Avoid these foods and drinks on your next flight: Expert advice

Air travel has been accessible to thousands of people for quite 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 special 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 offering is varied. In addition to typical sandwiches (available in both 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 should never order. A professional flight attendant talked about them.

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

"It all depends on the frequency of cleaning the pipes," Rawls explained.

Avoiding such drinks seems reasonable, especially in light of the results of a 2019 study on the quality of water on airplanes. 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 negative 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.