Hidden Travel Secrets Most People Don’t Know: Part 1

Carpets

Airports often have carpets at their gates. This nicety usually comes with a few other perks: lower ceilings, comfortable seats, and pleasant natural lighting. All this costs more for airports, but carpets aren't as easy to clean as hard floors are and they create a cozy feeling for passengers waiting for their flight. Still, it isn't a gesture of Goodwill on the part of airports. According to social research, calm passengers are about seven to ten percent more likely to go window shopping and actually buy something in the lounge area or duty-free zone, so by investing in passengers' comfort, airports actually increase their own income.

Baggage

If you ever want to know where your luggage is while you're on a plane, the short answer is that airport staff don't actually know where it goes once it leaves their territory and they probably really don't care. Baggage is automatically sorted by scanners based on its barcode and then sent to its destination. The three main tasks of airport baggage handlers are moving your bags from check-in to the gate, moving them from one gate to another, and moving them from the airplane to baggage claim. If your luggage doesn't move quickly enough or if you forget to remove any old stickers that show a different destination, your bag might end up at the wrong place.

Kitchens

The airport kitchen often prepares food for different airlines at the same time. Because airplane food must be cooked six to ten hours in advance, these kitchens work around the clock. And surprisingly, the menu for your flight is developed a year in advance! This is a common practice for most Airlines because every ingredient counts. The airline managed to save forty thousand dollars after removing just one olive from every salad they served on their flights.

The Atomizer

On occasion, airplane staff request passengers to rub their hands on a cloth before placing it into a special machine. As strange as this seems, it's actually harmless. The machine is called an atomizer. Before their working day starts, workers insert samples of dangerous chemicals into the machine, the machine then memorizes the scents, and if a person's hand smells like those chemicals, it alerts airport staff to this danger.

Airport Seizures

You know the drill - you reach the security checkpoint and suddenly it turns out you possess something prohibited for your carry-on. Don't worry, all the items seized during the pre-flight inspection can be stored at the airport for up to three months. On top of that, you have a chance to mail them anywhere in the country. Things taken by security and not claimed can also get sold at special auctions and are delivered worldwide.

Accommodation during long layovers

If you have a long layover between flights, going to the nearest hotel to rest might not be the cheapest option. There is a much better trick - check if the airport or Airline sells 24-hour access to the VIP lounge Zone. In most cases, you can have free food and drinks there and use free shower cabins and rooms for rest at a very affordable price.

Hidden tunnels

In multi-terminal airports, search for underground passageways connecting terminals that most people might not know about. For example, at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, there's a walking tunnel between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 that's mostly used by employees since passengers are simply unaware of its existence.

The Golden Hour

There's an actual term for the first 60 minutes after you clear check-in, the golden hour. It's the time that passengers statistically spend more money in retail and duty-free areas of the airport and having the most comfortable seats in those areas right in front of the shops is a clever trick to lure you in for shopping. Let's admit it, sitting in front of a comfy chair while looking at a flashy sign or shopping window can be tempting and that's exactly how the airports want you to feel.

Flight Overbooking

If your flight is overbooked and you can't fly at the designated time, don't hurry to accept the first voucher you're offered as an apology. Normally, Airlines keep raising the stakes until they have enough volunteers to give up their flight seats and if they don't and you've been bumped involuntarily, you can insist on a cash refund instead. Depending on your ticket price and the time of your delay, you might be entitled to as much as a thousand three hundred dollars.