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[quote=roodd279;65787329]A topic dear to my heart Folks, lots of misconceptions and unreasonable expectations - and bad media - here.
I fly - a - ton. If you do NOT fly very often, then, first things first - you don't get a vote, because your views are skewed somehow. Here's why:
I nearly never - and by that, I mean, NEVER - see someone "TOO DRUNK" on a plane. Oh, I'm sure it happens - but it is simply NOT very common. The idea that every plane has some sloshed moron causing a ruckus - simply untrue. Alcohol has been served on planes, well, since there have been planes. It's not the BOOZE that's the problem - it's the total decline of manners, common sense, and self-control. In other words, we have more drunken morons on the ground now than ever before - so stands to reason some are on the plane. But I digress...
4. International flights (long haul) alcohol is almost always free, for the entire plane - not just first class. That's right. 300 people on a plane, free booze for 8 or 10 or 12 hours - and I have NEVER seen someone over do it to the point of disruption. Never. AGAIN - I'm not saying it doesn't happen - but it's not common.
As far as I know and I was just on a international flight, only wine either red or white is free. Regular mixed drinks you pay for.
A topic dear to my heart Folks, lots of misconceptions and unreasonable expectations - and bad media - here.
I fly - a - ton. If you do NOT fly very often, then, first things first - you don't get a vote, because your views are skewed somehow. Here's why:
I nearly never - and by that, I mean, NEVER - see someone "TOO DRUNK" on a plane. Oh, I'm sure it happens - but it is simply NOT very common. The idea that every plane has some sloshed moron causing a ruckus - simply untrue. Alcohol has been served on planes, well, since there have been planes. It's not the BOOZE that's the problem - it's the total decline of manners, common sense, and self-control. In other words, we have more drunken morons on the ground now than ever before - so stands to reason some are on the plane. But I digress...
4. International flights (long haul) alcohol is almost always free, for the entire plane - not just first class. That's right. 300 people on a plane, free booze for 8 or 10 or 12 hours - and I have NEVER seen someone over do it to the point of disruption. Never. AGAIN - I'm not saying it doesn't happen - but it's not common.
As far as I know and I was just on a international flight, only wine either red or white is free. Regular mixed drinks you pay for.
Totally agree. I fly a ton too. 3.6MM on AA, 1.3MM on UA and 500K on AS. I've made 1K on UA for the last 10 years. And I totally agree. I've never witnessed a single person who appeared to be too inebriated on the plane. Not a single one. A few times I've been seated next to a person who had 3-4 drinks, and then was digging through their bag for car keys as we arrived at the gate. I don't understand that at all... I don't drink on planes. I have seen a couple of people turned away at the gate by the gate agent because they appeared to be sloshed. But on the plane? Never.
True, American carriers tend to limit cattle class to Beer and Wine, while "premium economy" and farther forward get all of it - but international carriers, like ANA or many others - when flying long haul - hand out booze even to the lowest class of patrons. That's kind of a play on words there ;D
A topic dear to my heart Folks, lots of misconceptions and unreasonable expectations - and bad media - here.
I fly - a - ton. If you do NOT fly very often, then, first things first - you don't get a vote, because your views are skewed somehow. Here's why:
I nearly never - and by that, I mean, NEVER - see someone "TOO DRUNK" on a plane. Oh, I'm sure it happens - but it is simply NOT very common. The idea that every plane has some sloshed moron causing a ruckus - simply untrue. Alcohol has been served on planes, well, since there have been planes. It's not the BOOZE that's the problem - it's the total decline of manners, common sense, and self-control. In other words, we have more drunken morons on the ground now than ever before - so stands to reason some are on the plane. But I digress...
*And then we - the USA - would join just about a dozen other nations, mainly middle Eastern - that do not allow booze. ALL OTHER NATIONS allow it - - so you'd have to explain how our airlines would remain competitive ...
All told then, there are huuuge difficulties with removing booze from planes, and practically no reason to do so, with little motivation from the airlines, except to appease a handful of anti-drinking folks - since the REAL damage of drunks on planes is not actually measurable. AGAIN - yes - it happens - it's just not that common, people, just live and let live, and don't be one of the idiots at the bar.
I agree with most everything you posted. I used to fly quite a bit - several flights a month - and never saw an incident on a plane due to someone being drunk - the incidents mostly were people that were just being a**holes. I have seen only one that was not allowed on board because they were inebriated.
One thing though is I flew to the Middle East a few times - Qatar, Gulf and Emirates all serve alcohol - it is mainly Saudia that does not.
There is no good reason to serve alcohol on planes. People used the same excuses about smoking but it was banned and it's fine. Why not instead serve some good non-alcoholic beverages instead of just the standard soda, water, coffee. Alcohol and caffeine are dehydrating anyway and you want to stay hydrated when flying. They also make people take more trips to the bathroom. How about some nice herbal tea.
Again, there are people like me who will drink on a flight to calm their nerves. Id rather sit next to someone that has had a few drinks versus someone with anxiety.
Again, there are people like me who will drink on a flight to calm their nerves. Id rather sit next to someone that has had a few drinks versus someone with anxiety.
It doesn't really bother me, and in terms of Europe, the vast majority of flights to other parts of Europe are short haul (less than 3 hours) and any one can't wait a couple hours to get a drink, clearly has a problem.
As for those who are already drunk they are not permitted to travel and it's at the airlines discretion as to who they let board and as to who they serve alcohol to.
Lets also not forget, that for most passengers alcohol is certainly not free, and many airlines charge rip off prices for a drink.
I don't think anyone should be banned from having a drink if they so wish, providing they are not drunk etc, however it's a question of common sense in relation to both the actual passenger and the airline staff.
Last edited by Brave New World; 09-06-2023 at 09:33 AM..
There is no good reason to serve alcohol on planes.
There's no good reason NOT TO either. It's a huge profit center for all involved. Very few incidents. All airlines WORLD WIDE allow it (a few exceptions). And just because you - personally - do not find it appealing doesn't mean you get to make that decision for all the other people*. Lots of folks do things on planes I don't like - but it's still permitted.
1. Let your kids run rampant.
2. Put your BARE feet on the armrest or bulkhead.
3. Eat garlic-curry chicken from a takeout box.
4. Where a skirt or shorts so short - or a shirt, for that matter - that I have to disinfect the seat before using it.
There is NO GOOD REASON for any of those things either - but I live with them. Because flying is just a tiny slice of our overall world, and it is what it is.
Qatar, Gulf and Emirates all serve alcohol - 100% agree, just flew Emirates AWESOME - but my point was, of all the airlines that DO ban alcohol - ALL OF THEM are middle eastern. Didn't mean to imply ALL middle eastern airlines ban alcohol. Clearly not true.
*approx 80% of folks who fly drink at the airport, approaching 90% if you include the plane. 2 billion people flew last year. So - that's, uh, 1,800,000,000 who don't get a drink because YOU don't think there's "any good reason" for it. That's a whole lotta people you're making a decision for. And it's billions - with a b - in revenue you're trying to get rid of for airports and airlines. Ya think that would raise ticket prices or lower them?
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Folks, lots of misconceptions and unreasonable expectations - and bad media - here. 
