When checking into your flight, have you noticed a prompt asking if you'd be willing to change your trip? Alternatively, you might have heard an announcement at the gate asking for volunteers to take a later flight. Yes, it's true — most airlines overbook their flights. Booking a plane ticket doesn't actually guarantee you'll have a seat on that flight. So, why do airlines have this practice?

Looking at an airfield you might notice that almost all the aircraft are painted white. But do you know why? And no – it’s not to blend in with the clouds that surround them.

There's a reason passengers might hear a “barking” noise during a long flight – and it’s got nothing to do with dogs. During a flight an aeroplane might make various strange noises which might unsettle nervous fliers but invariably they are nothing to worry about.

Many might feel scared to fly following recent incidents of severe turbulence, including on an Air Europa flight Monday that injured 30 people, but experts have assured Newsweek larger planes can handle the extreme conditions.

Whether you're a first-time flier, a nervous flier, or a curious frequent flier, you might have questions about all the noises you hear during a flight. And no, we don't mean babies crying or the jarringly loud drop of an iPhone.

If you've ever booked a flight, you're probably aware every airport in the world has a three-letter code. It's not surprising airports would have such an identifier, since it's easier to say and write than a full name. "Brevity on the radio is important, especially in busy air traffic locations," former airline pilot Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, tells Travel + Leisure.

Love bagging the window seat on planes? It's exciting to watch the world below fade away as the aircraft takes off with the window blinds open. However, those blinds, or shades, do more than allow you to soak in scenic views and are crucial for flight safety.

While you might not know what a ground stop is, chances are you've probably experienced one if you've flown a lot. A ground stop is a tool to control air traffic, and when one's enacted, it inevitably leads to delays.