A pilot has revealed which seat he recommends choosing to reduce the risk of experiencing turbulence while jet setting away on your summer holidays. Patrick Smith has shared some of his insider secrets from his career in the air, as millions of Britons prepare for fun in the sun over the coming months.
One of the main topics tackled by Paddy came to seating, and whether its sensible to book yourself a specific spot rather than leave your arrangements of a comfortable flight to chance. He detailed how airline workers recommend booking seats towards the head of the plane as opposed to the tail, as turbulence is felt less at the helm.
Elsewhere, planning in advance could also land you some of the best seats in the cabin. Speaking to eShores, Patrick said: "The longer the flight, the more important your seat choice becomes. If your sole objective is to save money by going with the cheapest fare option, chances are you’ll find yourself in a middle seat."
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The Mirror reports he continued: "But for any flight more than a few hours long, I recommend paying extra for the ability to pick a seat. Just keep in mind that planes are configured different ways depending on the aircraft model and market. Seat 15B in a domestic configuration might be very different from 15B on a long-haul flight.
"I suggest having a look at the diagrams and reviews on sites like SeatGuru.com."
And while choosing a seat to limit turbulence felt isn't a terrible idea, Patrick insists that the fear of the phenomenon on the whole is largely unwarranted. No airplane has crashed in history due to turbulence, with most accidents taking place during take-off and landing.
However, let it be said that turbulence still poses risks in other ways. Patrick continued: "One colleague of mine accidentally spilled a cool drink on a passenger because of unexpected turbulence, so we let him wear our crew pyjamas while we attempted to clean and dry his clothes in the galley.
"It was quite a humorous incident – fortunately, he was pretty understanding!"
The aviation pro also detailed his thoughts on cleanliness, and how scrubbing rituals differ from place to place. He went on: "Cabins are given at least a cursory straightening up after every flight, with deeper cleans taking place when a plane has a longer layover.
"The quality of the cleaning can vary from station to station. At my airline, I notice our planes are tidier when the cleaning occurs in Europe or Asia, versus a U.S. domestic station."
The pilot also urged punters not to rush when they board the plane, citing that it won't get you on the aircraft faster. He added: "When your flight is called for boarding, resist the urge to stand up and get in line immediately. In the past, people stayed in their seats until their row or zone was called.
"Nowadays, when the first pre-boarding call is announced, two-hundred people instantly stand up and form a mob, blocking the way for those passengers whose zones are actually being called. People are forced to literally elbow and shove their way to the front. It’s madness, and there’s no need for it.
"Standing in line does NOT get you on the plane any faster. On the contrary, it makes the already tedious boarding process take longer."
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