11 Flight Secrets Airlines DON'T Want You to Know

Flights are kind of a mysterious thing. Is turning on airplane mode on your phone really necessary? How clean is the plane, really?

And most importantly, where does all the poop go? To find the truth once and for all, I scoured the web for interviews with pilots, flight attendants, and other airline crew. After traveling the world for seven-plus years, I was actually pretty surprised at what I found.

Note that what I discovered varies from airline to airline, but from getting free stuff to staying safe, here are some things that the airlines tend to want to cover up. I think it'll be better to talk about these at the actual airport. Let's go!

Did you know your flight seat may not have a life vest? This world is full of dumb people, and some of those dumb people think it's a good idea to steal the life vest for souvenirs or just to be nasty. These are normally checked at the beginning of every day, but if you're not on the first flight of the day, it might be worth checking under your seat before you take off.

Next, planes aren't as clean as airlines would have you think. Many airlines boast about their advanced cleaning features, especially during recent years, but the truth is cabins really aren't as clean as you'd hope. The turnaround time between flights can be really short, and there's only so much that cleaning crews can do during that time.

According to Aerotime, long-haul craft turnaround time is between 90 minutes and 120 minutes, and short-haul planes can have a turnaround time between 25 and 40 minutes. This includes the time that a plane stops after a flight to the time that doors close on the next flight. So after you factor in all the time it takes for everyone to get off the plane and then board the next flight, that doesn't leave much time for cleaning.

This is especially true for budget airlines, where the cabin crew is responsible for cleaning up. Full-service airlines, on the other hand, usually have their own full cleaning crews, but even with that, you can't expect perfection. You never know if someone changed a diaper on your tray table or puked on your entertainment screen, so even if you're not a germaphobe, it's not a bad idea to bring antibacterial wipes.

Also, even if you're on a full-service airline with a full cleaning crew, there's only so much they can do mid-flight if something happens. It sounds disgusting, but apparently, it's not so uncommon for people to accidentally poop on the floor, step in it, and then track it through the rest of the plane. So it's just another reason why you should wear shoes when you're walking around on a plane.

Next, you want to think twice before cuddling up with the blanket and pillows that the airplane provides for you. Multiple flight attendants from around the web have confirmed that clean blankets and pillows on airplanes are usually only for the first flight of the day. After that, they get folded and crammed back into those plastic bags.

This may not be true for every single airline, but it's enough to make me think twice. What do you think? Leave a comment sharing if you think these blankets and pillows are reused and how clean airplanes are in general.

I usually pack my own neck pillow and a microfiber towel that doubles as a blanket if I need it. For the pillow, I've recently been using the turtle neck pillow, which is a little bit weird, but I find it easier to sleep with on the plane. I'll link to it below in case you're interested.

Next, you may not realize that you can get free stuff from the airline if you know what to ask for. Not all airlines are different, and you're more likely to get freebies on fancier airlines and longer international flights, but even shorter flights and budget airlines may offer some of these things, and it doesn't hurt to ask. I'm talking about things like sanitizing wipes, slippers, earplugs, toothbrush kits, eye masks, lotion, mouthwash, pens, notepads, extra snacks and drinks, or even meals if you ask for them.

For kids, you may be able to ask for a free cockpit tour. They also might have entertainment items like coloring books and puzzles, and you can also ask for basic first aid supplies like Band-Aids, ibuprofen, and anti-diarrhea medicine. So, if your tummy starts to hurt and you feel you have to squirt, don't fret; the flight attendant may be able to save the day for you.

Give this video a thumbs up if you're liking it so far, and let's head over to the lounge for a freakin' trip and for the rest of it! Next is that pilots sleep on the flight, but it's not what you think. You may have seen a stat before that says between 43% and 54% of pilots surveyed in the UK, Norway, and Sweden admitted to falling asleep while flying the plane.

And while that technically may be true, a more recent video made by a pilot explains that this stat can be a little bit misleading. He explained that this study was basically done by a sort of labor union for pilots that were trying to prove that pilots are overworked, so it's possible there could have been some bias in the study when choosing which pilots to survey. This also might not be true all around the world, because it was just in three different countries, and the study was done over 10 years ago.

That said, the pilot in the video does admit that if one of the pilots is tired, he may ask the co-pilot to take over while he takes a 20-minute cat nap. It's not like you have both pilots. .

. Passed out in the cockpit while you're hauling through the air at 35,000 feet. Although there have been news stories of this happening, causing the plane to miss the landing, the crew members also sleep on long flights.

Most long-haul planes have a bunk bed area for mandatory rest periods. These bunks are hidden behind secret entrances that look like closets or bathroom doors, but really they lead above or below the passenger cabin. Ever wonder why the flight attendants are so persistent about you opening the window shades before landing or takeoff?

It's not to enjoy the view. One flight attendant shares that they're actually counting on passengers to report different problems, like the wings or the engine catching on fire. If there's an evacuation, it also allows passengers to see dangerous areas outside the plane so they know which exits to use next.

Keeping your phone on airplane mode is a big hoax—well, kind of. It used to affect planes' navigational systems in the past, but it doesn't anymore. Now the rules vary by country: some require you to put away your phone, but in others, it's just part of the safety operating procedures.

Either way, you're not going to crash the plane if you don't use airplane mode. In fact, one Redditor shared, and I quote, "My sister is a flight attendant and she says after she tells everyone to turn off all electronics, she goes to the back and pulls out her phone and starts texting. " That said, other flight crew explain that your phone can actually affect the ground networks, so it's better not to use it during takeoff and landing.

Okay, time for the flight. Let's finish it in the plane. Next, your flight attendant might be a ninja.

You're not going to want to mess with the flight crew. Some airlines require both male and female attendants to be able to take care of aggressive passengers. Hong Kong Airlines trains in a type of kung fu called Wing Chun; Singapore Airlines has a Taekwondo club where many of their employees are working toward their black belts; and flight attendants in the U.

S. take the TSA self-defense course. So if you're feeling the urge to get sassy, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Next, flight attendants may use your sleepiness to their advantage. Now, this probably doesn't happen regularly, but some anonymously interviewed flight attendants claimed to give passengers decaf coffee when they ordered normal coffee because they wanted them to just relax and go to sleep and not bug them. Apparently, the airline that this attendant works at actually sent out a memo to the team asking what’s happening with all the decaf coffee because the decaf costs more than the regular coffee.

Other anonymous attendants report delaying meals on purpose on overnight flights so that people will fall asleep, which makes their job easier. Again, take these with a grain of salt. I doubt they happen on every flight, but it does make you wonder.

I don't see why these anonymous attendants would have any reason to make this stuff up. Another thing you might not know is that flight attendants sometimes work for free. Different airlines have different policies, but some only pay flight attendants from the time that the wheels leave the ground.

That means that anything they do to help you before then, they may be doing for free. That includes during the boarding process, taxiing into the runway, or if there are delays. So be nice to them.

Next, airplane tap water is a no-go. Think twice before drinking airplane tap water, including anything that's made with tap water, like coffee or tea. The Wall Street Journal once ran a test on the cleanliness of the tap water in airplanes, and they found that the bacteria levels were sometimes tens or hundreds of times higher than the U.

S. limits. That said, this study is 15 years old, and so it may be time for a new one.

The pilot from the 74 Gear YouTube channel says that you have nothing to worry about and that there are regulations and cleaning processes in place that they have to follow legally. He also adds that pilots drink coffee using this water all the time, and if there was something wrong with the water, they would be the first ones to know. Not to initial that said, if you're still worried, just drink bottled water.

A lot of times when they offer you water, you'll see that it comes out of the bottom. Apart from avoiding dirty water and germs, there are a bunch of other super important tips that you need to know to avoid having a people like watch this video next for my full Aloha flight survival guide that I picked up over the past seven years of full-time trips. Follow Project Untenant on Instagram and TikTok for more bite-sized travel hacks.

Bye-bye!