It is often surprising that frequent fliers who are savvy in the ways of finding cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages are not nearly as sophisticated when it comes to knowing the truth behind common air travel myths.
The following is the real scoop behind air travel myths:
Many people believe that the chances of surviving a plane crash are slim. Between 1983 and 2000 almost 96 percent of the passengers in plane crashes survived. There has not been a fatality on a U.S. commercial plane since 2009.
Some believe that if lightning strikes a plane it will crash. Studies have found that each commercial plane gets hit by lightening an average of once per year. Planes are not damaged by lightning because it travels quickly along a planes skin and then disperses into the air.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be afraid of what would happen if a terrorist tried to open an emergency exit while your plane is in the air. The tremendous pressure differential between the cabin and the outside air makes such an act impossible.
Many travelers are concerned that recycled air on airplanes spreads germs and infection while flying. Planes recirculate air in cabins every three to five minutes. Airlines air is no worse that found in subways, offices, or other enclosed places.
The one true rumor is that it is safer to fly than to drive. The odds of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 11 million vs. 1 in 5,000 of dying in a car crash. www.cheapfares.com