- [Narrator] When you're on a plane, sitting in your little seat,
watching your little screen, have you ever thought
about what's happening behind the cockpit door? Do you think the airlines that operate our flights
are doing their best to look after us? I'm going to peek behind
the little curtain and tell you what really goes on. Here are 10 of the best kept secrets that the airlines don't want you to know. (futuristic music) - Amazing. - [Narrator] Number 10, electronics. You get on a plane and
immediately start watching a video you've downloaded to your device. Then, as you're about to take off, the crew tells you that
you have to turn it off. You're not using WiFi or mobile data. Surely there's no problem. Surely you're not going
to make the plane crash. Well, you're right, but
don't call me Shirley. Turning off your electronic device makes no difference at
all to the line between the pilot and air traffic control. Airlines prefer that you
turn your devices off so that you can pay attention
to the safety messages. But that's it. In fact, data shows that
over half of all mobiles are actually left on
during takeoff and landing. People either ignore the crew's order, naughty, naughty, or they just put it in their bag and forget about it. Number nine, sneaky
airline business tactics. Flying millions of people around the world is big business, and airlines do everything they can to
maximize their profits, often at our expense. That bit when they come around
with the Sky Mall trolley filled with spirits and perfume, do you think you're getting a bargain because you're in the sky
away from a country's taxes? I'm sorry to say that you aren't. Everything on that
trolley can be purchased on the internet at a cheaper price. Also, this one's rather sneaky. Since airlines have to pay fines when their flights run late, they are known to tell us that a flight will actually take longer than it should. That gives them a window of opportunity should anything cause
them to run slightly late. A flight from London to Edinburgh normally takes 75 minutes, but the airlines tell us
it'll take 85, just in case. All right, let's do one last one. It's a vicious circle. The more fuel a plane carries
the heavier the plane will be so it burns more fuel,
costing the airline money. To combat this, airlines
often put pressure on pilots to carry as little fuel as possible. This sometimes leads to trouble if the pilot burns fuel
trying to avoid thunderstorms or is delayed by air traffic control. They might even have to land
at an alternative airport so they don't totally run out. Number eight, pets. Some people like to take
their pets on holiday so they load them into little cages and they go on the plane
in the luggage hold. Airlines do their best
to take care of pets, but unfortunately for the poor animals, it's not much fun down there. Airports are extremely loud places, and while they're being
loaded onto the plane, the pets are subjected to very loud noise. Airport staff like refuelers have to wear ear protection
when they're down there. Pets don't get that chance. Our advice is don't take
your pets on a plane unless you really, really have to. While we're down in the luggage hold, let's see what else is down there. According to baggage handlers, the majority of domestic flights in the US are carrying human organs on
their way to the hospital. There are coffins down there too. Number seven, pilot's food. In the classic comedy film Airplane! When everyone, including the pilots, who have eaten the fish get
sick from food poisoning, chaos and hilarity ensues. To avoid this happening in real life, the pilot and co-pilot
have to eat different meals and they're not allowed to share. Number six, the truth
about the oxygen masks. During the safety briefing, assuming you've turned off
your electronic device, you'll hear that, in an emergency, oxygen masks will drop down. These lovely yellow masks
will help you breathe normally at high altitude until
cabin pressure is restored. What the airlines don't tell you is that there is only 15 minutes' worth of oxygen in those masks. Don't worry too much, though. 15 minutes should be more than enough for the pilot to get the
plane to a lower altitude, where the air is breathable. What you need to remember is that from the time the masks drop down, you've got between 15 and 20 seconds to put it on before you pass out. If you have kids, put yours on first before you do theirs. Number five, happy landings. Ever wondered why, if your
plane is landing at night they dim the lights in the cabin when you're about to land? That's because if the landing goes wrong and they need to evacuate the plane, your eyes are already
adjusted to the darkness. You'll be able to see better
when you leave the plane instead of blinking and rubbing your eyes. Pilots used to handle landings, but on today's modern planes
the auto pilot often does it. Modern airports like London Heathrow have an auto land system
which communicates with the plane's auto pilot and totally automates the landing system. This is used in adverse
weather, such as fog, where planes struggle to land. Number four, pilot power. When you're on land,
you're subject to the laws laid down by your democratically
elected leaders, hopefully. But once those plane doors are shut, you're in the pilot's world. He or she is in charge and
the captain of the plane can arrest people, issue fines, and even take the will
of a dying passenger. Don't mess with them. Number three, the bathrooms. Okay, now on to some
very unsavory business. Whatever you do, do not drink
the water in the bathrooms. It's filthy. The airlines regularly
clean the water tank with sanitizing products. Unfortunately, the parasites
that call this tank home build up resistance to the
chemicals so they stay there. While we're on the subject
of plane bathrooms, bear in mind that they can
unlock from the outside. There's usually a catch
under the no smoking sign that can open the door in an emergency. Finally on this subject,
you may wonder why years after they banned smoking on planes there's always an ash
tray in the bathroom. This is because there are
always some naughty passengers who will sneak into the
bathroom for a smoke. The airlines prefer
that if they must do it, they stub their cigarettes
out in the ashtray rather than put the butt in the trash bin, causing a risk of fire. Number two, when things go wrong. Data shows that things go wrong on flights more than we think. At London Heathrow, they
get an emergency landing about once a week. Yet if you're a passenger, you may never even know it's happening. Communication between the
cockpit and cattle class is strictly on a need to know basis. Pilots are very conscious about causing panic and hysteria
amongst their passengers. If the worst happens and they need to evacuate the plane, they
want everyone thinking as straight as possible. That said, most pilots
don't mind a tricky landing. It gives them a chance to
show off their skills a bit. When surveyed, many pilots said that their favorite airports to land were Gibraltar, Naples, and Madeira, commonly considered the
hardest landings in Europe, often requiring special training before pilots can land there. So next time you're getting off a plane and you see a pilot,
compliment their landing. You'll make their day. Number one, sleep. Pilots' working rules state
that they can be on duty for anything up to 16 hours at a time. That's a long time. Much longer than a truck
driver, for example, is allowed to drive in one sitting. As a result, it's not uncommon for a pilot to have a quick
nap while flying the plane. Research in 2013 showed
that over half of pilots had fallen asleep at the controls. Hurray for auto pilots,
that's all I can say. However, on longer flights, pilots are actually
required to have a sleep. There will be a relief crew on board and they will operate the flight while the original crew rests. That ends our top ten best kept secrets airlines don't want you to know about. Which secrets are the
most astonishing to you? Leave us a comment to let us know. Thanks for watching. (futuristic music)
