Did You Know: The Secrets Of An Airline Bar Cart

Unlike any other.


Photo: American Airlines

You would think a bar cart was just a trolley full of drinks ready for the flight attendant to start service. A bar cart from a legacy carrier airline, will look very different from a "buy onboard" service cart on a low-cost or charter airline. Let's take a closer look at the international airline's bar cart.

Standards

It's not surprising that airlines have very set standards for setting up a bar cart, and every flight attendant sets up their cart the same, although airlines may differ. Everything has its place, and the flight attendant knows precisely where to find anything they need. Every item is procured carefully by the customer experience or food and beverage team to ensure the best quality products. Of course, on most large international airlines, the drinks are complimentary.

Regulations

For security reasons, the bar carts must be locked and sealed before and after every arrival and departure, and the correct paperwork must be filled in by the flight attendants. Some countries also require customs paperwork to be completed. There may also be special rules regarding locking and sealing bars, for example, in Saudi Arabia.

Snacks and costs

Although some airlines still serve peanuts onboard, due to their popularity, some airlines are offering alternative snacks, such as pretzels or chips onboard, due to occurrences of nut allergies. The fact that snacks must be cheap and can't weigh much is a significant consideration for any airline. American Airlines found that they could make savings of USD 100,000 a year just by removing one olive from the passengers' salads.

Water

Drinking water is crucial for hydration on a flight. The cabin air is very dry and encourages the body to lose water. A minimum of 0.25 liters of water should be drunk every hour. There is extra drinking water in the lavatories, and some aircraft have drinking fountains close by connected to a separate tank. The Airline Drinking Water policy was set up in 2011 to improve standards in water quality, but it's always best to bring your own.

Tomato juice

One of the most popular drinks onboard. The strong taste and the mix of sweet, salty, sour, and umami make it a very satisfying option. With the change in cabin pressure, our sense of taste weakens, and our perception alters. We might never drink tomato juice on the ground but would happily drink it on a flight.

Cocktails

Most flight attendants have Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco in their bar cart to make the perfect bloody mary (it is also necessary for bland crew meals!) Add ice and lemon, sachets of salt and pepper, and a swizzle stick, and you're good to go. The next most popular drink is the classic gin and tonic. The bitter, citrus taste and bubbly texture make it an ideal inflight drink.

Tray service

Many flight attendants will hand you your drink on a tray for you to take it from. This can feel awkward, and some passengers take the tray away from you! This is just because flight attendants want to avoid touching the top or rim of the glass, which would not be hygienic.

Diet Coke

Although very popular with passengers, flight attendants hate Diet Coke as it takes so long to pour. The cabin pressure makes it very bubbly, so it takes three times the pouring time of a regular Coke. So, if a whole row of passengers would like Diet Coke, it's better to start it by pouring a little into three glasses while it stops bubbling and can serve some other passengers in the meantime.