Airlines aim to trick passengers' taste buds

London

FINALLY, beer may start tasting good at 30,000 feet. Airlines, which usually get a bad rap for bad food and so-so drinks, are starting in earnest to plug the sensory gap.

They are aided by the knowledge that noise, low pressure, dry air, plastic cutlery and cups are also largely to blame for meals that taste less than appetising. Studies have shown that those factors alter the way we taste things at high altitude compared to when we're on the ground.