Dehydration on a plane is one of the most annoying problems, and this has been observed by both travelers and crew members. There is only one solution: drink regularly to keep your body hydrated.
Water, soda, juice, tea and coffee, there is no shortage of drinks, but are they all recommended on the plane? Several flight attendants have given their opinion on the matter and strongly advise against certain drinks. Here is what they think you should avoid drinking on board.
Drinks not recommended on the plane
It is therefore very important to stay hydrated on a plane, even on a short flight. However, not all drinks are good to have, at least according to some flight attendants. At their head, we quote Cierra Mistt, a flight attendant very active on the social networks, in particular TikTok.
Cierra has been working for a U.S. airline for many years and has posted numerous videos on her TikTok account giving advice to travelers. In one of them, she addresses the topic of food and drink on planes.
“Unless we are really desperate, we don’t drink the coffee or tea served on the plane”. That’s how she urges passengers to avoid coffee and tea. She explains that “the water used for these drinks comes from the same tank” and that it is “never cleaned”.
She says, “While airlines may tell passengers that they do ‘regular’ water testing, it has been known to take about six to nine months for a test to be done on a plane.” The flight attendant adds that “if they don’t find something, they don’t clean the tank.”
Another U.S. flight attendant named Betty confirms Cierra’s advice: “Don’t drink the coffee on the plane. It’s the same water that goes down the toilet. Betty explains that bottled water and other cold drinks are safe, but that it is imperative to avoid hot drinks made with water from the plane’s tank.
Are these drinks really to be avoided?
The fears of these two flight attendants are well founded, and many other crew members share their opinion. However, this opinion is not common to all agents working in aviation. As a concrete example, we cite the testimony of a maintenance agent known on social networks as @ifixplanes.
This agent disagrees with what has been said above, and he lets it be known. “How do you know that the water tanks are “never cleaned?” he begins by asking. He adds, “I work in aircraft maintenance and we have very strict task cards that are assigned to each aircraft.”
Another user named @allynagle259 sees things from another angle: “I don’t understand why water is an issue. When was the last time you cleaned your pipes/tanks at home?”.
While the topic of hot beverages continues to spark debate, it seems the same is true of airplane food. Some people enjoy the food they are served and even ask for more, while others are never satisfied with meal trays.
“I usually bring my own food: light sandwiches or a pasta salad,” says an American flight attendant. And that seems to be the most advisable solution for passengers who can’t stand airplane food.
