When you book a flight on an airline, you are advised of the airlines rules and regulations. What their cancellation policies are.
They also remind you that you must have identification and need to be at the airport at least a couple of hours prior to your flight.
Also, due to the increased security at the airports, they advise you of what you can’t have in a carryon bag and what to expect when you are at the security check point.
After you have all this information, you would think that they have disclosed everything. You can go to the airport, check-in and not run into any type of problems. Well that is not the case. There are a few thins the airline has chosen to keep to themselves. They also have the power to make any last minute changes without advising you.
How many times have you arrived at the airport and have found out that your flight has been changed? Maybe there is more than one layover? The seats you chose and were confirmed are now not available? A few insiders were asked to share a few facts the airlines have kept to themselves.
These are things they prefer you never know. When you read these little-known facts, these may shock and upset you.
THE AIR MAY MAKE YOU SICK
The FAA is investigating if the there are harmful fumes circulating in the airplane cabins. Between 1999 and 2008, it was reported that the air was contaminated in 926 flights but never specified any health risks. The FAA is currently looking into “fume event” that involves “bleed air”, or air that has been compressed by the airplane’s engines. They are currently investigating if there is a malfunction in the airplane equipment is the air contaminated with chemical residue from the engine oil. A research professor said that it can cause a passenger to have symptom like tremors. However, the federal has reviewed the research and they find that the research is inconclusive at this time whether these fumes cause any type of health hazards to the passengers.
THE CREW IS EXHAUSTED
The flight crews are not getting enough sleep. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, in the past 16 years, Pilot fatigue has been a factor in crashes that has led over 250 fatalities. The crew could be on a flight at 5 am in the morning departing the west coast heading towards the east coast. Then that same night is scheduled on the red-eye the next night. Think of this, after a few trips like this, how do you think they feel? They are exhausted and can’t function well. If driving a vehicle with little sleep is dangerous, it’s even worse when they are flying an airplane. Even the crews they have on reserve are going through the same thing so there is no relief for any of them.
SEAT ASSIGNMENT
There are times an airline will switch planes in order to decrease the number of seats they fly in order to make a profit. They are doing this more often. When this happens, you are not guaranteed a seat assignment. You may find yourself in a seat you would have never chosen. There isn’t much you can do; they don’t guarantee the seat assignment. Due to this happening often, the only option you have to get a seat assignment that you like, is to check online 24 hours prior to your flight. Once you pick that seat, make sure to print that ticket. This way if you have to argue over a last minute switch, you have proof.
EMERGENCIES
The FAA has left it up to the airlines to decide when to inform the passengers there is an emergency. Since this is the rule, there are times the flight crew will keep quiet when there is a problem. In this case, it’s not for a bad reason; they don’t want to scare the passengers. There have been cases where the cockpit crew was faulted for making a public announcement before any required procedures were completed. The crew would rather make a mistake on their part before causing a stir and creating panic. In a flight, that was traveling from Europe to the United States, the crew kept quiet that the pilot had died during the flight. No one ever knew what had happened; the only thing that was ever said was there a doctor on board. Of course, in this case, since nothing was said, no one panicked and they arrived safely.
NON-STOP FLIGHTS / LAYOVERS
When scheduling your flight, you swoop up the chance to have a non-stop flight to your destination with a great price. Well, you might believe you have a non-stop flight but at the last minute your flight can be cancelled and rebooked on a flight with connections. They can do this anytime they want and there isn’t anything you can do. As soon as you find out your flight has been cancelled and rebooked with layovers, contact the airline and ask if they can book you on another non-stop flight to your destination. If this is not possible you can threaten them that you will go to another airline. Some major airlines will refund your money without charging you fees if you refuse to stay on that multi-stop flight that will arrive two or more hours later than you had originally scheduled.
WEIGHT SCALE
Airlines charge a fee for overweight luggage and okay, it’s understandable but when it is done unfairly, there is a problem. The weight scales at the airlines are not always balanced and the bad part of this is they are aware of this. So the fees you are being charged are unfair, basically you are being ripped off even more. To prevent this, always weigh your luggage before you leave your home. When they weight your luggage and you see they are coming up with a different weight and ready to charge you, fight for your rights. Stand up for yourself and request that the luggage be weighed on another scale.
You have the right to stand up for yourself and prevent them from taking advantage of you. When traveling it is always good to read the latest travel news this can help you out. It can prevent you from being surprised by the airline at the last minute. You will be aware of any new laws that may have passed. It is up to you to be aware of what is going. The airlines rarely ever notify you of any last minute changes. Be prepared, be alert and always try to be one step ahead of the game. Happy Travels!