03:18which also helps with security, by the way.
03:20Even if the outer glass breaks,
03:23there will still be two more to keep you safe.
03:27Now, you might see flight attendants touching the overhead compartments
03:30while they're walking along the aisle,
03:32but that's not exactly what they do.
03:35Right beneath the compartments,
03:36there's usually a handrail that goes all the way through the cabin.
03:40So, you can also use this trick to stay firmer on your feet in the aisle.
03:45The pilots dim the lights in the cabin during nighttime,
03:48not for you to get cozy and sleepy.
03:51Our eyes have a hard time adjusting to darkness
03:54in the first few minutes of sudden lights out.
03:56And in the case of emergency, every second matters.
04:00So, the lights get dimmed to let you get used to darkness
04:03in case something happens and you have to act fast.
04:08Pay attention to the aisle floor, too.
04:11If there's an emergency landing at night,
04:13there will be two luminescent strips along the aisle
04:16showing you the way to the exit.
04:18Follow them to get safely out of the plane.
04:21Flight attendants also suggest counting the seats
04:24between you and the emergency exit once you're seated.
04:27This will help you navigate
04:28in case there's no other guidance available.
04:32If a lightning bolt hits the plane,
04:34the passengers won't feel it.
04:36The entire aircraft is covered with aluminum coating
04:39that conducts electrical current and doesn't let it inside.
04:43This protection is tested using a lightning simulator.
04:47Airplane windows are round
04:49because the air pressure is evenly distributed this way.
04:52If the plane's windows were square,
04:55strong air currents would accumulate in the corners of the windows,
04:58depressurizing the cabin.
05:00And that's bad.
05:02Don't think you become untouchable
05:05if you go to the airplane toilet.
05:07The bathroom door can be opened from the outside.
05:10There's usually a small latch at the top of the door
05:13that allows cabin crew to get you out of there.
05:16It's useful for both getting to people
05:18doing something suspicious in the bathroom
05:20and helping those who don't feel well
05:23and, for example, collapsed while in the toilet.
05:26Yeah, let's avoid doing that.
05:29The plane's wings flash red and green lights at night
05:33to show the direction the plane is heading in.
05:35A green light is always on the right wing
05:37and a red one is on the left.
05:41Aircraft tires are designed to withstand
05:44four to five times more pressure
05:46than they actually experience upon landing.
05:48The wheel is more likely to brake than the tire.
05:53Pilots always have different meals.
05:55This is necessary to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
05:59The flight can still go well
06:00if one of the pilots has gone down
06:02because of a stale burrito,
06:04but not if it's both of them.
06:06And try not to both of you eat the fish.
06:11Some airlines don't allow pilots to have beards.
06:14Facial hair can prevent securely fitting the oxygen mask.
06:18And pilots must always remain conscious.
06:22The seats are blue in most aircraft
06:24because this color soothes people.
06:27It's also easy to keep clean.
06:29The rumbling noise you hear after boarding the plane
06:32is luggage being loaded on the plane.
06:35The compartment is right beneath the cabin,
06:37so it can sound quite loud sometimes.
06:41On most flights longer than seven or eight hours,
06:44pilots have access to a specially designed rest seat
06:48in or near the cockpit.
06:50Flight attendants typically have a section of the cabin
06:52reserved for them,
06:53and it's sometimes separated from the passenger areas.
06:57Some larger aircraft even feature private crew quarters
07:01above or below the main cabin.
07:04The wings of most passenger aircraft
07:06are located at the bottom of the plane.
07:08It's called a low wing.
07:10Firstly, if you install the engine under low wings,
07:13it'll be closer to the ground and easier to repair.
07:17Secondly, the wings will take on part of the shock
07:20in case of a hard landing.
07:21And if the plane falls into the water,
07:24then the wings become a life-saving pillow.
07:26By the way, a plane can stay afloat
07:29for 10 minutes to 60 hours.
07:31It all depends on the model of the plane,
07:33weather conditions, and pilot skills.
07:37Now, most airplanes are white
07:39because this color best reflects the sun rays
07:42and the aircraft body doesn't heat up as much.
07:45Also, the damage is best seen on white,
07:48and white paint is simply cheaper.
07:52Shoulder straps seem more secure than just a waist belt,
07:55but not in the case of planes.
07:57When the plane gets into turbulence,
07:59it's tossed a bit in the air.
08:01The waist belt will simply hold you in place
08:04in case of a more severe shape.
08:06Shoulder straps would require more space between the seats,
08:10and this is not justified on a plane.
08:12In a car, the impact is usually much stronger,
08:15so you need that shoulder strap
08:17not to whoosh through the windshield.
08:20Flight attendant seats do have passenger straps,
08:23but that's because they are much less comfortable
08:26than passenger ones.
08:27They're narrower and positioned facing the passengers.
08:31Flight attendants need extra protection
08:33simply not to fall off their seats
08:35if the plane shakes hard enough.
08:37Also, they have to help and direct people
08:39during potential evacuation.
08:41And for that, they need to be in top shape.
08:45Now, maybe you've noticed
08:47that you always enter the plane from its left side.
08:50Firstly, the captain usually sits on that side.
08:53This way, it's easier for the captain
08:55to align the plane with the terminal jet bridge.
08:58Also, the aircraft is fueled and loaded
09:01with the baggage on the right side.
09:03If passengers come from the left,
09:05the crew can do their job undisturbed.
09:08Uh-oh, your airliner is filling up with people,
09:11so you hurry, looking for your comfy window seat
09:14and hoping to meet some pleasant neighbors.
09:15Because a six-hour-long flight to Hawaii
09:18with the ability to place your arms and legs as you want
09:21is an excellent start to your vacation.
09:24You relax into your window seat,
09:26already thinking of sunbathing on the beach
09:29once you reach your destination.
09:30You greet your first neighbor,
09:32who takes the aisle seat.
09:34You see the flight attendants
09:35are about to close the doors.
09:37You breathe out and stretch your legs.
09:39No more neighbors.
09:40Suddenly, the last passenger runs up to your row.
09:44No, it's as if he appeared out of nowhere.
09:46He tells you that you have taken his seat.
09:49You can't believe it.
09:50The flight attendant comes and asks you to vacate his seat.
09:54But why?
09:55You reserved online the window seat.
09:57You have no time to argue as the plane is taking off.
10:00So you move to the middle seat.
10:03The guy puts his elbows on the armrests.
10:05Your aisle seat neighbor has already occupied
10:08the other armrest and put on his earphones.
10:11Huh?
10:11Seems like you are left without any space for your elbows.
10:16Let the silent telepathic fight for the armrests begin.
10:20You already know all kinds of middle seat neighbors
10:22as you fly frequently.
10:24Which one are you?
10:25The passenger who occupies both armrests
10:28is what we call universal
10:30because he thinks he is the center of the universe.
10:34And the window and aisle seat passengers
10:36have to stay in their respective corners.
10:38He might narrow down the communication to elbow fights.
10:42Here, we recommend marking your armrest territory with words
10:45no matter how awkward it might seem.
10:48But this doesn't sound like you.
10:50The switching passenger is the one who sometimes
10:53uses the left-hand armrest and then switches to the right.
10:56It's usually peaceful coexistence.
10:59Here, the communication remains friendly,
11:02with you exchanging smiles as you touch each other by accident.
11:06That's already closer to you, but not completely.
11:09There's also that shy passenger
11:11that uses neither the right nor the left side of the seat.
11:15He usually sits straight and awaits his arrival at the destination.
11:18He is afraid of any elbow contact with his neighbors,
11:22but he doesn't look like you either.
11:24The cooperative passenger constantly uses the front half of the armrest
11:28and shares the other part with the neighbor.
11:31So you know there's a spot for your elbow
11:33and your neighbors know theirs,
11:35and zero unnecessary contact is guaranteed.
11:38Aha! It sounds like you.
11:41Now, you place your elbows on both armrests
11:44by moving the arms of your neighbors,
11:46smiling and indicating that they need to share the joint space.
11:50Now, we will reveal the secret about how you got the middle seat.
11:55Your airline had to change the plane at the last minute,
11:58and an entirely different seating plan put you into the middle seat.
12:03It turns out, the flight editor could not keep your window seat anymore,
12:07as re-editing the seating plan within a short time is tough.
12:10Transporting everybody on board the new aircraft
12:13is like working on a puzzle.
12:15Another secret when they can assign a middle seat to you
12:18is if you get to the airport at the very last moment.
12:21If you've made no seat reservation and haven't checked in online,
12:25you're more likely to get a middle seat in the row next to the restroom.
12:29Or you'll be seated behind the wing
12:32and rewarded with extra noise from the engines.
12:35But you also have excellent chances to get a surprising upgrade
12:39or some extra space seated in the exit row or bulkhead seats.
12:44Algorithms drive our world these days, as you know.
12:47The secret here is that you need to use the same airline frequently.
12:51Then you will accumulate as many flight segments or miles as possible
12:56to become a status club member with pleasant privileges.
13:00And you will then be called the gold one.
13:03Now, whenever you buy a ticket,
13:05your frequent flyer number will activate an algorithm in the reservation system.
13:09You'll be able to reserve an extra space seat online
13:13and get access to airport lounges.
13:15And even when the flight is not fully booked,
13:18the computer system will automatically block the middle seat next to yours.
13:22And you can enjoy spreading your arms
13:24and having no contact with a stranger during the whole flight.
13:28It can also come in handy to know how to get an upgrade at the last moment.
13:33Airlines regularly oversell seats on flights
13:35to maximize revenue and increase load factors.
13:38That's why they constantly analyze the number of no-show passengers
13:42for a certain time and date using a special software.
13:46It costs only 50 to 100 bucks to an airline to upgrade an economy passenger
13:51to an empty seat in business or first class.
13:54That's why free airline upgrades can often happen.
13:57But for you, it's essential, especially if you're on a long flight.
14:01You will get your premium experience according to your priority status.
14:06It means that if you're on the gold list, you'll be of the highest priority ranking.
14:11Then the computer program will show the gate agent that your economy seat is no longer valid.
14:17The gate agent will change your seat number from 6A to 1A.
14:21And it means you can look forward to getting top service.
14:24And you will be the lucky one who gets a fancy drink, filet mignon,
14:28and a cozy seat on the more luxurious side of the cabin divider.
14:33Now, here's another secret.
14:34If you fly solo, you will have upgrades more often given to you rather than groups.
14:39If you order a special meal in advance, you will not get a free upgrade
14:43as your meal cannot be upgraded with you.
14:46An airline controls the meal numbers
14:48and will not serve a special economy meal in business class.
14:51But you may as well get the upgrade if you are not a member of the gold club.
14:56Here's another algorithm that can help you get upgraded already at the check-in.
15:01A long-haul aircraft has, let's say, a total of 354 seats.
15:06We have 8 first-class seats, 42 business-class seats, and 304 economy-class seats.
15:13Now, let's assume there are 4 first-class passengers,
15:1620 business-class passengers, and 330 economy-class passengers.
15:21The economy-class is oversold by 26 people.
15:24Now, who will be the lucky 26 passengers to sit in the front, and when will it be decided?
15:30The airline supervisor instructs check-in agents to take notes of the arriving passengers,
15:36and they will silently put some of them into the SFU list.
15:39It means suitable for an upgrade.
15:42You will not notice your probable upgrade at that moment.
15:45At first, the check-in person will give you a standard economy-class boarding pass
15:50with a seat number printed on it.
15:52It all begins one hour before the departure at the gate.
15:56That's when the check-in counter closes, and now the staff knows the final figures.
16:01Let's assume all 354 passengers appear on time.
16:05The last 26 economy passengers get their boarding passes without seat numbers,
16:10and the supervisor finalizes the passenger list.
16:13The first lucky 4 business-class passengers with an upgrade can move to the first class,
16:18and 22 people from the economy class get upgraded to the business class.
16:23Now, there's enough space in the economy class.
16:26New boarding passes get printed,
16:28and the gate supervisor announces the names of those who got lucky.
16:32That's why it's good to board late,
16:34because upgrades are still being processed up to the very last minute.
16:38By the way, check-in agents not only take your bag and give your boarding pass,
16:43they're also responsible for your admission to your destination on international flights.
16:48While talking to you at the counter,
16:50the agent gets a computer answer, an OK or a N-OK to board.
16:55Thanks to the pre-checks at the departure airport,
16:58the international arrivals border control goes much faster
17:01as some work was already done at the departure point.
17:05And you usually appreciate it,
17:07because this way, you can leave the airport quickly after a several-hour flight.
17:12The check-in agent also ensures that passengers do not carry excess hand baggage.
17:17While boarding the plane,
17:18you're welcomed by a friendly smile and hello from one or two flight attendants.
17:23You might not know it,
17:24but at this moment,
17:26the chief cabin attendant is secretly checking you
17:28whether you are fit to fly or not.
17:30They pay particular attention to possibly aggressive passengers,
17:34those that might get removed before the flight.
17:37While you're taking your seat on board the plane,
17:40flight attendants are spread throughout the cabin.
17:43They welcome you and check that you don't stow any hand luggage at the exit or bulkhead row.
17:49During the meal service,
17:50flight attendants control what you drink
17:52and ensure you do not exceed a certain amount.
17:55Be careful!
17:56Flight attendants are watching you!
17:59But only to keep you safe.
18:02An airplane is a complex machine,
18:05ingeniously designed to the very last detail.
18:08Yet some things about them still make no sense.
18:11Like the way deboarding is organized.
18:14Deboarding usually adds up to an extra half hour to flight time.
18:18But computer simulations show that it can be done 35% faster.
18:22All you'd have to do is deboard by aisle, not by row.
18:25Let's imagine a cabin layout with one aisle in the middle and rows of three on each side.
18:33First, left aisle passengers leave the airplane, then the right aisle.
18:38Next are the middle seat passengers on the left side, followed by those on the right.
18:42Finally, the left window seats and then the right.
18:45It might be a problem for passengers traveling together, but it's a great way to avoid aisle blocking.
18:51One reason airlines aren't using this method just yet,
18:54they're more interested in making some extra money selling first class and priority seats.
18:59Chaotic boarding would work better than groups.
19:02The way it is now, by group, the plane gets loaded from the back to the front,
19:07after first, business, and priority classes, of course.
19:09The whole process would be much faster if people were allowed to choose their own seats on the plane.
19:16They'd feel the rush to grab a spot instead of standing around putting their carry-on in the bin.
19:21An even better way to cut down boarding time would be to let passengers board by aisle.
19:27First, all window seats, then middle, and aisle.
19:30Again, it would cut the time we have to wait for others to get their stuff put away.
19:35But for some reason, airlines ain't doing it.
19:38So, we've all been loaded onto the plane in the most ridiculous way possible.
19:42Basically, you're already on edge.
19:44Then, you just get more worked up from there.
19:47Get this.
19:48A survey by Gatwick Airport found that altitudes make passengers more emotional.
19:54Even if you aren't afraid of flying,
19:56getting to the airport and then through all the security and long lines can be physically tiring.
20:01Then come changes in air pressure, dry air, and often turbulence.
20:05There's also the emotional component of saying goodbye to your loved ones
20:10and the plane's environment with all those unknown sounds.
20:13All that put together exaggerates your emotions.
20:17The same survey mentioned that people are more likely to cry at movies in the air
20:21even if they never do it on the ground.
20:23So, if you see me crying as I'm watching Shrek,
20:27it's the cabin pressure, okay?