United Airlines to keep tomato juice on in-flight menu after Twitter backlash

The carrier will not be removing the beloved juice from its in-flight menu after outcry on social media. (iStock)

Airlines can take our seat pitch, but they will never take our Bloody Mary.

Last week, United revised its in-flight drink menu by removing one of the most beloved sky beverages of all time, tomato juice, on domestic flights less than four hours, The Telegraph reported. Fliers were not happy.

Customers were quick to share their outrage, even threatening to take their business elsewhere over the change.

It may seem strange to some, but the outrage may be justifiable: Tomato juice is popular order on planes, as its one of the few drinks proven to actually taste better in-flight.

The low humidity on airplanes dulls the body’s sense of taste and smell, making sweet and salty flavors hard to detect. It actually makes food taste a bit bland (which is partly why many people dislike in-flight meals). But tomato juice, with its acidic and earthy taste on the ground, tends to taste sweeter and fruitier in the air. Lots of travelers love it plain, or of course in a Bloody Mary.

United responded to the public outcry and called the whole thing off on Thursday, SF Gate reported.

“We want our customers to know that we value and appreciate them and that we're listening,” the airline said in a statement. “Our customers told us that they were not happy about the removal of tomato juice so we're bringing it back onboard as part of our complimentary beverage offering.”

This story originally appeared in Travel + Leisure.