A FLIGHT attendant has revealed the hot drink that she always has on flights, urging passengers to do the same.
There are plenty of reasons why tea and coffee might not be a great idea when on a plane, but there are some hot drinks that can benefit passengers.
Cabin crew member Claire Smallhorn also advises passengers avoid tea and coffee, or anything caffeinated when flying, instead telling people to stick to herbal tea.
She told Stuff NZ: "Drink herbal tea instead [of tea or coffee].
She explained that the hot drinks, along with relaxation and meditation, can "help with your body's readjustment to your final destination".
Herbal drinks are certainly more likely to help a passenger drift off than regular tea or a cup of coffee will, with flight attendants warning people to avoid them once they're in the air.
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Sarah Goodwin, who works for Virgin Australia, explained why.
She said in a TikTok video: "Before your flight, try not to have anything caffeine-related because that can enhance your anxiety and make you more nervous and jittery."
Caffeinated drinks have a similar effect on the body as alcohol during a flight.
Drinking coffee before a flight can cause frequent trips to the bathroom, with dehydration causing an increased need for the toilet.
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Caffeine can also cause headaches and insomnia, which is not ideal if trying to sleep during the flight.
Some experts even say that, if you suffer from jet lag, you should give up coffee days before your holiday.
Samantha Brown, who travels for a living as a TV host, said the key to avoiding jet lag starts days before travelling.
She told Travel + Leisure: "I try to limit caffeine a few days before I leave on a trip so it is totally out of my system when I land."
Drinking coffee on a plane might also be very unhygienic.
Cabin crew member Kat Kamalani has previously told passengers to never ask for anything using hot water, such as coffee or tea, saying the hot water tanks on planes are rarely cleaned.
She said on her TikTok account: "The reason being is that those water tanks are never cleaned and they are disgusting.
"So talk to a flight attendant, we rarely, rarely drink the tea or coffee, they come from the same water tank and so when you're drinking that coffee and tea it comes from that hot water and it's absolutely disgusting."
Charles Platkin, a professor of nutrition and the executive director of the Food Policy Center, backed up Kat's claims.
He previously told The New York Post: “Planes come in, [and the tanks are] not being emptied and cleaned, because there is no time for that.
"The water tank is being filled on top [after] each usage. Whatever would be on the bottom stays there and sits there.”
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Meanwhile, this passenger revealed a "hack" to get three drinks with one order on a plane.
And this frequent traveller revealed the drinks he never orders if he wants to stay comfortable on board a plane.
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