How to tell if your flight is going to be delayed – the secret word your pilot will use
WITH flights regularly being delayed and cancelled at the moment, it's helpful to know if you'll be spending an hour or two on the runway.
Luckily, there are some phrases you can listen out for that might reveal if your flight is being held back.
Patrick Smith, the author of Cockpit Confidential, has cut through the jargon on his website, , and revealed which words could be an indication that you're in for a delay.
The main word to listen out for is "paperwork".
According to Patrick, this "paperwork" is usually a revision of the flight plan, something to do with the plane's weight-and-balance record, or simply waiting for the maintenance staff to get the flight's logbook in order.
If you hear your pilot mention that over the PA system, you should prepare yourself for a longer wait than initially expected.
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If a flight is delayed, there's not a lot that can actually be done about it from the pilot's point of view.
However, one pilot recently revealed how he often lies to passengers about being able to make up time if the flight is delayed.
Writing on Reddit, he said: "There is very little we can actually do to 'make-up time'.
"The longer the flight, the more we can do, but still, we're talking 5-10 minutes, not an hour."
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Pilots aren't the only people on board the plane to use hidden messages.
The cabin crew will also have code words too.
Flight attendant and author of the Amanda Pleva explains that secret words can help keep calm during a flight.
She said: "Codes are used by crew in order to maintain calm and order in the cabin.
"We’re specially trained in emergency situations, and panic can cause us to lose control of a situation and end up in injury or death."
However, not all of their codes restore calm within the aircraft.
Other words are used simply so the passengers on board don't know what is happening, including "cropdusting".
This a rude one, used by cabin crew. "Cropdusting is a disgusting, albeit very common, method of retribution," says Pleva.
"If a passenger is being very rude and difficult, then it’s not unheard of for a flight attendant to break wind and 'cropdust' past the offender."
"Childish? Yes. Satisfying? Also yes."
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Meanwhile, a flight attendant recently revealed the secret areas of planes that most people think are storage spaces.
And this cabin crew member explained why they never drink water on a plane.