Airport Insider: Revealing the Lesser-Known Secrets of Airports

There are airports with wildlife administrators who can escort deer off the airfield, keep a family of ducks away from the wet pond, and even chew away raccoons hiding in terminal buildings. However, they can't deal with honeybees in August 2012. Hundreds of thousands of honeybees swarmed the body of a Delta plane heading to New York City.

The airline had to deal with a swarm of bees in May of 2012. More than fifteen thousand bees covered a light on the taxiway, causing a serious flight delay. That's when the airport's Wildlife administrator started to Google nearby beekeepers. Luckily, he came across Mr. Rapasky, who was later employed as a contractor.

If a communication system on an airplane goes wrong, it's called radio failure. The airport tower uses a signal lamp to send messages to the pilot. Pilots learn where they can land by looking at the light directions from the airport staff and by understanding which colors mean different things. For example, if a pilot sees a green beam of light, they know they can land. If there are any obstacles on the runway, traffic controllers might change the signal to a flashing red light. Once the pilot realizes that landing is dangerous, airport staff might be watching them from security check to their gate. Airports may use facial recognition scanners that can track passengers by comparing their faces with their IDs using special software. Meanwhile, the most comfortable seating areas are often located near the shopping areas to attract passengers to browse and purchase. However, purchasing bottled water at airports can be costly, and travelers should be aware that many airports offer free water refill stations located near restrooms. To save money, passengers can bring an empty water bottle through security and fill it up for free. In case a modern refill station is not available, there should be a water fountain that you can use to fill up your empty bottle. Moreover, if you're savvy and familiar with airport logistics, you can be the first to retrieve your checked baggage upon arrival. Simply check it in later than other passengers, as the bags loaded last are usually the first to show up on the baggage carousel. While there might be a celebrity chef restaurant at the airport, the quality of food may not be as exceptional as in the original establishment. Typically, restaurant companies, not the chefs themselves, manage airport outlets. One of the reasons for the potential difference in quality of food served at airport restaurants is the tight security regulations that govern airport deliveries, including food. While you can still have a pleasant meal, it may not be comparable to the same restaurant outside of the airport. Additionally, airports and airlines often do not provide accurate estimated arrival times to passengers. When the pilot announces the total flying time, it may differ from the arrival time displayed when booking the flight. This difference is typically due to some leeway included in the arrival time for potential minor delays such as taxiing from the runway.

In most cases, arriving at the airport two hours before your flight is not essential. Although there are extremely busy and large transportation hubs where even two hours might not be enough, the airport's recommendation is often a clever tactic to encourage passengers to spend more money on shopping, dining, and drinking. After passing through security and passport control, passengers have the "golden hour" - a 60-minute window when they are more likely to spend money on a cup of coffee, a sandwich, a book, or even an expensive perfume.

If you have a lengthy layover but don't want to spend it wandering from store to store, there are other options available. Some airports offer spaces for a peaceful retreat, such as yoga studios or gyms with swimming pools, but they are typically tucked away from the busy terminals to avoid overcrowding. To find such spots, look for areas away from the hustle and bustle of the main terminals where most passengers are unlikely to explore. These spaces are typically utilized by frequent flyers who are aware of their existence.

Even if your flight doesn't provide hot meals or snacks, it may still be more cost-effective to purchase food on board rather than at the airport, especially if you have the airline's credit card. In such cases, you can receive up to a 25% discount on food and beverages purchased on the flight.

Cats can pose one of the most significant threats at airports. The Transportation Security Administration has a strong aversion to aggressive felines. While a dog may perceive an agent patting it down as a friendly gesture, a cat may react aggressively, potentially scratching the agent. Additionally, if a cat escapes its carrier, it can be challenging to catch and may pose a security risk if it has not yet undergone screening.

Most people are aware of the no liquids rule when flying, but it's not common knowledge that this rule extends to peanut butter, toothpaste, lotions, and even gel shoe inserts. It also applies to snow globes, lava lamps, and certain medications. Many people would assume that the dirtiest places at the airport are the bathroom, door handles, or floors. However, this is a misconception because the highest concentration of germs can be found in airport security trays. These trays are handled by countless travelers, who put their shoes, carry-on bags, and personal items inside, making them a hotbed for bacteria and viruses.

It's amazing how, just by looking at your ticket, I can guess your destination with the help of the airport code. The code, usually made up of three or four letters, is used to identify airports in travel documents and tickets. You can even find it on luggage tags to make sure your bags are heading to the correct location - well, most of the time at least. It's incredible how these small codes play such a vital role in the airline industry.

Air Traffic Control workers also rely on airport codes for convenience. But it can be confusing because there are two main types of airport codes: ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and IATA (International Air Transport Association). IATA codes have three letters, but all possible combinations are limited. That's why we also have ICAO codes, which have four letters. The first letter stands for the region where an airport is located, the second is for the country, and the other two letters are assigned in order.

Let's focus on the more commonly used three-letter codes. Why this number? Back in the 1930s, pilots used the National Weather Service's two-letter city codes to refer to airports. However, the number of airports in the U.S. quickly outgrew the number of codes available. That's why airlines expanded the system by adding a third letter, which was usually X. That's how Los Angeles (LA) became LAX. The three-letter system was completed by IATA in the 1960s.

Despite the uniqueness of airport codes, some codes can be confusingly similar, leading to potential mix-ups. For instance, the airport code "cgp" in Bangladesh can easily be mistaken for "cpg," which belongs to an airport in Argentina. This similarity can be risky and result in passengers flying to the wrong destination unknowingly.

That's all for now! If you find this information intriguing, please share it with your friends.