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.

C. New York to London.

Correct answer is B. Along for the ride were the CEOs of United and Boeing, so you better believe the flight was a success.

6. When an airline announces a two-day airfare sale that usually means:

A. A limited number of seats per plane are on sale.

B. Sale seats might not be available for both days of the sale.

C. You probably won't be able to fly any day you want.

Correct answer is all of the above. Typical sales of today are often extremely limited in terms of days of the week to which they apply, as well as the number of seats put on sale (usually only about 10 percent of the seats on a plane). Plus, if the sale seats sell out, even if the sale is still technically underway, the airline will usually not replenish that inventory.

7. What unusual item was seized by Customs at Los Angeles International Airport recently?

A. Half-pound of Asian elephant meat.

B. A dead (stuffed) primate.

C. Monitor lizard.

Correct answer, again is all of the above. The primate, a macaque, was possibly going to be used for decorative purposes, but it's unclear what was going on with the other items or the cobras, pythons and dwarf alligators that were also seized.

8. A recent poll asking passengers about seat-mate preferences revealed the following:

A. Most would rather sit next to a smelly seat mate than a screaming baby.

B. Most would grab a seat with extra legroom even if it meant being seated next to a non-stop talker.

C. Most would rather have someone fall asleep on them rather than pay a carry-on bag fee.

Correct answer is B. Most said they'd take a crying infant over an odorous adult any time. But it should also be noted that while they weren't in the majority, nearly 40 percent said they'd be OK with someone drooling and snoring on their shoulder if it meant ditching the fee.

9. Which of the following is usually a simple way to save on airfare any time you shop:

A. Fly a connecting flight instead of a more convenient non-stop.

B. Fly during less popular days, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

C. Fly at dawn or on an overnight (red-eye) flight.

Correct answer is all of the above. He who is most flexible saves the most money.

10. According to the latest survey from Consumer Reports, the best airline in the United States is:

A. American.

B. Spirit.

C. Virgin America.

Correct answer is C. Virgin America tops another "best list", followed by JetBlue and Southwest. American and other legacy carriers fell somewhere in the middle while Spirit ranked dead last, garnering what the Consumer Reports analysts called, "one of the lowest overall scores for any company we've ever rated." As they say, ouch!

Grading Key

How'd you do? Count up the number of right answers you got and see below.

• 9 - 10 correct: Flight attendants routinely approach you to say, "The captain needs a break; can you take over for a while?"

• 6 - 8 correct: When you call SkyMall to place an order, the operator greets you by name.

• 3 - 5 correct: You see everyone remove their shoes at the security checkpoint and wonder if this is some crazy new hipster fad.

• 1 - 2 correct: You can't recall who was in the cockpit the last time you flew but you're pretty sure it was either Orville or Wilbur.