The “hidden” rooms of airplanes that passengers never see

Do you think the cockpit is the only part of an aircraft – where passengers are normally not allowed to enter? Error! On long transatlantic or long-haul flights there are “secret” rooms that passengers don’t even know exist.

These are spaces dedicated to the rest of the flight crews, inaccessible to passengers – in fact, the doors leading to them look like a door from an airplane closet.

“Sometimes, passengers think it’s a bathroom door and try to open it, but we’re just showing them the way to the actual bathroom,” said United Airlines flight attendant Susannah Carr, who regularly flies the Boeing 787, 777 and 767.

Such cabins have the Boeing 777 and 787 or the Airbus A350, and are usually located either on top of the aircraft, or “hidden” in the main passenger cabin, as reported by CNN.

Pilots and co-pilots have separate rest areas.

In fact, these are tiny cabins with bunk beds, which many times the flight attendants don’t even fit standing up in the space – but they offer much-desired moments of rest and relaxation, even a few hours of sleep.

Humorously, crews call these rest areas “catacombs.”

According to Carr, on newer aircraft the flight attendants’ quarters are “underground”: a secret door leads to a vertical staircase that leads to the bunks.

“They are not suitable for tall or claustrophobic people, but they can be quite comfortable,” said the flight attendant.