Skulls, curries and dust - the fun of flying

It's hard to know what to pack when you're heading off abroad for a bit of summer sunshine, but one thing that few people would consider taking with them is a human skull.



This is just one of the things that customs agents around the world have found in holidaymakers' suitcases, according to a selection of bizarre travel facts compiled by Cheapflights.co.uk. Customs officials in Florida found the skull in the suitcase of a woman who said it was there to ward off evil spirits.

A seal's head is among the other gruesome discoveries made by airport security agents, while the award for the most expensive airport meal goes to actor Antonio Banderas, who ordered a takeaway curry from the Tamarind in Mayfair while waiting for his flight at Luton Airport, at the cost of £700.

And while passengers may be used to airports closing due to the weather from time to time, the UK is unlikely to ever experience what befell Sydney's Bankstown airport in 1962, which had to shut due to thick dust brought in by the wind.

The company's chief executive David Soskin said: "Here at Cheapflights we know that things don't always run smoothly in the world of flying.

"I've been a victim myself after being told at a small US country airport that my pastrami sandwich could not come on board with me if it had mustard or mayonnaise in it!"

According to airports operator BAA the number of passengers flying to and from its UK airports in January was 1.3 per cent higher than at the same time last year, with 10.3 million passengers recorded.

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