12 Secret Phrases Iowans Will Hear On Flights And What They Mean

I've done a lot of flying and I haven't heard most of these.

By now, air travel has become fairly systemic. We know what we can and can't put in a carry-on (don't be that person that overstuffs it, we all hate you), we know that if the cabin pressure changes the oxygen masks will fall down from above us, you have to be actually useful if you're in an Exit row, etc.

But so far this year, there have been some scary air moments that have left people nervous to fly. First, there was the collision in D.C. with the American Airlines craft and the Black Hawk helicopter. Then there was the Delta flight that flipped totally over on the tarmac in Toronto.

For once, I think it's socially acceptable to applaud when the plane lands now.

We know there's a certain code that Air Traffic Control and pilots have but there's also a few key phrases that flight attendants, pilots, and staff use. As we're planning our summer 2025 getaways, that extra peace of mind to know exactly what's going on might be nice.

Scroll down to learn 12 phrases you'll hear on airplanes!

The only one I knew out of those was 'cross check' as the pilots ask the flight attendants for that right before takeoff, as they're smushing the overhead bin doors shut.

Should you be scared to fly in 2025? It definitely seems spooky since there are a number of airborne accidents this year. But the average risk of being in a commercial plane crash is 1 in 11 million.