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air travel

Air travel can be exhausting.

So, it's no surprise that after long queues, unavoidable delays and tedious stopovers, many of us opt for a quick caffeine hit once we take our seats onboard.

However, according to some insiders, this probably isn't the best idea.

While speaking to Vice, a member of cabin crew for a major American airline urged passengers to opt for bottled water if they are in any way squeamish.

"Don’t drink the coffee on airplanes. It’s the same potable water that goes through the bathroom system," they said.

"We recently had a test for E. coli in our water and it didn’t pass, and then maintenance came on and hit a couple buttons and it passed,” the flight attendant added. “So, avoid any hot water or tea. Bottled and ice is fine, of course."

Echoing this point, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA told Business Insider that regulations within certain airlines could be considered lax.

"Water onboard is regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure safe drinking water on the aircraft,” they explained. “The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA pushed for this regulation over 15 years ago."

"The regulation gives broad discretion to airlines on how often they must test the water and flush the tanks. AFA does not believe this regulation goes far enough or is sufficiently enforced."

However, Alison McAfee, spokesperson for the industry group Airlines for America, is keen to highlight the rigour with which these regulations are imposed.

"The airline industry is subject to the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule which requires rigorous processes to ensure onboard water systems are regularly disinfected and that clean drinking water is available."

We'll opt for a G&T to be on the safe side, we think…

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Anyone who is scared of flying will know that no matter how many 'reassuring' statistics you hear about air travel, they don't amount to much when you're desperately gripping your armrest before take-off.

Acknowledging this, US Captain Ron Nielsen has provided nervous flyers with two simple (and practical) techniques to alleviate stress during air travel.

Appearing on the Today Show on NBC, the pilot firstly focussed his attention on take-off and urged the passenger to use their own body to calm themselves.

As the plane makes its way down the runway, you should tense your muscles, hunch your shoulders, clench your fists, cross your legs and clench your jaw. 

Then as the plane takes off, hold the pose before releasing after approximately 30 seconds.

By physically relaxing your body, you will releases stress hormones namely cortisol and adrenalin and will automatically feel calmer.

And when it comes to turbulence?

Distract yourself by writing your name with the wrong hand repeatedly as this will focus your attention elsewhere thereby distracting you from the disturbance.

Dare we say it, these actually sound like they'll work.

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Have you ever wondered just how many aeroplanes are in the sky at any one time? Or just how many flights are taken in one day? If you are a fan of air travel, this video is for you.

The National Air Traffic Services created a stunning video that shows every aeroplane that flew over the North Atlantic in 24 hours and the results are pretty striking.

Just how they manage to not only keep track of the flights but also to ensure there isn’t any chaos in the skies, simply blows our mind!

There is an actual reason behind the video, Paul Beauchamp, NATS spokesman explains: “Airspace is an incredibly valuable asset – just as important as the rail, road and utility networks that everyone relies on every day.”

“However, most people aren’t aware of the work that goes into managing and safely guiding aircraft through our skies. That’s why we created this visualisation to highlight the complexity of that work, the skill of our air traffic controllers and the UK’s strategic importance as the aviation gateway to Europe and North America.”

Well done guys it’s pretty awesome!

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