Clearing Up Four Big Travel Myths

Spring is here and it’s time to start making summer travel plans.  Be on the look out for those seasoned travelers who love to give out advice about the best places to stay, how to get free airline upgrades and where to eat cheaply. However, not all travel advice is reliable.

To make your next outing worry-free, let me take apart some travel myths that often put a cramp in our plans.

Myth#1:  If you use your cell phone during takeoff, you’ll cause the plane to crash.  Once you climb aboard any plane, the  flight attendant will announce that you must turn off your cell phones, Blackberries and all other electronic devices.

The reason given for the big “turn off” is that in accordance with FAA policy,  “they [electronic devices] interfere with the plane’s navigational system.” 

However, according to Forbes Traveler the FAA has tested personal electronic devices (PEDs), including iPods, Gameboys and laptops seeking to determine whether or not they interfere with the plane’s navigational system.

FAA scientists even bumped up the Radio Frequency Interference these devices give off . . . up to 100 times their normal level.  Then these experts placed the PEDs no less than three feet from the cockpit instruments.  Nothing happened.

Why the rule if the FAA cannot prove PEDs will interfere with the operation of a plane?   

Rather than the FAA make an enforceable rule, they leave it up to each airline to set its own policy. If you use your PED and disregard the flight attendant’s instructions, you’re not violating FAA rules, but the airline’s ruling. You will be subject to arrest for interfering with a flight crew.

Myth #2:  You must be willing to make a Saturday night stopover to obtain a low fare.  For many years the airline industry locked out business travelers from the best prices on tickets by requiring them to spend a weekend night away from home. 

Budget airlines broke away from these standards and offered low fares to everyone without any restrictions!

Still, some airlines do provide better rates if you purchase your tickets two weeks or up to a month in advance.

If you run into an airline that requires you to stay overnight to get a good deal on a ticket, my advice to you is to keep shopping.

Myth #3: The cabin air circulation makes the plane a prime breeding ground for colds and flu viruses.  Modern jet planes were originally designed to bring in air from the outside at high altitudes.  The extremely cold air is then heated by the aircraft engines and circulated into the passenger cabin getting rid of the old air. 

However, the procedure costs fuel which means more money.  Many airlines decided to recirculate the air already onboard the cabin, bringing in a minimal amount of new air. 

If the person in Seat 19B has the flu, and you’re sitting a few rows back in 24E, you may be breathing his air.  The best thing to do is drink plenty of water, wash your hands and turn off the air vent over your head.

Myth #4:  Dress up when you fly and you’ll get an automatic upgrade.  Is it true that men and women dressed in well-pressed business suits, get upgraded to first class?  After all, it would be a plus for the airlines to have first class filled with cool looking suits. 

Not true.  Airlines do not give out free upgrades anymore. Thanks to the frequent flyer programs, airline carriers can use computers to look up their most profitable customers. Now upgrades are awarded in compliance with those who fly the most on that one airline. 

John   

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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