Imagine you’re on a long-haul flight, fighting to stay awake to fight time-zone adjustments and get through the rest of your travel journey. The flight attendant starts heading through the aisles, offering tea or coffee. A jolt of caffeine probably sounds pretty attractive during this moment, but is airplane coffee safe to drink?
The debate surrounding the safety of airplane coffee is quite personal, and the answer depends entirely on who you ask. Some experts say it’s generally best to avoid drinking airplane coffee when possible, while others argue that safety protocols are in place to ensure the safety of the water used to brew coffee. Here’s what you should know about drinking coffee on a plane.
How airplane coffee is prepared
“Airlines obtain their water from large mobile tanks that pull up to the plane while it’s being prepped and boarded, and pump it into the plane’s holding tanks. The water is analogous to what comes out of the tap, with chlorine and other chemicals added at the local water processing plant,” says Michael Cramer, Founder and Product Developer at Lardera Coffee.
When ordering coffee on a plane, be aware that the water used to prepare it is the same as what’s dispensed in the lavatories. It is not the bottled water you might use at home or the triple-filtered water used in a coffee shop. Whereas most people use bottled or freshly filtered water to brew coffee at home, airlines draw their water from onboard storage tanks that are not cleaned frequently and have been found to harbor coliform bacteria and E. coli,” he shares.
“The Environmental Protection Agency has rules for Aircraft Drinking Water, but these are self-enforced by the airlines, so violations do not come to light until there’s an outbreak of illness among passengers.”
Is airplane coffee safe to drink?
Some experts, like Cramer, argue that while airplane coffee might be generally safe to drink, it may not taste the best. “Airplane coffee is generally safe to drink, as the heat used in its preparation kills most microbes; however, it doesn’t taste very good, since coffee is 98% water, and the airplane water is not of the highest quality,” he shares.
Others, such as Bobby Laurie, travel expert and analyst at The Jet Set, say travelers do not need to fear drinking coffee on planes.
“If you’re looking for a good sign whether or not the water is okay and drinkable, see if your flight attendants are drinking it. See if they have a coffee or a tea. They’re the crew members who would know first if the water was replenished, how fresh it is, and whether or not it’s tasty,” says Laurie. “Airline water is tested and always passes the test for being safe to drink. If it doesn’t, then the aircraft is pulled from service or at least the crew is instructed not to serve coffee or tea,” he shares.
Should you drink coffee on a plane?
The choice of whether to drink coffee on an airplane is a personal one, but most generally agree it’s best to err on the side of caution. If you’re in an absolute bind for caffeine, a single cup of coffee from a plane is unlikely to hurt you. However, preparing an advance can help you avoid drinking coffee from the plane altogether.
“When flying, it is recommended to bring coffee with you or limit your liquid intake to bottled water or canned soda,” says Cramer. Before hopping on a plane, grab a ready-to-drink coffee can for your flight. Many airlines also sell cold brew cans on board. Personally, I always pack Hawaiian Kona Coffee chews in my personal item bag for an easy dose of caffeine during flights.
