Why Your Taste Gets Weird on an Airplane (and Tomato Juice Stops Being Disgusting)

Flying messes with more than just your sleep schedule and legroom expectations. It also rewires your sense of taste in ways that can be weirdly jarring!

Here’s why your sense of taste changes while on an airplane

When you’re cruising at altitude, you’re inside a pressurized metal cabin, breathing recycled air that’s drier than most deserts. Cabin humidity can dip below 20%, which dries out the mucous membranes in your nose and mouth. Why does that matter? Because about 80% of what you think is taste is really coming from your sense of smell. If your nose is offline, your taste buds lose their backup system.

Now add in the cabin pressure itself. At cruising altitude, your body reacts to the pressure and humidity even if you feel generally comfortable. That altitude dulls your ability to detect certain flavors—especially sweet and salty ones. Airlines know this, which is why some of their food tastes overly seasoned on the ground. Once it’s up in the air, those salt bombs mellow out (sort of).

Ok, but how does this all tie into tomato juice?

Tomato juice is one of the odd winners in the high-altitude taste competition. It has a strong umami flavor—one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami doesn’t get nearly as dulled by altitude as the others do. On the ground, tomato juice might seem too acidic, earthy, or just too tomato-y. Once you’re airborne, that boldness turns into balance. The flavors level out, the metallic notes fade, and you’re left with a drink that’s unexpectedly smooth, rich, and strangely satisfying.

It’s not just tomato juice that mellows out and may taste better if you’re not a big umami fan. Brothy soups, mushrooms, and soy sauce are better in the air than on the ground for some of us who find them a bit bitter or overwhelming. It’s also why a Bloody Mary mix tastes decent on a plane, even if you’d never order one at brunch.

And then finally there’s the psychological angle! You’re on a plane, out of your routine, and you might be bored, stressed, or trying to feel less disgusted by the recycled air. Sometimes, your brain just wants something different or comforting, and if that something turns out to be tomato juice, you’re not alone. Airlines across the globe have reported it as one of the most requested drinks in the sky—even by people who wouldn’t touch it at sea level. Like me!

Happy Travels!

About the Author

As the editor in chief of Frayed Passport, my goal is to help you build a lifestyle that lets you travel the world whenever you want and however long you want, and not worry about where your next paycheck will come from. I've been to 20+ countries and five continents, lived for years as a full-time digital nomad, and have worked completely remotely since 2015. If you would like to share your story with our community, or partner with Frayed Passport, get in touch with me at sarah@frayedpassport.com!

Featured image by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash