Flight Attendants Say They’d Never Order These 2 Drinks on a Plane

The post Flight Attendants Say They’d Never Order These 2 Drinks on a Plane first appeared on Crafting Your Home.

The beverage cart comes down the aisle, and for many passengers, the decision is automatic: coffee for the early flight, tea for a relaxing drink, or perhaps a soda to go with the snack.

But some flight attendants have a different approach to the in-flight drink menu.

Coffee and tea are two drinks cabin crew members have repeatedly said they avoid ordering on planes. The reason isn’t necessarily that the drinks themselves are unusual. It’s the water and equipment used to prepare them.

Coffee

A hot cup of coffee can feel almost essential on an early-morning flight, but some flight attendants say they prefer to skip the airplane version.

Coffee served on planes is generally prepared using water from the aircraft’s onboard water system. Flight attendants interviewed in recent coverage have said they choose bottled or canned drinks instead of beverages made with that water.

For some crew members, the concern is less about coffee itself and more about the water coming through an aircraft system rather than from a freshly opened bottle.

It’s also not simply a matter of cabin crew universally declaring airplane coffee off-limits. Some flight attendants and pilots continue to drink it, with their personal choices varying from one person to another.

Tea

Tea has essentially the same issue because it also requires hot water.

Whether you’re ordering black tea, green tea, or another variety, the drink begins with water supplied on the aircraft. That’s why flight attendants who avoid coffee often avoid tea, too.

The practice has been reported for years. In 2019, a flight attendant interviewed by Inside Edition said that she and colleagues avoided hot drinks because of concerns about the aircraft’s water system and the cleanliness of the equipment involved.

More recent 2026 coverage has found similar preferences among current and former flight attendants. Some said they bring their own drinks or choose sealed beverages instead.

So What Do They Order Instead?

Bottled water, canned coffee, soda, and other packaged beverages don’t require the crew to prepare a drink using the aircraft’s onboard water supply.

Some frequent travelers also bring an empty reusable bottle through airport security and fill it after passing through the checkpoint, giving them another option once they’re on the plane.

The next time the drink cart arrives

There’s nothing particularly mysterious about coffee and tea being popular airplane orders. They’re familiar, comforting, and especially tempting on early flights.

But if you’ve ever noticed a flight attendant reaching for a sealed drink instead of the coffee or tea being served, there’s a reason that choice has become familiar airline folklore.

For some crew members, skipping the hot drinks is simply a personal preference based on what they know about how those beverages are prepared.