Debunked: The 9 Biggest Myths About Flying

False. For an airline, the most important thing is to reach the destination as quickly as possible because every additional minute costs hundreds of euros. And the fastest route is not necessarily the shortest.

The reason is the wind direction on Earth: Planes flying from west to east are faster because they essentially have a tailwind. This is particularly crucial for long-haul flights that almost circle the globe. For example, Air India changed its route to San Francisco and now flies almost 1,500 kilometers extra, yet saves more than $10,000 in flight costs and two flight hours, as reported by the 'Washington Post'.

No, that's definitely a myth. Even if many might think they get sick after flying, it's not due to the ventilation in the aircraft, which supposedly blows bacteria and viruses through the cabin. On the contrary, you should not turn off the ventilation when flying.

If you still get sick after a flight, it might be because your neighbor sneezed on you, or due to bacteria on the table and bathroom door - but these are no more than on any elevator button.

Turbulence is usually not that severe, typically only a few meters, at most 30, downward. Our perception just plays tricks on us, making it feel worse than it is.

Only in rare cases can it happen that a plane drops more than a hundred meters due to turbulence. How dangerous can turbulence become? The bettercities.net asked experts.

Not true-well, at least not when it comes to safety. Statistics show that the likelihood of dying in a plane crash is highest at the front of the plane, where the premium seats are usually located. The safest seats on a plane are actually the middle ones in the last row.

Luckily, no! The idea of falling from 3,000 meters if you could really open the door mid-flight is pretty scary. But because there's too much pressure difference between the plane and the outside, it's not possible.

Imagine you're lounging on the sun deck of your yacht in the middle of the Atlantic, and suddenly... Let's skip that. Because airplane toilets are not simply emptied over the sea during a flight.

Airplane toilets are known as vacuum toilets - the contents are sucked away by vacuum into a tank, which is properly emptied at the airport, according to the 'Telegraph'.

With airplanes, it's like cars: You're pretty safe during a storm. Both are so-called Faraday cages, so lightning cannot penetrate airplanes.

However, they can occasionally cause some damage. A lightning strike on a plane looks spectacular, as a video from Amsterdam Airport shows.

No. Even in the unlikely event that all engines fail, a plane can still glide for more than 100 kilometers before it has to land.

This is actually true. The main reason many foods taste different on a plane than on the ground is low pressure. It makes everything taste like you have a cold - except for spicy foods like tomato juice.

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