Eliminating alcohol from airports and/or planes

[NoSugarNoCream]

Just heard a news report about how unruly some people can get on airplanes. It mentioned that they’re looking into getting rid of serving alcohol on planes and possibly even airports, because even though there will always be difficult passengers on planes, the most unruly ones tend to have had too much alcohol.

Opinions?

 

[Owlpost23]

We love our drinks,but always take early morning flights,so there's no issue there or at the airport.If it would help,I'm all for it.Those FA's have quite the job already without dealing with drunken idiots.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I'm ok with it

 

[EACarlson]

Enforce the penalties we already have across the board rather than punishing the 99% of travellers that are able to have a drink without turning into drunken buffoons at the airport or on the plane. Put a couple in federal prison like that ******* on SW last week and word will get out.

 

[Living42Day]

That's never going to happen from airports. Too much $$ to be had from alcohol sales.

They said they're eliminating it from flights, except for first/business class. Apparently those classes are more well behaved? lol

 

[mefordis]

I'm sure they would always allow it in first class.

 

[kanerf]

They tried Prohibition once, it did not work. It actually made things worse. Al Capone any one?

 

[tvguy]

I don't think I have had an alcoholic beverage on a flight in over 40 years, back when Western Airlines used to serve complimentary champagne on their flights.
I did have a drink at the Atlanta Airport 7 years ago, but we have an 8 hour layover at the airport.

 

[Heather07438]

Doesn’t bother me either way but I doubt it will happen. It’s hard to prove how much of a difference it would ultimately make and the alcohol industry would attempt to thwart it every step with their deep pockets.

Would the irritable people unable to get a drink just replace the burden from unruly drinkers? Unruly drinkers down 95% (some will still find a way) while 3000% increase in nasty fliers? How easily will unruly drinkers find an alternate way regardless? Run in Duty Free and go drink in the bathroom, stop on the way to the airport, bring a flask, etc. Would the vacuum created leave open the door to Cannabis Bars who were expected to create easily pacified passengers but instead the snack cutting culture of the flying industry makes them unruly as well? I’m joking here but I’m sure big alcohol will feel serious.

 

[Disneylover99]

Fine by me.

 

[neverlandsky]

I want high CBD and low THC 20:1 edibles to be approved for flying.

 

[JimMIA]

I don't care one way or another. I'm another early AM flyer whenever possible, and I also can't imagine hundreds of individual airports going along with discontinuing liquor sales. Even when I fly at night, I don't drink -- it's just not a pleasant venue for a beer for me.

I also don't think it would do any good. If someone is determined to act out, they'll find a way. They'll bring a bottle and kill it before going through security, or take a sealed bottle or two in carry-on.

Some of the brawls in terminals have been mind-boggling, though. Some of those folks really should not be allowed out of their houses!

 

[Kitty 34]

In all the times I've flown over the years (and many times to and from Vegas ) I have never witnessed drunken people. I do love to order my little bottle of rum and make a couple of drinks with my diet can of soda on the flight. Very seldom have we had drinks in the airport. I guess it really doesn't matter to me one way or another.

I just always feel bad that the darn few wreck it for the many others that can handle a drink or two.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Not going to happen. The markup and profit margin on alcohol is huge, thats where a lot of revenue is generated.

 

[Colleen27]

It seems like alcohol isn't a factor (or at least isn't reported as a factor) in most of the incidents that have been happening on planes, so I'm not sure what good it will do. I personally don't really care one way or the other but I think in general alcohol is too profitable for the idea of discontinuing sales to get any real traction unless there's clear evidence of a link, and right now, I'm not sure there is. It seems like a big chunk of the general public has lost their collective minds over the past year, drink or sober, and I'm not sure there is an easy fix for these incidents of what essentially boils down to bullying by entitled adults who have been convinced that inconvenience is the same thing as oppression.

 

[RamblingMad]

I heard that Southwest has already banned alcohol on flights. This doesn't mean customers can't get a drink before flying.

 

[fly girl]

Just heard a news report about how unruly some people can get on airplanes. It mentioned that they’re looking into getting rid of serving alcohol on planes and possibly even airports, because even though there will always be difficult passengers on planes, the most unruly ones tend to have had too much alcohol.

Opinions?

The ban on alcohol on planes right now is due to the unruly behavior over masks. Yep, still masks. Currently, I think only Southwest and American have the ban. I think once the mask mandate is lifted, sales will resume.

A flight attendant union (I believe AFA) was asking that airport bars and restaurants consider it, but imho fat chance that will happen. Too much money to be made. However, establishments need to learn when to cut off a person.

I have had my share of drunk passengers before. If you are stumbling on to the aircraft you just gave me a lot more work to do. Our absolute least favorite part of the job is boarding (it is the most hectic and we don't get paid during boarding) and now you added on a lot more work for me. And once a flight attendant tells the captain, that person is off the flight. No second chances, not taking any risks at 30,000 feet. Buh bye, now. And yes, I have cut people off of alcohol in the middle of the flight too. And that is a PITA as well because said person is naive enough to think I didn't inform the rest of my crew you were cut off, and now trying to get drinks from other flight attendants. Nice try, bud.

 

[dez1978]

I feel like people who are jerks when they are drunk are usually also jerks when they are sober. They are just a little louder when drunk.

 

[NotUrsula]

Makes sense to me, but I guarantee you'll never complete eliminate alcohol sales at airports, because Duty-free sales generate way too much revenue, but since 9/11, liquid duty-free purchases are sold under seal, so if they confiscate items with broken seals it should be OK.

"Free" alcohol is a perk in 1C, but airlines would LOVE to be able to use this as a rationale to limit to no more than 2 drinks. I really don't think that alcohol sales in Coach make that much money these days on US domestic flights, and when you balance it against potential liability, dropping it will probably improve the bottom line.

What should happen in airport bars is drink tracking, so that you can't get cut off in one bar and then get served in another. Hand-stamps, perhaps? (Not that you would get one when cut off, but that you would get one when you bought a drink; that way the second bar (and the FAs) would know to watch you closely because you have already been drinking. Something simple and discreet like the last digit of the day of the month would do.)

 

[mamamary]

I don’t think I’ve ever had alcohol on a plane. I think I had a drink once at an airport. It wouldn’t matter to me but not sure they’d stop selling at airports.