Travel Quiz: Cheap Flights, Crazy Passengers and Naked Pictures

June 7, 2013— -- Well, class, school's almost out but there's time for one final quiz. Let's see how smart you are.

Exam questions cover drooling passengers, slabs of elephant meat, crazy passengers, naked pictures and some tips to help you find cheap flights.

Grab those No . 2 pencils and begin. There are 10 questions but don't peek because the correct answers follow each one. Key to grading is at the end. Good luck.

For more travelnews and insights, view Rick's blog at farecompare.com

The Quiz

1. Airport security body-scan machines that reveal "naked pictures" of passengers are:

A. No longer in service.

B. Still in use at smaller airports across the country.

C. Expected to be removed at some point but that's been put on hold along with allowing small knives on planes.

Correct answer is A. The only images TSA screeners will see from now on are cookie-cutter kind of pictures that do not show your anatomical details. Small knives on planes, meanwhile, are still banned.

2. A woman is suing United after peanuts on a plane caused her allergy to flare up, which led to a diverted flight and her two-day hospitalization. Most airline nut policies state that:

A. If you make a request in advance, you will be seated on a peanut-free flight.

B. Unfortunately, all airlines serve peanuts and have no plans to switch to non-nut snacks.

C. No airline guarantees nut-free zones or flights.

Correct answer is C. Some airlines, including United, do not serve peanuts, but none of them prohibit passengers from bringing their own nuts on board.

3. A simple way to save money on flights this summer is:

A. Wait until the last minute because airlines will be desperate to fill empty seats and will offer special deals.

B. Think of the day you planned to buy airfare, then make your purchase a day or so earlier.

C. Be proactive and purchase summer airfare in the winter.

Correct answer is B. Too many of us procrastinate and miss out on the best deals. While there are occasional last-minute fare sales, they have become rare because airlines have gotten good at predicting the number of seats they'll need on a given flight (plus, these last-minute sales tend to be weighted toward less popular destinations). But don't purchase too early or you'll pay a mid-range price; the airline doesn't begin actively managing prices until about three months before departure, which is when the best airfares become available.

4. An apparently troubled young man recently attempted to open a door on his Alaska Airlines plane in mid-flight. What could have happened?

A. Nothing. The door could not be opened.

B. The young man might have been sucked out.

C. Others seated near the door might have been sucked out.

Correct answer is A. This exit row door was locked (as it is designed to be while the aircraft is in flight) plus cabin pressure alone would have prevented anyone from opening it. And believe me, this isn't the first time someone's tried this stunt.

5. Once its battery problems were sorted out and the FAA lifted its "grounding" order for the innovative but troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, where did United fly its first post-grounding Dreamliner flight?

A. Boston to Los Angeles.

B. Houston to Chicago.