Thursday, August 16, 2012

Cheap Air Tickets Don't Equate to a Lack of Safety Onboard

When shopping for cheap air tickets, there's no reason to sacrifice your safety. Luckily, with the modern requirements for airline safety, that really isn't a concern these days. There are many features on an airline which are designed to keep every passenger safe and secure, regardless of how much they paid for their tickets.
Designed for Safety
Most airplanes have safety features incorporated directly into their design. Although many of these aren't immediately obvious to the passenger, they all work together in order to keep passengers as safe as possible in the event of a crash, and minimize damage to the aircraft itself. For example, nearly every part of the airplane is fire resistant to help prevent the spread of flames, and seat cushions double as removable flotation devices in case of a water crash.
Passenger Protection
Although the seats and seatbelts on airplanes look similar to those in cars, they are rated for much higher impact tests than anything you would find in a land-based vehicle. There are also some airlines who have begun instituting seatbelt airbags for added passenger protection. Behind the scenes, every plane carries a generous amount of emergency equipment such as advanced medical kits, fire extinguishers, and even life rafts.
An Emphasis on Prevention
Meticulous maintenance standards, highly technical flight navigation systems, and extensive training programs are all part of making a safe airplane. Crews are subject to very intense emergency training procedures so they're prepared to handle just about anything, and national safety standards ensure that safety protocol is followed for both plane and crew alike. Studies show that the most common cause of airline crashes is human error, so the ultimate protection for airlines lies in thorough training and constant maintenance checks.
Ticket Prices vs. Safety
In the end, ticket prices really have no reflection on how safe the aircraft itself is. There are national requirements for safety standards on all domestic airlines. While some airline companies may exceed those minimums, they all meet the essentials to ensure a safe flight. The bottom line is that whether you bought expensive or cheap air tickets, you'll know that you're flying in a plane which carries extremely high safety standards in every respect.