How Long Can You Actually Breathe Using Airplane Oxygen Masks?

There's nothing like hearing your pilot say "Ladies and gentlemen we've reached our cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. Feel free to move about the cabin but please keep your seatbelt on when you're in your seat. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight."

This is when we feel like we're we're officially on our way to our destination ready for that food and drink cart while getting lost in a book, our music, a movie or television series, or a nap.

According to Travel and Leisure Magazine, the cruising altitude for commercial airliners ranges from between 30,000 and 42,000 feet. Thinner air with less oxygen means a smoother, faster flight. This also means more fuel efficient traveling.

While the 30,000 to 42,000 feet is ideal cruising altitude, there is a little bit of wiggle room in case of bad weather and other risky flying conditions for a plane to fly a bit higher according to Travel and Leisure. However, there's such a thing as flying too high where the air is dangerously thin.

Most commercial airliners have what we call a 'service ceiling' of up to 45,000 feet. The service ceiling is the point where the airplane can no longer develop lift, and gravity begins pulling it down to the ground.

We also know that we lose oxygen that high up which is why the airplane cabin is pressurized and flight attendants make sure we understand how to use our oxygen masks.

But exactly how long can we breathe with those masks if we needed them?

According to the Simple Flying website, we have about 10 to 14 minutes worth of oxygen and that's it. However, that's plenty of time for the pilot to drop down to below 10,000 feet where we can breathe without masks.