Airlines also plan their onboard service around the fact that many passengers want to sleep.
On a typical overnight flight, passengers may receive a meal relatively soon after takeoff.
Afterward, cabin lights are dimmed and the cabin becomes quieter.
The crew minimizes unnecessary disturbance while passengers sleep.
Then, shortly before landing, breakfast or a light meal may be served.
The entire experience is designed around turning several hours in the air into something resembling a normal night’s rest.
Of course, sleeping on an airplane is not exactly the same as sleeping in your own bed.
But the goal is to make those hours as useful as possible.
The Cargo Below Your Feet Matters Too
Passengers aren’t the only thing crossing the Atlantic.
Modern passenger aircraft often carry significant amounts of cargo in their lower decks.
That cargo can include medicines, electronic equipment, industrial components, documents, valuable goods, and products that need to reach their destination quickly.
For some flights, cargo revenue can be an important part of the economics.
This means a single transatlantic flight can simultaneously transport hundreds of passengers and large quantities of goods.
The airline isn’t simply selling seats.
It is operating a moving piece of the global supply chain.
