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A flight attendant has warned travellers against ordering one specific type of drink while airborne, warning it could leave them feeling "rough". The cabin crew member, who has chosen to remain anonymous, drew upon her decade-long experience working across multiple airlines to share her insights.

Among her secrets, one particular recommendation stood out regarding in-flight refreshments.

Speaking on the Other People's Lives podcast, the American flight attendant urged travellers to reconsider ordering sugary beverages during their journey.

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"I would suggest not [drinking] anything sweet because it's really rough when you get on the ground," she cautioned.

While the crew member didn't elaborate further, Kezia Joy, a registered dietitian nutritionist and medical adviser at Welzo, shed light on why such drinks can prove problematic, reports the Express.

"Sweet drinks may be particularly impactful on passengers during a flight because air travel itself tends to disrupt the body's normal hydration and metabolic processes," she explained.

"The cabin air is generally quite dry (low humidity), and this contributes to increased dehydration of both fluids lost by way of respiration and transdermal evaporation of sweat.

"Additionally, while sugary beverages will quench one's thirst, they are not as effective at hydrating as pure water.

"Therefore, passengers consuming sweetened beverages before landing may experience mild discomfort, fatigue and/or excessive thirst during longer flights," she concluded.

In recent times, concerns have also emerged about tea and coffee consumption during flights, primarily due to questions surrounding the water quality used in their preparation.

Aircraft water tanks are supposed to undergo regular cleaning and disinfection procedures, but reports suggest they can potentially harbour bacteria when maintenance protocols aren't followed.

According to the flight attendant, however, passengers needn't worry about ordering these beverages.

She explained: "It really depends, so they clean the tank where the coffee is, where the hot water would be. It still is hot water."

Addressing why some travellers remain hesitant, she referenced a past "epidemic" involving E. Coli contamination in aircraft water supplies that resulted in passenger illness.

"I think a lot of people still think that," she acknowledged. "But listen, we drink coffee on the plane all the time and everything's fine.

"You know when they do [clean the tanks] because the water tastes like chemicals, it's really gross, but they do [clean them] yeah."

Conversely, another cabin crew member has cautioned passengers against consuming tap water altogether.

Sue Fogwell told Travel + Leisure: "I never drank the tap water. Coffee and tea are made with tap water, which comes from the airplane's water tanks."

As an alternative, she suggested: "If you want coffee, buy it in the terminal, [and] if you need a caffeine boost, ask for a Coke or Pepsi."