11 truths about flying only flight attendants know

In response to the Quora question “What are the weirdest things flight attendants have seen in their line of duty?” former flight attendant Heather Wilde said among the strangest were people who made soup using the airline water. “Guys, the water lines haven’t ever been cleaned — ever,” she said.

“Flight attendants will not drink hot water on the plane. They will not drink plain coffee, and they will not drink plain tea,” another flight attendant told Business Insider.

“I bring my own,” one flight attendant with four years of experience told Business Insider. “Plane water isn’t the best.”

“Bottled water only,” another flight attendant with 40 years of experience told Business Insider.

Of course, not every flight attendant avoids the water. Robert “Bingo” Bingochea, a flight attendant with United Airlines, readily drinks the coffee and told Business Insider he trusts the water’s cleanliness.

Riley, a flight attendant for three years, told Business Insider that all the drinking water is bottled. “As for the coffee and tea, it does get very hot, and I like to think that kills all the germs,” she said.

Another flight attendant who asked to remain anonymous said whether or not he drinks the water depends on the time of year.

“During the winter I’ll drink tea because the water tanks are so cold that there’s less bacteria build up, and the water comes out so hot that it kills most germs,” the flight attendant said. “But during the summer and warmer months, I’ll bring my own tea from home.”