Here’s a fun fact: people order tomato juice on planes 5 times more than on the ground.

Nobody really knows why. Some say the cabin pressure changes our taste buds. Others say it’s just tradition. But I think the real reason is simpler: we’re bored, we’re curious, and we want to try something different.

The Unique Behavior at 35,000 Feet

Think about it. Planes are the only place where we:

  • Watch movies we’d never click on at home
  • Read the entire inflight magazine, including the fleet page with all 47 aircraft types
  • Actually consider buying that neck pillow from the catalog
  • Plan our next vacation in detail
  • Read the duty-free catalog from page 1 to end, discovering brands we’ve never heard of

The common thread? We have time. And our brain is looking for something to do.

The Magic of Altitude

This is the magic of 35,000 feet. Passengers are open, curious, and ready to explore. They’re in a unique mental state that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

At SKYdeals, we call this the tomato juice effect.

And we’ve built our entire platform around it.

Turning Curiosity into Commerce

The idea is simple: if passengers are naturally inclined to try new things, let’s make shopping one of those things.

But not boring catalog shopping. Shopping that feels like entertainment:

  • Deals that only exist during your flight – Creating genuine exclusivity
  • Flash sales with countdown timers – Adding playful urgency
  • Auctions where you compete with fellow passengers – Gamifying the experience
  • Offers that pop up as you fly over different countries – Making discovery contextual

It works because it matches the passenger mindset. Curious. Playful. Open to discovery.

The Opportunity for Brands

So next time you see someone order a tomato juice on a plane, remember: that same passenger might be ready to discover your brand.

You just need to make it fun.

The tomato juice effect isn’t just about beverage choices. It’s about understanding that passengers at 35,000 feet are in a fundamentally different state of mind. They’re not rushing between meetings. They’re not distracted by notifications. They have time, they’re curious, and they’re open to trying something new.

That’s an opportunity that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Want to tap into the tomato juice effect? Book a demo to see how SKYdeals turns curious passengers into engaged shoppers.