Originally Posted by channa

CO crews tend to make all the drinks (or one aisle's worth at a time) in an assembly line format. So if you are in row 1, there were 19 drinks made after yours by the time you get it. And if you're in the back, there were 19 drinks served to ahead of yours after yours was made.

Bottom line, if you order anything carbonated, it's flat by the time you get it; if you order a beer, it's starting to get warm, etc.