HOLE ON A SEC

Why your plane window has tiny holes in it – and it’s a good thing

And why you may not even have a window, even when booking a window seat

• Kara Godfrey

• Published: 12:00, 31 Dec 2023

NEXT time you opt for a window seat, you may spot a tiny hole in the window itself.

Nervous travellers may be surprised to see it - but thankfully it is a good thing.

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Called a "bleed hole," it is needed due to the change in cabin pressure when on the ground and in the air.

Pilot Mark Vanhoenacker previously revealed: “The outer two cabin windows are designed to contain this difference in pressure between the cabin and the sky.

“Both the middle and the outer panes are strong enough to withstand the difference on their own, but under normal circumstances it’s the outer pane that bears this pressure—thanks to the breather hole.”

The hole also allows moisture to leave the window, so the they don't fog up as much.

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Traveller Megan Gougeon, who been on more than 300 flights added: "Airlines don't talk about but it plays a big role in keeping us safe and comfortable during the flight.'

This is why you can even fly with a smashed window - and still be safe.

Last year, passenger Mia Carouba scared a terrifying video where the window pane on the flight appeared to be completely smashed.

Thankfully, no-one was at risk onboard, as most plane windows are made out of two or three panes - with only the inner pane smashed on this occasion.

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Some window seats have windows that don't quite line up either - or you might not even have a window at all.

The reason behind it is because of the difference in design between airlines.

Aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus create planes built on a standard model, before they are bought by a specific airline.

However, each airline has difference size seats and legroom - meaning they don't all line up with each other.

This then causes the problem of a shared window with the person in front or behind, or even not one at all.

Pilot John Haddy wrote Quora: “The windows are part of the aircraft structure - they aren't going to move.

"The seats on the other hand, are fixed at a pitch which is airline dependent.

“As airline policy changes, the seat pitch may change too, and as a consequence, the adjacency of a window to a seat is as much luck as anything.”

There is a way to make sure you always have something to look out of next time you book a window seat.

Website seating guru shows the entire arrangement of a cabin, depending on which airline and which aircraft model it is.

The website also flags certain issues with seats, such as it being near the toilet - or not having a window.

It states on some seats: "The window is not present due to structural design of the aircraft."

And Ryanair has a seat that that never has a window on it - which has become a running joke on social media.

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Seat 11A only has a cabin wall, no window, despite being a window seat.

Numerous passengers over the years have complained about it, despite the website warning when booking that there is no window.

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