Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

Flight attendant shares horror stories about plane travel

Revealing why you should NEVER order hot drinks, avoid asking staff to help with luggage, and always bring your own pillow

Jamila Hardwick shared some insider tips for airline passengers. She revealed the gross reason why people should never order tea or coffee.

The flight attendant, who did not disclose the name of the airline she works for, also advised passengers to bring their own cleaning wipes on board . Jamila answered the query as to whether pillows and blankets are washed . The airline staffer added that flight attendants don't get paid until the doors close on the plan, so don't ask them to help store baggage

Celebrities might be known for their outlandish in-flight wellness routines, but no-one knows more about staying germ-free on a plane than a flight attendant.

Jamila Hardwick, a flight attendant and vlogger, recently revealed her tried-and-tested tips for flying to Inside Edition, as she demonstrated an average day in her job at the Los Angeles-based film set company Air Hollywood.

Shockingly, she advised passengers to never order tea or coffee as the pipes in the cabin are 'rarely' cleaned.

While it is unknown what airline Jamila works for, the video went viral again earlier this week when it was shared on Instagram.

Inside Edition revealed that airlines are only required to disinfect the water tanks four times a year.

'The thing about the coffee and tea, the pipes are rarely cleaned,' Jamila told the outlet, as she added that you'll likely never see an off-duty flight attendant order a warm beverage when they fly themselves.

Another thing you'll probably never witness them doing? Using the provided blankets and pillows during long-haul flights.

'These get washed, but we're not sure how great they get washed,' Jamila said pointing to the standard issue blankets.

As for the pillows? 'They take the off the lining and wash it, but the pillow inside is still dirty,' Jamila said, virtually squirming at the thought of the germs.

When it comes to germs, another thing to consider is the tray at your seat and how unclean it is by the time you board a flight.

'This is disgusting,' Jamila said. 'When cleaners come on they don't have time to wipe down every individual tray so it's best to bring wet wipes.

'Please bring them on, please clean off your trays before you put anything on here,' she said.

If you've ever wondered why flight attendants take so long to pour your soda order, it might be because you requested a Diet Coke.

Jamila showed that the carbonated drinks takes so much longer to pour because it fizzed up while in the cabin.

'I don't know what it is about the chemistry in Diet Coke and us being 40,000 feet in the air. By the time we pour it, we could have three other drinks poured,' she claimed.

Jamila advised passengers to refrain from asking flight attendants to help store their baggage - as their shift technically does not start until the door of the plane closes before takeoff.

Not only are they not paid to assist passengers with bags, but if something falls and they are injured, there's nothing a flight attendant can do about it as they were not technically supposed to be working.


And as for her golden tip? Just be nice.

'We're more likely to help you find a better seat if you're nice to us,' she said. 'And maybe an extra drink. Or two!'

In a statement to Inside Edition, A4A (Airlines for America), confirmed that the water they use 'is the same water source used throughout the airport, including for water fountains and restaurants, and delivered to homes, businesses and local communities each and every day.'

The statement continued, 'Airlines work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that water received from municipalities is safe and to maintain that safety by following rigorous sampling and management requirements, which include disinfection and flushing of the aircraft water tanks on a schedule required by regulation.'

When the video was shared on YouTube, commentors were pretty grossed out about the water pipe revelation.

'Good thing I only had tea once on a plane..& I’ll definitely bring wipes next time I fly,' said one user.

'My mother taught me to never order tea or coffee in places like these they grow bacteria like crazy,' said another.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Arrest Warrant Issued in Lebanon for Tycoon Spotted Meeting Netanyahu in Washington
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
×