Don't Order This Drink on a Plane

With hundreds of thousands of air miles under my belt, I like to think of myself as a conscientious airline passenger. I put the tray table up when instructed. I don’t use unauthorized electronic devices. I don’t recline my seat-back during the meal service. I even pay attention (sometimes) to the safety briefing – because you never know when there might be some kind of major advancement in how to buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt. Through it all I can proudly say I have never been forcibly removed from an airplane. But apparently, I have been unwittingly doing something for more than 25 years that annoys the flight attendant, and you might be guilty of it, too.

Ordering a Diet Coke.

“Diet Coke is the most annoying beverage a flight attendant can pour for a passenger,” said Heather Poole, a flight attendant for American Airlines, in an article she wrote for Mental Floss. The problem is that Diet Coke foams up more than non-diet drinks, thus taking more time to serve. “In the time it takes us to fill one cup, we could have served an entire row of passengers,” Poole continued. “I’ve actually had nightmares about frantically trying to finish a never ending Diet Coke beverage service before landing.”

So, if you want to stay on your flight attendant’s good side, stick with regular Coke. And pay attention to the safety briefing. By the way, there is a smart way to pour a Diet Coke on an airplane. Watch: