http://viralquake.com/2014/03/24/30-...-about-flying/

I'm particularly curious about the claim of being able to open lavatory doors from the outside. That's weird.

Yes you can open the lavatory doors from the outside. That latch on the outside of the door is also how the FA's turn on the busy indicator during take off.

Didn't see anything in the article that most people don't already know. I think they were running out of things to say. The Skymall catalog is a big rip-off is one of the best kept secrets of flying?

On your next flight, watch the FA flip up the coverplate on the lavatory door; that's how they do it.

"viralquake.com"

For the economy travelers: can anyone confirm #14?

I think that's BS.

I think it's BS too, but I was hoping that some anecdotal evidence would say otherwise.

The comments along the lines of 'you are responsible for the next hijacking' etc etc are fricking hysterical. Yes, when the plane lands, as expected at its destination airport, those flaps are going to make those hijackers really reconsider their plans...

Why even mention something like that to potential terrorists. If true this gives them one more piece of inside info. If not true, it puts the operating crew for doing something routine with the flight controls.

Is more concern to me is the sanitary issues regarding coffee and tea. My gf drinks tea and If this is true I'll advise her not too.

That was a very interesting bit of info. Thanks for the article.

From what I've been told by FAs I know, it is BS. They are not permitted to accept tips (at least not on US-based airlines).

Hah! Like they care about the rules. I recently had a UA FA tell me he accepts tips after he served me a drink. As long as no one else see it, they would love our tips.

I thought this was widely known. I drink a large volume of coffee every day, yet I won't touch airplane coffee, even if I'm on a 5am flight.

That was my understanding as well. Even if you were able to surreptitiously slip an FA a tip, wouldn't there be a risk of other people around you wondering why you were getting free drinks while they were asked for payment or an HOOU? I can't see an FA risking their job by giving away stuff they're supposed to be selling for a few dollar tip.

How often does a hijacker hijack a plane to have it land at its scheduled destination? Most hijackers want the plane (somewhere else) or to commit an act of terror (fly it in to something, or blow it up) or to hold the passengers in exchange for something. Only the latter could apply in a 'land as normal at your destination' scenario. If that is what happened, then the hijackers are going to WANT people to know about it (they have demands). So I ask, in what scenario, would a pilot need to signal to "someone" that the plane is not under their control once they have landed at their scheduled destination? If teh plane didn't taxi and arrive at the gate, they would immediately know something was up anyway - it is just nonsense, it really is.

Plus, add in that communication on the descent is normal and required, there are any number of ways for the pilot to signal distress rather than relying on someone looking at an aircraft and noting whether its flaps are up or down - can you imagine someone being given that job at e.g. Heathrow? Just wouldn't be a reliable method to comminicate distress.