Clever reason why so many people order tomato juice on flights

Dublin Live

16-05-2025

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Many passengers fancy a tipple when they're jetting off, with choices ranging from water to a cheeky alcoholic drink. But there's one particular bevvy that seems to be a sky-high favourite – tomato juice. SWISS airlines says tomato juice is "the cult drink par excellence on planes", which is a bit of a head-scratcher since you don't often see punters knocking it back in your local boozer. So what's the deal with the high-altitude hankering for this veggie drink?
KLM's very own cabin crew member Michael de Vos explained the reason on TikTok, saying: "Ever wondered why so many people order tomato juice onboard? Well, that's because our taste perception changes at high altitudes, making our tastebuds more sensitive to umami flavours."
Michael also pointed out that even the hum of the engines can mess with how things taste.
That's why tomato juice is just more zingy and hits the spot better up in the air than other beverages.
(Image: Cameris via Getty Images)
Michael added: "Some people order tomato juice because it contains salts, which makes them go less often to the toilet. But the tomato juice also has other benefits, like it's packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, like vitamin C and potassium."
Alice Williams, the nutrition coach at OriGym Centre of Excellence, shared with Express.co.uk the secrets behind in-flight taste changes: "During a flight, two main things happen to the air: the pressure increases and the humidity drops. This combination of low pressure and dryness is ultimately what makes your taste buds change."
She also touched on how cabin air affects our senses, saying "The dryness in a plane also reduces your sense of smell. Since smell actually makes up a large part of how we taste food, this will also affect how food tastes in the air."
To make the most out of your high-altitude dining, Alice advised opting for umami-rich eats because "since umami is not affected by flying". She highlighted tomatoes as an ideal choice for umami flavour, which explains why "which is why many airlines offer tomato juice as the option of a complimentary drink on their flights".
It's estimated that an unbelievable one million litres of tomato juice are served on planes worldwide every single day.
Online, people expressed their amazement at discovering the reasons for tomato juice's superior plane appeal. A commenter revealed a long-time inflight habit: "For years i have only been craving tomato juice on the plane which is crazy bc I normally never drink it."
Someone else chimed in on their go-to order: "I always order tomato juice, because it's the only savory juice and I'm not craving sugary drinks."
A fellow traveller echoed the sentiment, explaining their mile-high preference: "Tomato juice is my travel drink and i always wonder why it is more appealing in the air! Now i know."