You may be a frequent flyer in several airlines, but there many secrets that only pilots and cabin crews know about flying.
According to a Reddit post, there are lot of behind the scenes which a flyer might not know.
Here are some of the revelations as told by flight attendants and cabin crews.
Click next to explore the secrets
Those headphones aren't as new as they seem
According to one person who previously worked at one of the warehouses that supply airlines with headphones, even the headphones that come wrapped aren't new.
Airlines will have the headphones cleaned, then re-packaged.
The pilots are asleep during the flight
About half of pilots sleep during the flight to your destination.
Also, about 33 percent of the time, a pilot will wake up and see their co-pilot sleeping.
When the oxygen masks fall
The moment the oxygen masks fall, you'll have about 15 minutes worth of oxygen.
This is easily more than enough of time for the pilot to lower the airplane to a lower altitude where you can breathe easily.
However, at altitude, you'll only have about 15-20 seconds to secure your mask before passing out.
Why the lights dim when you're landing
In a scenario where you may have to evacuate the plane at night, the dim lights will allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
This makes it easier for you to see your surroundings.
Plane food
According to a Redditor, whose dad works for a large airline, the pilot and co-pilot are never given the same meal.
On top of this, the two pilots aren't allowed to share their meal.
This is a measure that airlines take to prevent food poisoning.
One other important fact is that stealing food can get you fired instantly, even if the pilot is throwing it away.
Flying with pets
According to an aircraft fueler, airlines will do their best to take care of your pets, but there are a few things that can't be avoided.
What flight attendants really do after they tell you to turn off your electronics
A Redditor said that her sister is a flight attendant.
After her sister orders everybody to turn off their electronics, she hides in the back and starts texting.
What happens when lightning strikes the plane? And the power of the pilot
According to one Redditor, apparently planes are struck by lightning all the time.
When the doors close, the pilot has almost limitless power.
The pilot has the power to: arrest people, write fines, and take the will of a dying passenger.
Stay away from water that doesn't come out of a bottle
A former Lufthansa cargo agent said on the Reddit thread to stay far away from water that doesn't come out of a bottle.
The ports to remove lavatory waste and refill the aircraft with potable water are within feet of each other.
These ports are sometimes serviced consecutively and by the same person.
Don't drink the coffee or tea
You should also stay away from coffee, tea, and other drinks that use water.
The reason being, the holding tanks on older planes are usually also old and they aren't cleaned.
Lavatory locks
Most people don't know that the lavatories can be unlocked from the outside.
There is a mechanism, usually behind the no smoking badge, that allows you to slide the bolt and unlock the door.
Dirty water in the lavatories
Never drink the water from an airplane lavatory. The tanks that hold the water are sanitized in intervals, but parasites can gain a tolerance to the cleaners that are used.
Locking your bags is important
Lock all of your bags, including your carry-on bags.
Once you gate check your bag, that bag is open to anyone, including the gate agent, ramp agent, and even a fellow passenger.
How your bag is actually treated
According to a bag handler, bag handlers will ignore warnings or instructions on bags such as "fragile", or "this side up."
The Redditor even went as far as to say that they'll do the opposite of what the baggage says because they have to find a way to make all that baggage fit into the cargo pit.
However, he did mention that if there is a "I heart baggage handlers" tag on your bag it will get special treatment.
Why you land hard during bad weather
When your plane lands hard during bad weather, that is actually intentional.
The plane needs to land hard when there is water on the ground to prevent hydroplaning.
Tipping your flight attendant
Did you know that you can give your flight attendant tips?
Most people don't. If you do tip your FA, they will appreciate it.
Plus they will likely let you drink for free from then on.
Take the batteries out
One flight attendant told Reddit, it's easier if you just take the batteries out of your devices.
The reason why it is easier is because if an FA is handling your bag and hears, or feels, something vibrating, they have to tell their supervisor.
The supervisor will then pull you off the plane and have you open your bag.
Big airlines don't always have experienced pilots
Just because it's a big airline, doesn't mean that the pilot who is flying your plane has tons of experience.
It's common for people who buy tickets from Delta, United, or American to fly on a subcontractor.
The pilots on these flights have a fraction of the experience that the big mainline carrier pilots have.
The truth behind electronics on planes
Turns out that turning off your electronics is completely unnecessary.
However, mobile phones can be very annoying for pilots when trying to land.
The signals from the phones can cause distracting interference.
How dirty your plane really is
The pillows and blankets usually aren't new, nor are they cleaned, just refolded and put away.
Also, according to a Redditor, the trays are never cleaned or sanitized.
Checked bag loophole?
According to this Redditor, there's a loophole that allows you to never pay for a checked bag again.
Unless the bag is very large, you can usually gate-check luggage.
Take two large carry-ons and ask to gate-check one.
Gliding planes
If the engines on your plane were to go out, the plane could still glide for a long distance.
Flying on hot days
Planes have difficulty flying on hot days because of the thin air.
Why there are ashtrays on planes
Ashtrays are mandatory in lavatories, even though smoking is banned on flights.
If people do sneak a smoke break in, they'll still have a place to throw away the butt.
Telling if the plane is being hijacked from the ground
If a plane is being hijacked while on the ground, the pilot will leave the wing flaps up.
This is a signal that there is a problem.
Images courtesy: Reddit/Answers&uuid=(email))