Flight attendant reveals why she would never drink the coffee on a plane, and it has nothing to do with the taste

Right about now, many people are looking at ticket prices as they plan to fly home for the holidays. Even though over 90% of Americans have flown commercially, that doesn’t mean that they all know how to behave on an airplane. We’ve all seen enough videos of people freaking out on airplanes or in airports to know that common sense on a flight is, apparently, not that common

As TikTok user and flight attendant Tomiko Dwan knows, even the most experienced flyers can make mistakes. That’s why she’s sharing a list of things she would never do after her experience as a flight attendant. In her video, which currently has over 29,000 views, Dwan lists six things she would “never do as a passenger.” These include not arguing with a flight attendant, not wearing clothing that exposes skin to airplane surfaces, never taking shoes off, and never walking barefoot to the lavatory.

According to Bro Bible, one statement stood out to viewers more than the rest. “I would never drink the coffee,” Dwan declares in the video. The reason has nothing to do with the taste of the coffee itself, but rather with how the coffee pots are cleaned or, more accurately, not cleaned properly.

The coffee pot cleaning situation is pretty concerning

In a follow-up video, Dwan appears to imply that she wouldn’t drink the coffee because the pots aren’t properly cleaned. “The next time you go on a plane, where do you think the coffee pots are getting cleaned at? Where are they washing the coffee pots out at?” she asks. “That’s all I want you to observe.” Instead of drinking coffee on the plane, Dwan says she brings her own.

It turns out this is common wisdom amongst flight attendants. Numerous flight attendants have reported issues with the quality of in-flight coffee. Some claim that crews rarely clean their tanks. Others say crews clean their tanks with disinfectants that can seep into the water. Some of these fears may be justified. The Environmental Protection Agency found that roughly one in eight airplanes failed water safety standards.

That said, many flight attendants and other air travel professionals also say that their tanks are clean or that they have consumed countless cups of coffee from their airplanes without issue. The advice about removing clothing or wearing clothes with exposed skin can simply be chalked up to hygiene.

Many areas of the plane aren’t cleaned as often, or as thoroughly, as one might like. Airplane incidents involving passenger behavior continue to make headlines, showing how important it is to follow basic flight etiquette.

In the comments section, users shared their thoughts on Dwan’s advice. “I’m an FA and I drink the coffee all the the time. It might be gross but I’ve never had a problem!” wrote one user. Another commenter asked, “Ok would you use the restroom in first class if you’re in coach?” A third stated, “What’s wrong with the coffee?” One viewer joked, “What? OMG – the coffee! You’ve just ruined it for me. (I’m not arguing with you btw.)”

The concern over workplace cleanliness standards isn’t unique to airlines, as service workers in other industries have also raised concerns about unreasonable customer expectations affecting their ability to maintain proper hygiene practices.