Holidaymakers might want to reconsider ordering a coffee at 35,000ft, according to one insider. A flight attendant has shared a claimed little-known aeroplane rule that’s left passengers horrified.
In a viral TikTok video, crew member @ichbinvin addressed posts requesting flight attendants to reveal their “dirty little secrets of the industry”. Before encouraging travellers to purchase a beverage before boarding, he claimed: “As a flight attendant I am crying at some of these”. Ichbinvin – real name Kevin – works in America and maintains the problem isn’t simply the water tanks used for hot beverages – which he claims are “hardly ever cleaned” – but rather how leftover coffee is discarded during flight.
“For me, it’s always been the way that flight attendants have to clean out coffee pots,” he claimed.
He claimed cabin crew are told not to tip leftover coffee down the aircraft sink, but rather to empty it into the lavatory. He claimed that to prevent spillage, this can involve holding the pot near the bowl, sparking concerns about contamination.
“And I imagine that there’s some kind of backsplash of particles, bacteria, whatever that goes directly back into the coffee pot which gets put right back into the coffee maker,” he proposed. “So unless the airline that you’re buying has an espresso maker on the plane, I would not get coffee on the plane.”
Viewers were appalled by the claim, with one commenting: “The coffee one is making me cry.”
Another chimed in: “I know pilots personally that won’t drink the coffee. They know more about the plane than I do so I’m going to trust them,” whilst a third simply stated: “The coffee one is disgusting.”
Despite airlines adhering to strict hygiene standards, studies have previously raised concerns over aeroplane water systems.
Toilet bacteria can encompass E. coli and norovirus, which according to the NHS can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
The NHS also states that norovirus is highly infectious and spreads rapidly through contaminated surfaces and droplets.
However, public health specialists emphasise that modern aircraft comply with sanitation regulations, and serious illness from onboard beverages is uncommon.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
