London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

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

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×