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Your 'Easy' Drink Order Is Slowing Down the Entire Plane's Beverage Service

June 06, 2019
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2 min read
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Your 'Easy' Drink Order Is Slowing Down the Entire Plane's Beverage Service
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Most frequent flyers — including the TPG team — get pretty excited about inflight beverages, whether it's Brian's go-to Dom Pérignon or the classic ginger ale. But there's one beverage that you might want to reconsider ordering next time the cart parks in your row: Diet Coke.

Apparently, Diet Coke can slow down the process of distributing drinks throughout the entire plane. And it all comes down to carbonation. The cabin pressure of planes increases the carbonation of sodas, forcing flight attendants to wait for the soda to defizz until the cup is filled. A study from Illinois State University has shown that Diet Coke is more carbonated than regular Coke (it has to do with the absence of sugar), which means the soft drink tends to be the biggest culprit.

While it seems like it shouldn't be so much of a nuisance, that extra carbonation can ultimately cut into flight attendants' time. So much so that, according to the blog These Gold Wings, pouring one Diet Coke takes the same amount of time as three other beverages.

Thankfully, though, there's a way for flight attendants to combat the annoyance. Instead of pouring the can into the cup in the typical way, flight attendant Jeff from These Gold Wings found a more efficient way to serve the beverage. In the demonstration video Jeff filmed below, he shows the difference in the speediness of his tactic and waiting out the carbonation from a regular pour.


As shown in the demonstration, Jeff places the cup over top of the can and then turns it a solid 180 degrees, pouring the beverage out of the can without an unnecessary amount of bubbles.

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His explanation for why it works so well?

"Diet Coke doesn’t come out of the can when flipped upside down until you lift it up and tilt it slightly ... because the air pressure is keeping the Coke in the can," he said.

H/T: Travel + Leisure

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.