Finally, after what felt like an eternity, an English-speaking passenger pointed at two seats almost hidden behind the driver. “You can sit there,” he said.

Alliance members can increase their passenger traffic by selling seats on one another's planes and by jointly offering frequent-flier miles to travelers flying with any carriers in the group.

It is said that some taxi drivers have metal wires stuck into the passenger seats. And when a button is pushed, the seat will give you an electric shock.