Thought that last cup of water the flight attendant served you tasted a tad funny? Well, hopefully you’ll no longer have to question that agua aftertaste, thanks to new rules set into place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this week. Airlines will now be issued schedules for how often the water they serve their passengers (as well as the water supply for the lavatories) must be tested for coliform bacteria, which in itself is not harmful, but is an indicator of disease-causing bacteria. The new tests are affecting 63 airlines and costing $7 million – in our opinion, a small price to pay to wash away in-flight water woes for the traveling masses.

Forget the same-old glass of wine to take the edge off during your next flight – look to super-hip Virgin America for a fun alternative to calm those onboard jitters (or to simply kick off your vacation with a bang), with the introduction of absinthe to all of their onboard menus. The think-outside-the-box airline has long had us “oohing” and “ahhing” over their lounge-like mood lighting, high-tech gadgetry, and recent announcement that WiFi will be offered on all flights, so their recent partnership with French liquor company, Le Tourment Vert (translated into English as “The Green Torment”), predictably speaks to their strive toward drawing a hip clientele.

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Rarely impressed by the airline industry’s food and beverage service, I was recently won over by South African Airways (SAA) in-flight wine selection. En route to Johannesburg I swirled a white that was just too good to be served on a plane–until I learned the history of how it got there. Each year SAA spends two-and-a-half-days hosting an event with an expert team of local and international wine connoisseurs choosing the 80 wines offered on their flights throughout the year. In 2008 alone more than 900 wines were submitted for vigorous tasting and voting. Beyond assembling the team of judges, SAA actually employs the help of independent auditors Deloitte and Touche to monitor the scoring of each top wine in its respective category (Best White, Best Red, Port, among others). The top-flight white that that I enjoyed so much was the Bellingham 2007 Maverick Chenin Blanc–which came across with a strong fruit note followed by a spicy finish. Finally, an amenity worth flying for.

In the ever-growing industry trend towards further cost-cutting, Air Jamaica has announced that as of May 1, they’ll be putting a cork in their free champagne service – an in-flight treat that was a real rarity for economy flyers, and a sparkling signature service for the airline. While they still intend to provide travelers with complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, and juices, somehow celebrating your Jamaican vacation over a cup of decaf or OJ just doesn’t have the same bubbly appeal. Read the rest of this post »