5 Drinks You Should Avoid Ordering on a Flight

Being on an airplane doesn't leave you with many options for what's available to eat or drink. Still, staying hydrated while you're flying is essential, with health experts recommending drinking at least eight ounces of water per hour while in midair. But when the beverage cart comes around on your next flight, there are a few drinks you should remember never to order. Read on to see what beverages are a bad idea while flying.

# Coffee or tea

For some, the idea of a midflight coffee or spot of tea can seem like an easy way to feel alert while doing work onboard and feeling energized when you land. But, in reality, your pick-me-up could be one of the dirtiest beverages in the skies.

# Tap water

Similar to the coffee and tea on board, any water that's being served straight from the faucet could be laden with bacteria. In a 2019 study conducted by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center at the City University of New York, researchers analyzed the drinking water aboard planes on 11 major American airlines and 12 regional airlines. Each was ranked on a scale of five being the best and zero being the worst, with scores above three indicating a relatively clean water supply. However, results found that seven major airlines scored under a three.

# Bloody Mary

A Bloody Mary is a popular drink on board flights, if only because it offers a convenient loophole to ordering liquor at an earlier hour in the day. But some experts point out that it might not be a great choice to sip on one while at a high altitude.

# A double alcoholic drink

Being high in the sky as you jet off towards vacation can make it easy to feel like it's time to unwind and order a stiff drink. But as recent reports have shown, overindulging while on a flight can lead to some severe consequences—or at the very least, leave you feeling dehydrated and hungover when you arrive at your destination. For that reason, you should try to drink even less than you would normally.

# Sweet sodas and juices

Besides your ears popping, the high altitudes of a flight also affect how you taste certain things. According to the World Health Organization, a commercial airline cabin simulates the experience of being atop a 5,000 to 6,000-foot mountain, dulling saltiness and sweetness on the palate. This can make it easy to overdo it on sweet sodas and juices during your flight without even realizing it.