You should never drink this on a plane, according to a flight attendant

You've booked your summer holiday, found the most Instagrammable Airbnb and all you've got left to do is hop on board and actually get there. 

You've packed your best floral dresses, your inflight skincare routine is ready to go and you're aiming to step off the plane with a lovely hydrated glow.

So it's important that you drink plenty of water whilst cruising above the clouds. Right?

Well, you might want to think again the next time you ask the air stewards for a cup of H20. According to one insider, staff working on flights completely avoid drinking water, coffee and tea for one very understandable reason.

An attendant told Business Insider: "Flight attendants will not drink hot water on the plane. They will not drink plain coffee, and they will not drink plain tea."

But why?

According to their report, which was published in 2019, one in every eight planes fails agency standards for water safety. 

The Association of Flight Attendants CWA said: "Water onboard is regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure safe drinking water on the aircraft.

"The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA pushed for this regulation over 15 years ago. The regulation gives broad discretion to airlines on how often they must test the water and flush the tanks.

"AFA does not believe this regulation goes far enough or is sufficiently enforced."

Furthermore, a 2013 study found bacteria in a 'high percentage' of water served on planes.

Lovely.

So in future, it's probably best to buy your coffee in the airport before boarding rather than waiting until you're on the plane.

Oh, and make sure your own reusable water bottle is topped up before take off.