News This Is the Best Drink to Order on the Airplane (Video) By Cailey Rizzo Cailey Rizzo Instagram Twitter Website Cailey Rizzo is a Brooklyn-based writer who specializes in reporting on travel, culture, and the arts for Travel + Leisure. Cailey earned a master's degree in creative nonfiction writing from the University of East Anglia and a bachelor's degree in journalism from SUNY Purchase College. She also studied at UMass Amherst's Juniper Summer Institute and the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne. She has lived in New York, London, and Paris and is at work on her first novel. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on December 22, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email While some frequent fliers may extol the taste of a bloody mary or just plain tomato juice at 35,000 feet, the best thing to drink is a lot more boring. Travelers would be well-advised to opt for water when debating options from the drink cart. As tempting as a free soda or in-flight cocktail may be, water is unsurprisingly the best option for battling dehydration, dry skin, and headaches from the cabin pressure and circulating air. Related: Why You Should Think Twice Before Ordering Coffee or Tea on a Plane And one more thing: Make sure it's bottled water. Earlier this year, flight attendants revealed that the water tanks on airplanes are cleaned sporadically, at best, and they will rarely drink water from a plane. A study from the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that one out of every eight planes in the U.S. doesn’t meet the agency’s standards for water tank cleanliness. And about 12% of tested aircraft had at least one positive test for coliform, a bacteria commonly found in feces. For those who believe bottled water is too boring an option, Southern Living suggests a “mocktail” of seltzer water and a splash of cranberry juice. Not only does it have the carbonation and flavor of a soft drink, but offers (at least a little) additional Vitamin C from the cranberries. Bottoms up. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit