Former Flight Attendant: Avoid Ordering Coffee On These Types Of Flights

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Most of us can't live without our obligatory airport Dunkin' or Starbucks. Or, when the flight attendants roll up and down the aisles with their little beverage cart, the urge to ask for a coffee — no matter its quality — strikes. But drinking too much coffee on an airplane can be a particularly bad thing, depending on which direction the plane is traveling. 

We spoke to Lia Ocampo, retired flight attendant and author of "Life, Love, and Lessons in the Sky: A Flight Attendant's Inspiring Journey," about whether it's worth skipping the caffeine on a trip to the airport. "I am guilty of this, as I am a coffee person, especially in the morning," she admitted. "But taking caffeine or drinking coffee with the right timing may help manage sleepiness or jet lag after a long flight across time zones." 

She says your decision, of course, should depend on the timing of the caffeine, but also the direction the plane is going. When a plane travels from west to east (like from San Francisco to New York), you are going ahead in time zones (and therefore losing time) and putting yourself at risk of jet lag. Caffeine, which will keep you awake, wouldn't be helpful since your body needs rest to adjust. However, if you are traveling westward, sipping on a cup of coffee can help keep you awake until the more appropriate bedtime — and get your sleep back on track once you reach your destination.

Sleep disturbance isn't the only thing you should consider when deciding whether getting a Trenta coffee at Starbucks (which is only an option for a limited number of drinks). For one, coffee is a mild diuretic — essentially meaning it causes you to urinate more frequently. If you have a window seat booked on a full flight, having to climb over rows of passengers a couple of times to get to the bathroom may not be ideal. 

You may also want to refrain from ordering coffee on the flight, as the on-board water tanks may not be as clean as you'd expect. We're not saying that the coffee and tea you order are contaminated and will make you sick, but the water used to brew them is from the same tank that's used for hand-washing and toilet flushing. We'll let you choose whether you want to get it from the beverage cart or stick to a pre-bottled option. "Water, orange juice, ginger ale, and herbal tea are my recommendations," Lia Ocampo said.