Originally Posted by flyerkit

Hi all, I wanted to share a small but persistent issue I’ve encountered on recent BA flights – those little 200ml water bottles handed out in economy. (since I stopped my usual poug upgrades for the usual reasons...)

The black plastic caps are really hard to open. I’m often asked by fellow passengers to help with theirs, but to be honest, I now struggle myself.

As I get older, my grip strength isn’t what it used to be, and these caps seem to be getting tougher. I’ve been thinking about why this might be happening: The tamper-proof seal is very tight, possibly more so in newer bottle designs.

The small size of the bottle makes it harder to grip firmly, especially when hands are dry or tired mid-flight. Cabin pressure might be affecting the tightness slightly (though I’m not sure). It's also possible that newer bottle batches have a different material or threading.

I’m all for safe, sealed water, but I wonder if anyone else has noticed this? Have you found any workarounds (besides passing it to the nearest younger passenger)?

Might it be a deliberate ploy to switch to JAL style paper cups and jars?

Maybe a grip tool, a trick with a napkin, or even asking crew to open it? Also curious if BA is aware of the issue and whether it’s something they could address in future catering choices – particularly as more of us travel later in life and want to stay independent. Looking forward to hearing your experiences and suggestions!