The truth about air travel- from the safest seat on a plane to why some airlines don't include row 13 and what really happens to your waste, has now been exposed.

Some planes have unwanted stowaways in their water supply, including bacteria that could make you sick, according to tests by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2009.

The water didn't meet safety standards in one out of every seven planes tested, with bacteria associated with human faeces like coliform and E. coli found.

Bacteria can grow in the plane's water tanks and hoses, as the water is pumped on board through hoses that are difficult to clean, News.com.au reported.

You do not really get drunk quicker while in the skies according to studies. Dr. Bhushan Kapur from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine said passengers' blood alcohol level doesn't increase in the air.

However, people do tend to drink more in a shorter time frame in the skies, which can leave them more impaired, and the onboard effects of hypoxia - less oxygenated conditions due to the low-pressure environment and high altitude - can cause passengers to experience symptoms similar to intoxication.

Airlines are not allowed to dump their waste tanks in mid-flight, however leaks can occur.

Numerous "blue ice" - frozen sewage material treated by a liquid disinfectant that freezes at high altitude impacts have been recorded, including some where it has fallen through the roofs of people's homes.

Even though there are no strict rules according to waistlines, but cabin crew must have "weight in proportion to height". They must be able to sit in the jump seat without an extended seat belt and fit through the emergency exit window. The acceptable height is approximately 160-185 centimetres.

The seatbelt sign randomly lights up during a flight at times not due to turbulence but because the pilot has made a sneaky trip to the toilet. A cabin crew member will guard the flight deck door while the pilot makes the trip to the lavatory.

Passenger planes are inevitable targets for lightning, which strikes a commercial plane on average once a year.

However, lightning hasn't downed a passenger plane since 1967. Planes have to pass numerous lightning certification tests. The outer skin of most planes is mainly aluminium - a good conductor of electricity. The current flows through the skin from the point of impact to another extremity point, commonly the tail.

Some airlines remove row 13 from their planes so not to spook superstitious flyers, including Air France, Emirates, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa and Ryanair. Lufthansa also flies minus a 17th row as it's regarded as unlucky in Italy and Brazil.

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