Secret meaning of the 'dings' you hear when travelling on a plane

Travelling onboard a plane isn't exactly a peaceful activity - we're arguing over the window seat, panicking about where we put our passports and doing a frantic head count to check we've not left anyone in the terminal.

So it's no wonder that by the time we've got our hand luggage into the overhead storage bins and finally sat down, a lot of us try to switch off and stop paying attention to the noise swirling around in the cabin.

But there is a range of specific sounds that all travellers are accustomed to - the 'dings' we hear throughout the flight.

Take a look at this:

Most people barely give the soft-toned chimes a second thought, but it turns out they are actually a 'secret language' that frequent flyers could benefit from understanding.

TikTok user Mitch Mohammed shared a video explaining what the strange sounds that a lot of holidaymakers assume are pretty random really mean.

He revealed that the 'dings' actually help the cockpit and the cabin crew communicate with each other, with each noise having a different meaning.

The social media user said: "Take for example when you're about to take off or land and you hear a single ding.

"That's usually an indication that the take off has been approved and it sometimes even comes with a voice command from the cockpit."

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The engines start firing up and next thing you know, you're steaming down the runway before swooping into the air.

Mitch continued: "About five minutes after take off, you'll hear two dings while in the air.

"That indicates that the plane is at 10,000 feet, meaning that Wi-Fi and laptops can be used and flight attendants can stand up - if it's safe.

"This applies vice versa on the way down too, when you're crossing back down to 10,000 feet."

So what about when you're engrossed in your mid-air movie and hear a single ding vibrate through the cabin?

The TikToker said that this 'usually indicates that drink service is about to start', so it's an ideal time to dig your purse out and finalise your decision about what you're ordering.

Mitch then added: "Beyond that, the cockpit typically will communicate with the cabin crew. All of these dings have unique meanings and it does vary from airline to airline, but that's usually what it means."

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Like he said, these sounds and their meaning can vary on different planes, but the bottom line is that the 'dings' are a pretty clever communicative tool for the pilots and cabin crew.

How's that for a fun fact to share next time you take off?

Social media users were pretty impressed by Mitch's aircraft knowledge and took to the comment section to explain their thoughts.

One said: "Omg I've always wondered what they meant!"

Another wrote: "How did nobody know this?!"

A third added: "I always thought it was someone ringing for the flight attendant."

A fourth chimed in: "When you hear three dings that means there is a major problem. First time I ever heard that, we entered major turbulence in a storm and everyone had to be seated."

And a fifth commented: "Good to know, I'll be on a plane in a few months."