Gross: Flight Attendant Filmed Refilling Water Bottle From The Plane’s Tap

A Frontier Airlines passenger filmed a flight attendant filling a water bottle from the plane’s galley dispenser, and posted it to Twitter in disbelief. She identifies the flight as F9 2342 which is Los Angeles – Denver. I wouldn’t want aircraft tank water passed off as bottled water, either. (Or, really, ever.) Flying @FlyFrontier flight F9 2342 and can’t believe I’m watching this flight attendant fill up empty water bottles with water from the plane to hand out. 🤮🤢🥴 So your airline hands out plane water disguised as bottled water?! pic.twitter.com/Ei3ZirWojQ — Erica Mena (@iamErica_Mena) September 25, 2026 The replies include “well it is frontier” and, more efficiently, just “FRONTIER.” One Chinese-language reply translates roughly as, “Is this to cut costs, or do they think passengers are living too long?” Bringing bottled water onto a plane avoids drinking it from the aircraft’s tanks. Pouring tank water into the bottle defeats the whole purpose. This reminds me of the Emirates flight attendant filmed pouring champagne from a glass back into the bottle in 2017. My guess had been the glass had been poured for predeparture service but never actually given to a customer. (Still not appropriate.) Then, in 2023, an American Airlines passenger flying San Diego to Charlotte reported seeing a flight attendant pour several cups of orange juice back into the original container. Meanwhile, there’s a reason I’ve written about aircraft tank water for years. It’s loaded at airports using servicing equipment, sits in a tank, and travels through the plane’s plumbing. Water quality depends on how that system is maintained (or isn’t). The water is supposed to be potable. The EPA’s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule requires airlines to sample their water and maintain disinfection and flushing programs. In a report card I covered in December Frontier actually scored a 4.80 out of 5. Delta scored 5.00, while American and JetBlue were at the bottom among major airlines at 1.75 and 1.80, respectively. I still wouldn’t drink the coffee. And I don’t use lavatory tap water to brush my teeth on a long haul flight. Topics on this page