Eliminating alcohol from airports and/or planes

[Moliphino]

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

A lot of airlines are doing simplified in flight service now due to Covid. On Southwest we only had 4 drink choices (Coke, Diet Coke, 7up, or water).

I've never paid for alcohol on a flight, but have had it when it's included (some international flights) or used drink coupons (Southwest). Drinking in the terminal is a nice way to pass a layover.

 

[fly girl]

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.)

Airlines make good money with alcohol sales. I haven't seen recent numbers but it is in millions. Typically they sell 3x's as much alcohol to food purchases onboard.

I sold alcohol any time of the day. It is few and far between that I didn't have any alcohol consumed onboard a flight I worked. There was always somebody buying it. And if you are going to Vegas ... I have run out of certain drinks going to Vegas. (even on a short hop from LAX.)

Airlines like to make any money whenever they can. Alcohol is an easy money maker. I do not foresee them banning it for good.

 

[China Expat]

I'm for it, or limit passengers to no more than 2 drinks. Use the boarding pass to stamp it when a drink is served. The worst flight of my life was on a 12 hour flight when the couple next to me got rip roaring drunk for most of the flight. It was Hell.

 

[tzolkin]

Maybe I've lived a sheltered life, but I can't recall ever seeing anyone drinking alcohol on a flight that was not international. And even on the 9-12hr long flights where the drinks were free, I've never seen anyone get drunk on the plane. We've done trips where it was 50-60hours of travel time. It's nice to be able to have a drink or two and relax.

 

[bcla]

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

They had already stopped alcohol sales since last year as a COVID concern. They've restarted serving some beverages and snacks, but on longer flights (250+ miles).

But they were planning on restoring June but are putting that plan on hold.

 

[_19disnA]

Don't really care either way. I also have rarely seen many pay for alcohol on flights I have been on. Certainly not a large number of people. Some people will still behave like jerks no matter if they serve alcohol or not.

 

[lifesavacation]

I think it’s a terrible idea, especially for overseas flights. I don’t fly SW, but have flown on other airlines during the pandemic and they’ve all served alcohol (first class domestic flights). The food selections have really suffered but there’s still been at least beer and wine.

ETA: I don’t remember which airline it was but I wanted a Diet Coke or sparkling water, something without alcohol and carbonated. Nope, they were only serving water, beer or wine. Now that was weird!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

At least with SWA they were supposed to bring it back this month for select flights/routes and have opted to hold off on that. I hadn't read that it was intended to be viewed as a way to get rid of it.

Alcohol is a money maker. Also for at least SWA a drink coupon comes with Business Select and many frequent fliers get drink coupons as a way to show appreciation (we've got a bunch of those) so that would be a program update SWA would have to do to remove it entirely plus they would have to account for lost sales of the alcohol and more. Could it happen? I guess, but as far as I know this was just a delay in bringing it back.

What SWA would really want, at least from the article I read, is better protection for their FAs. But the article I read also flipped it back on SWA and said they should utilize their no fly/ban list more and that their practice of largely putting someone on the next flight (often that day) doesn't usually solve the unruly passenger issue.

 

[Piglet843]

I know some folk who will get unruly if they cannot get any alcohol at the airport or on the airplane

 

[Dan Murphy]

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.

So true. Amen to that.

 

[spiders]

I don’t drink but I think it’s ridiculous. Arrest and prosecute those who can’t behave. Group punishment is the go to solution when you’ve completely given up on trying to come up with actual solutions.

 

[Cheburashka]

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.

Instead of that, why don't they just take the direct route and ban Southwest Airlines. That's the airline that keeps having passengers attacking others.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Instead of that, why don't they just take the direct route and ban Southwest Airlines. That's the airline that keeps having passengers attacking others.

Nah United also has its issues (remember the people who were dragged off the plane), Delta too.

 

[mikehn]

eliminating booze, haha. That's like trying to eliminate prostitution.

 

[mrsstats79]

I am fine with it. I have a drink now and then but don't need to. My problem with the whole thing is that once again the good are being punished for the few bad apples.

 

[fla4fun]

I would probably be more in favor of banning it on the actual flight, but allowing it in the airport. If someone gets falling down drunk in the airport, it will likely get caught during boarding. I believe what they are trying to prevent is a person being drunk in the air, where there’s no place for them to go and nothing that can be done if they get violent until they land. Basically, the crew and the other passengers are trapped with an uncontrollable person, possibly for hours at a time. It would be difficult to catch everyone who is over the legal limit though without giving every passenger a breathalyzer test at boarding (which I don’t see happening). Also, it could backfire, as banning it in either place could cause people who might not have bought a drink onboard to drink more before boarding, just because they “might” want one later but not be able to get it.

Personally I do not drink (don’t like the taste), but my immediate family does have a drink or two with meals. I don’t think any of us would object to a policy that makes it safer to fly. But I don’t know whether a total ban or a partial one is the better choice. It’s a complicated issue, that’s for sure.

 

[bcla]

I've had alcohol at airline lounges before. Didn't have any at the United Club when I could get access via my Amtrak status level, but I saw a price list for premium drinks and didn't realize that well drinks were included. But in a business class lounge the stuff was really nice and there wasn't really anyone monitoring it, although I suppose they could have ejected someone drunk.

 

[fly girl]

Instead of that, why don't they just take the direct route and ban Southwest Airlines. That's the airline that keeps having passengers attacking others.

Nah United also has its issues (remember the people who were dragged off the plane), Delta too.

The big one with issues is Spirit.

Maybe I've lived a sheltered life, but I can't recall ever seeing anyone drinking alcohol on a flight that was not international. And even on the 9-12hr long flights where the drinks were free, I've never seen anyone get drunk on the plane. We've done trips where it was 50-60hours of travel time. It's nice to be able to have a drink or two and relax.

Don't really care either way. I also have rarely seen many pay for alcohol on flights I have been on. Certainly not a large number of people. Some people will still behave like jerks no matter if they serve alcohol or not.

And trust me, to those of you who haven't seen people buy alcohol onboard -- it is definitely purchased! Alcohol of all kinds is fully stocked on the carts ready for anyone to buy anytime of the day, and they do. It isn't a big production, it is just like ordering a Diet Coke, so if someone isn't getting an adult drink in your row you'll never see it.

A large majority of the time alcohol onboard isn't a big deal. I think the ban by SWA and AA will be a short term issue that will be changed once the mask mandates change.

 

[Cheburashka]

The big one with issues is Spirit.

It was a SW passenger who recently knocked out two teeth of a flight attendant, and there have been other newsworthy aggressive incidents on SW, in addition to that.

 

[fly girl]

It was a SW passenger who recently knocked two of a flight attendant's teeth out, and there have been other newsworthy aggressive incidents on SW, in addition to that.

Oh yes, I am well aware.

Spirit has had the most conflicts of all the airlines though.