Flight attendant warns against these in‑flight food and drink choices

Air travel has become accessible to thousands of people for some time now. Although you don't always get a free meal on a flight, you can always purchase one. An airline employee reveals what is better not to order.

Airlines strive to provide a hassle-free journey and a pleasant experience reminiscent of a trip. For that reason, they offer a variety of snacks and beverages on board. On long-haul flights, these are usually included in the ticket price, while on shorter routes, they require an additional fee.

The onboard offer is varied. In addition to typical sandwiches (available in vegetarian and meat versions), sweets, and snacks, some airlines also serve chicken dishes, steaks, other types of meat, and even fish. A wide range of beverages is also available, from mineral water to juices and carbonated drinks to alcohol. However, there are a few things you had better never order. A professional flight attendant talked about them.

Flight attendant Whitney Rawls, who has worked for many years in an American airline, admitted in the Huffington Post what she would never touch during a flight. She certainly would not order coffee, tea, or other beverages that use hot water in their preparation.

Rawls explained it all depends on the frequency of cleaning the pipes.

Avoiding such drinks seems reasonable, especially in light of the results of a 2019 study on water quality on aeroplanes. During these analyses, which covered 11 major carriers and 12 smaller airlines, many samples showed the presence of E. coli bacteria.

According to the flight attendant, coffee and tea are not the only products to avoid during a flight. The list of dishes advised against consuming on a plane also includes fish dishes, beef products, including mainly steaks, cheese products, and alcoholic beverages due to the cabin pressure, which can intensify the adverse effects of alcohol consumption.

Generally, Whitney Rawls recommended avoiding products that require special storage or preparation conditions. Food that should be kept at low temperatures is often not entirely fresh. The same applies to fish and steaks, usually prepared in advance and only reheated on board.