The One Place You Should Never Keep Your Water Bottle On A Plane

A water bottle is a smart item to bring on any flight. Health gurus rave about the power of hydration when flying; it's a thirst-inducing experience, from the rushing at TSA to the low-humidity cabins onboard. But, according to a flight attendant who took to social media to share some important advice with passengers, the overhead bin is one spot to never leave a bottle. "Every single time, without fail, that water bottle, as soon as we take off, is going to leak all inside the bin." The leakage won't just drench your belongings but all the bags in that compartment. Sure, you could scuttle off quickly during deboarding — innocent until proven guilty, right?

However, the common mistake doesn't just soak other passengers' bags. When there's enough volume, it can leak from the overhead compartments onto the people sitting below. "It'll follow a stream and completely dump out of the bin onto one person," she adds. Causing an untimely shower might just be the fastest way to become the most unpopular person on your flight. It even trumps the side eyes you get by failing to learn why you should never order shaken cocktails on an airplane.

Avoid unnecessary drama, and play it safe. Store water bottles in under-seat bags or tucked into seatback storage compartments. It'll save the temptation to opt for a hot drink instead (frequently bacteria-ridden water supplies are why you shouldn't order coffee or tea on a plane). Besides, what use is an unreachable water bottle for staying hydrated?

The frequency of these incidents is no coincidence. Part of this comes with the territory of the overhead compartments. Things get jostled up there, hence the warning announcements advising passengers to take care when opening lockers. High-quality products are more likely to survive the ill-advised test, but thrust around and slipped upside down, a low-quality bottle quickly shows its real colors. 

Store-bought sports water bottles are the worst culprits. The seals are notoriously weak, with a weak thread liable to release a small flood when tipped at the slightest angle. It's easy to remember to store fragile glass duty-free bottles at your feet, but don't be fooled by typically trustworthy plastic — it's the seal you should worry about. It's wise to review the most popular water bottles before a trip (some claim to be leak-proof). Although, that doesn't exclude the classic user error of forgetting to screw lids tight enough.

Changing cabin pressure wreaks havoc, too. Air volume increases with pressure, something passengers have reported to cause bottles to spontaneously burst out in leakage. It's funny to spot crisp packets and plastic bottles inflated like balloons. But bottles swelling undetected is much less amusing, especially when facing the rage of eight angry passengers with drenched bags. Bottles need full-time supervision on flights; it doesn't take much for them to go rogue.