Debunking Myths About Air Travel

Myths about air travel seem to have a life of their own. Air travel has fostered its own set of myths and urban legends. Everyone repeats them, even if they are not sure that they believe them. They frighten and fascinate at the same time and most of them are totally false.

Dress to impress

One myth that certainly needs to be debunked is that in order to get an upgrade from the airlines you have to be dressed as though you should be sitting in the more expensive seats. Who gets an upgrade has much more to do with being an elite member of their frequent flier program than how you are dressed. So dress comfortably for your flight and if you want an upgrade you can buy it at the gate like everyone else.  

Rule 240

One of the oldest myths that are still circulating is that if your flight is delayed all you have to do is say the enigmatic phrase Rule 240 to the airline employee at the ticket counter and they will get you on the next flight out. This is not going to happen. Once long ago this might have worked, that would have been in the day when service came first but no more. The airlines have changed how they do business and you might as well just hunker down and get comfortable because you are going to be waiting with everyone else, there is no magical phrase.

Bringing down the plane with your cell phone

Another myth that isn't true at all is that if you turn on your cell phone during take-off or landing you are going to cause the plane to crash. With today's sophisticated technology that just isn't possible, however, the airlines aren't ready to let you off the hook. If you try to make or receive a call during these times you still take the chance of not only having your phone confiscated but you can be placed under arrest when you land. This is one myth that isn't worth testing.

Best ticket prices

Several of the myths circulating about airline travel have to do with purchasing your tickets. One that many people, even travel agents believe is that there is only one day of the week when the lowest prices are available. This is patently untrue, especially when one airline may come out with a low price one day and then other airlines will respond to that price the following day. Another myth says that if you see a low price you have several days to purchase it, these days that is a really bad advice. 

With the recent cuts in the number of flights, more and more flights are going to be flying full and if you see a price that you think is a good deal you need to grab it right away since it may not be there in even fifteen minutes.

Losing your hard-drive to the x-ray machine

One of the most prevalent myths has reached the status of an urban legend. The x-ray machine at the airport will erase the hard drive on your laptop. Everyone knows someone, who knows someone who had their hard drive erased as they went through the TSA checkpoint. Get the name and address of that person because they must be in the witness protection program, nobody knows who they are. If you have ever traveled with your laptop you know that there are absolutely no ill effects produced during the check-in process.

Having debunked all the myths and legends, you are now ready for your flight. There are enough real things to be thinking about when you are planning a flight, let these myths die a natural death. Certainly, by next week there will be some new ones popping up.