Intel: Wise Selections - How to Fly Safely

Three of our most cautious pieces of advice for flying:

Pick the Safest Seat

Statistically, based on historical analysis of plane crashes, if you're seated in the back of an airplane, you're more likely to survive than being up front. Moreover, if you're seated within 5 rows of an exit, your chances of survival increase significantly. Read more.

Avoid the 737 MAX

Carefully consider the type of plane on which you are flying. For much of the 20th Century, most western aviation experts would have advised not flying on Soviet-made jets such as the Tupolev or Antonov fleets mostly flown in the former Russian Republics and Asia. Luckily, most of us never had to contend with such a choice. But now, American-made planes (Boeing) have been questioned for quality and safety. You've undoubtedly heard of the troubles behind Boeing's newest aircraft, the 737 MAX, whose design flaws led to 2 back-to-back crashes over 6 months in 2018 and 2019. There's a Netflix documentary focusing on the reason behind the flaws.

We are in touch with a number of people who work in aviation operations and safety. Many of them complain about the poor quality and construction of new Boeing planes. Some advise to never get on the new 737 MAX series. These experts actively avoid flying on it. We avoid it too out of an abundance of caution. United, Southwest, and American fly a number of MAXs, but Delta (so far) has none in their fleet. So next time you're booking your flights, check the type of plane you're flying on. If it's listed as a MAX, see if you have any alternatives.

Wear Pants or Jeans

It is always surprising to see just how many people travel in shorts and flip-flops--a big no, no. We've consulted our aviation experts, and they consistently advise to fly in long pants. In the event of an emergency evacuation, you may encounter fire. And that means running through it to escape. Pants, and particularly jeans, will help protect your skin, and keep your chances of survival higher.

Photo Credit: Aviation Safety Network

In each publication, Syllogi will share various tips, resources, and other odd bits of helpful information we have happened across in our research.