I'm not sure if it's because there's more content available these days, but the "germs are everywhere" movement has far greater prominence than when I grew up. We'd spend all summer barefoot, put our hands in places they shouldn't and then in our mouths, eat food that we almost certainly shouldn't have and yet we somehow survived.
There's some things that we absolutely shouldn't consume, but airplane tea and coffee are pretty low down that list.
Depending on when you grew up it is likely that those two groups are more prevalent, or at least are more likely to fly than before (think HIV and autoimmune disorders). But for most people the "germs are everywhere" thing is pretty overblown.
Flavour doesn't fare well with the dryness and low pressure of airplanes at altitude.
See e.g. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150112-why-in-flight-food-...
Same thing with your own intestinal biome. You are sterile when you come out of your mother's womb. All of the bacteria that ends up in your intestine are ingested, often coming from your own family members.
Bacteria are everywhere. I'm not going to get overly worried about bacteria in the drinking water of planes unless it starts to make people sick.
Is that so? I thought that fetuses shared some of their mother's intestinal flora, somehow.
A baby's intestinal flora is develop through ingestion of bacteria after birth. It generally comes from the mother.
Also, quite notably during birth.
... people with a compromised immune system should steer clear of the in-flight beverage. He additionally noted that people with infants should “think twice” before filling a baby’s bottle with airplane tap water.