Shocking secrets airports don't want you to know, revealed

Surprising airport facts

The world’s airports are not as mundane as they seem. Behind the long lines at security there lies secrets and mysteries, from why you have to show your boarding card at duty free to how celebrities make it on the plane without being spotted.

Click through the gallery to discover little known facts about your airport experience and the secrets they want to keep from you…

The air quality is toxic

As you can imagine, the heavy air traffic and the various road machinery around airports emit all sorts of nasty chemicals – carbon monoxide, ozone, and VOCs included.

London remains the European city most affected by air pollution from aviation, with its six airports generating the same amount of air pollution as 3.23 million cars.

The noise levels could lead to heart disease

A study published in the online journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine found an association between people who live close to an airport and an increased risk of heart disease.

Researchers discovered that people who were exposed to the highest noise levels, particularly at night time, were at a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and heart flutters.

They’ll sell your stuff

Leave – or lose – anything at the airport, and it will go into a storage area where you have up to 90 days to collect it. That includes luggage misplaced by airlines.

After that, most airports donate unclaimed items to charities – or even sell them off for cash at huge auction houses. 

Landing slots are big business

Airports charge airlines big fees for the privilege of landing on their runways on certain days or times, and these landing slots are rigorously sold or traded between airlines.

The $75 million paid by Oman Air to Air France-KLM for a prized early morning arrival slot at Heathrow remains the highest amount paid. But the escalating value of these slots in turn bumps up passenger fares – by up to $121 according to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Free upgrades hardly ever happen...

Unless you’re a frequent flyer with the airline or have paid a premium fare for your seat, your chances of an upgrade are pretty much non-existent these days. And it won’t help to dress up, mention that you’re on your honeymoon or ask nicely, either.

In fact, an increasing number of airlines have monetized the process holding Upgrade Auctions where passengers can make a bid for business and first class upgrades before their flight.

...and you won't always get lounge access

If you are lucky enough to be one of the chosen few to get an upgrade – or are using Avios or frequent flyer points to move from economy to business class – don't expect to get the full luxury experience either. You almost always won't have access to the airline's business class airport lounge on this type of ticket, meaning you'll miss out on all that free-flowing fizz and food before you fly or during a layover.

Note that you will get all the perks, including lounge access, if you score your better seat through an upgrade option. Basically you have paid for that seat, albeit at a fraction of its regular rate.

Your duty free might not make it home with you

Have a connecting flight? Don’t stock up on duty free alcohol and perfumes without checking if you’re allowed to bring them through your layover destination with you.

Some airports – including many in the US – won’t allow any liquids over 100ml past security checkpoints, even if they’re in sealed bags.

Expect to walk – a lot

Ever feel like you’re walking forever? Well, you are. According to research by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), passengers at London airports face walks of over half a mile with each visit.

London’s Stansted airport has one of the longest distances between check-in and the departure gate with a walk of 3,822 feet. Other long walks include 2,953 feet at Luton airport, 2,697 feet at Manchester, and 2,461 feet at Glasgow airport.

Some airports have shortcuts

Want to save your legs at Heathrow? Well, Martin Thomas, BA’s product brands and customer experience, revealed a top tip in an interview with The Daily Mail.

“If you’re arriving at Heathrow from the London Underground or Heathrow Express there’s a quicker way to the Fast Track security lanes, accessible behind the B bank of desks at the northern end of Terminal 5.” 

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Late flights have to pay up

They’ll rarely announce it as your tardy flight is touching down, but if an EU-based airline (that includes Ryanair, easyJet, and British Airways) arrives at its destination three or more hours late, they owe you cash.

The rules are $283 for flights under 932 miles, but payments can reach $680 for flights over 2,175 miles. Although, it's not payable in "extraordinary circumstances," which could be anything from war, natural disasters, extreme weather, and air traffic control restrictions.

Cash exchange rates are terrible

You’ll never get a great rate at the terminal because exchange bureaus prey on those disorganized travelers who have left things to the last minute.

If you’ve forgotten to buy your currency in advance, you’ll get far better rates by ordering it online for collection at the airport instead. Travelex, for example, only needs four hours’ notice for orders. Or go to an ATM at your end destination.

Duty free isn’t always cheaper

While the selection is often epic and displays hugely enticing for a bored pre-flight mind, with special bottles and large formats not available elsewhere, the truth is that when it comes to the run-of-the-mill stuff, duty free isn’t always cheaper.

You’ll often pay less for spirits in supermarkets, and luxury brands such as Dior or Chanel are most likely charging the same price as in their own boutiques.

Duty free might exceed your carry-on allowance

Most airlines allow a cabin bag plus a personal item such a purse or laptop bag – and that’s it. But increasingly some airlines (including Ryanair) only allow a single bag up to 10kg. So whatever you buy at duty free will have to fit inside your single bag, or you may end up having to check your bag at the gate for an additional fee.

You could try slipping it in your coat but they're pretty ruthless at the gate. 

Celebs don't board like you do

You might have a famous person on your plane, but you probably won’t know it. Larger airports have separate – sometimes red-carpet – check-ins and security control, and celebrities will often be boarded directly onto the plane through a secret door by the jet bridge.

What's more, many airlines will whisk VIPs away from prying eyes right at the tarmac – Delta does this in a Porsche, for example. Of course this kind of treatment doesn't come cheap.

There’s a reason they want to scan your boarding pass when you buy

When flying from the UK to a non-EU country, stores are allowed to claim back from the government the 20% VAT they pay on goods sold. The problem? They don’t always pass on this saving to consumers, with prices typically the same in high street stores as they are at the airport.

When savvy British travelers found this out in 2015, a mass revolt occurred when thousands refused to show their boarding passes.

Taxis charge more for airport pick-ups

In most cities, you’ll pay a premium to be collected from the airport by a city taxi. In London, black cabs charge an extra $2.13 for journeys beginning in Heathrow and an extra $8 to cover the Terminal Drop-Off Charge if you are heading off on a flight.

In US cities, it’s typically only a couple of dollars. But if you're pre-ordering a cab, be sure to ask their charging policy on delays or you could be in with a very nasty surprise at the end of your trip.

Pricing mistakes happen all the time

Airlines’ computerized booking systems often throw up pricing glitches, which are available to book until they're spotted and rectified by the airline.

Eagle-eyed online shoppers snap them up and some websites such as secretflying.com are dedicated to broadcasting these deals, which means if you're quick you can bag yourself some serious bargains.

Arrival times change to make airlines look more punctual

According to Europe’s air safety organization, Eurocontrol, only 72.5% of flights arrived on time in 2024. One of the worst culprits was EgyptAir – only 41.6% of its flights touched down within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.

Even if your flight took 15 minutes less than you expected, you probably haven’t made up time en route. It’s more likely that the arrival time was adjusted to allow for delays and make airlines look more punctual than they actually are.

That celebrity chef restaurant isn’t what you think

Thanks to tricky logistics – including strict security surrounding deliveries – specialist airport restaurant companies are in charge of running the outlets in an airport, not the chefs themselves.

That means while you might have a nice meal, it’s probably not going to be as good as it would be if you went to their actual restaurant.

It’s cheapest to fly on a weekday

Research shows that Tuesdays and Thursdays are typically the cheapest days of the week to fly. And the most expensive? Unsurprisingly, it’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

So if you're flexible, be sure to look for midweek options to save a few pennies. 

You can get your bag first if you’re sneaky

If you check your luggage in late, there’s a very good chance that your bag will be one of the first ones out onto the carousel at the other end.

The last bags loaded in the hold for a flight are typically the first ones off, which means yours will come coasting off along with the business class items and you can smugly waltz off to be first in line for the taxi line.

Being an air traffic controller isn't what you imagine

Becoming an air traffic controller is intense, one professional revealed in an interview with The Telegraph. There are three phases to the selection process before successful candidates enrol at the National Air Traffic Services training college. This is followed by on-the-job training before a nail-biting final assessment.

But contrary to popular belief it’s not a stressful workplace. “People are always surprised when they come to the tower and see how calm it is," he says. "They imagine this really hectic place where people are screaming and throwing things at each other... But it’s a serene space.”

Airport employees don't always have to go through security

A worrying discussion among airport employees on Reddit reveals that some workers aren’t subject to security checks every day. “I go through security maybe twice a month, it’s a joke,” one wrote.

However, most of the employees in the discussion say that they are subject to very thorough background checks before getting security clearance.

The security scanners might not be as effective as you hope

Some glaring vulnerabilities were discovered in security scanners by researchers from the University of California and the University of Michigan, according to an article on Wired. They found that weapons could be taped and hidden from view and plastic explosives moulded around a person’s body were indistinguishable from flesh in the machine’s images.

However, more reassuringly, the research was carried out on Rapiscan Secure 1,000 machines, which are no longer used in airports. Let's just hope they were a little more thorough when testing the new ones.

Airports are designed to stop you getting lost

A lot of thought has gone into airport layouts to ensure the flow of travelers. The key to successful airport design is easy navigation, according to an article on Mental Floss. This is achieved through subtle but effective design cues that help people find their way from security to the gate.

One way is through signage – many terminals have their own distinct colors and fonts so you know if you’ve wandered too far. In many airports the tarmac is visible as soon as you clear security, which supposedly allows travelers to get their bearings right away.

They're also designed to make money from you

Airport travelers are prime customers for retailers: a captive audience that’s in a "self-indulgent" mood, according to the Maximizing Airport Retail Value report by InterVISTAS. That’s why there is plenty of seating and "dwelling space" in the retail areas.

This is known as "revenue seating" and it’s designed to lure passengers into stores while they’re in the so-called "golden hour" – the first 60 minutes after clearing security when they're most likely to buy.

The letter X in the airport code means nothing

Airport geeks may already know that airport codes are dished out by the International Air Transport Association, but did you know that the letters don’t always stand for something?

Los Angeles, for example, simply added an X when the codes were changed from two to three letters after the 1930s. Portland did the same to make PDX.

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