10 secrets flight attendants won't tell you

Some of the secrets are helpful. Others, you’ll wish you never knew

Flight attendants reveal some of their best kept secrets (file photo) (Getty)

Flight attendants keep all kinds of secrets and even the most frequent of fliers could be oblivious to what really happens on board a plane.

Many of us have no idea why the lights are dimmed on landing or that it’s possible to be sitting next to human organs on a flight.

Attendants have taken to the internet to share some of their best kept secrets. Some are actually quite helpful, but others, you’ll wish you never knew.

Here are the top ten:

Even the headphones that come wrapped up aren't new

The headsets are not brand new, despite being wrapped up. Once used, they are cleaned and packaged again, according to a post on questions and answers site Quora.

The real reason the lights dim when landing

At night the interior lights are dimmed when a plane is landing in case there is an evacuation. Your eyes are already adjusted to the darkness so you’ll be able to see better once outside, it said on Quora.

The water used for the coffee and tea is filthy

The drinking water used for making coffee and tea are placed in holding tanks, which apparently have sometimes never been cleaned, Forbes reported.

Flickr (Flickr)

If the plane door is open, flight attendants are not getting paid

Flight attendants get paid for “flight hours only”. All that time spent putting bags into overhead bins is unpaid, according to former flight attendant of 15 years Heather Poole.

Diet coke is the hardest drink to serve

Diet Coke takes a lot of time to pour. The fizz takes a while to settle at 35,000 feet. “In the time it takes me to pour a single cup of Diet Coke, I can serve three passengers a different beverage,” Ms Poole added.

The lavatories can be unlocked from the outside

It’s mostly a safety issue, in case somebody dies or gets hurt in there, or has been in there for too long.

The truth behind turning off electronics

Electronic devices won’t really bring a plane down but they have to be turned off because "they can be really annoying for pilots", according to a post by a flight attendant on Reddit.

Most flights carry human organs

A huge number of domestic flights have human remains or organs on them, it was revealed on Quora.

Lightning

Planes get struck by lightning all the time. The strike typically leaves little or no damage, the Telegraph reports.

The truth about oxygen masks

If the oxygen masks drop down, you only have about 15 minutes of oxygen from the point of pulling them down. That is however more than enough time for the pilot to take us to a lower altitude where you can breathe normally. At high altitudes, you have 15-20 seconds before you pass out, a flight attendant explained on Reddit.

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