Can I bring my own booze: the ultimate guide to drinking on a plane
When it comes to boozing on board, things can get a little hazy — legally speaking. Those miniature bottles can make it through security, but can you crack one open on the plane? Can you get served if you're flying to a destination where alcohol is prohibited? And what are the consequences should you, er, go overboard?
We at Road Warrior Voices decided to tackle some of the most basic questions related to all things alcohol and airplanes. Here's what you need to know:
Can I bring my own alcohol on board? Generally speaking, yes. As long as it's small enough to pass through security or you've purchased it duty free (and it's still properly packed), you should be good — unless, of course, you're flying Ryanair between the U.K. and Ibiza. The budget airline recently decided to prohibit duty free alcohol on these routes after too many people just couldn't wait to get the party started and got belligerent on their duty-free supply while on board.
Can I consume my own alcohol on the plane? Now this is a different question entirely, and the answer almost always is a resounding no. Oftentimes this isn't even an airline's policy, but the law. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) explicitly states:
No person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage to him.
Most airlines follow suit, too. If the only way passengers can get their liquor is by asking, it's easy for flight attendants to keep tabs on how much people are drinking and keep an eye out if necessary.
There are, of course, exceptions. For example, several reports across the internet indicating that in certain cases Royal Brunei Airlines — which does not serve its own alcohol — will permit you to drink your own tipple, as long as you ask for a flight attendant to serve it to you. All Royal Brunei's policy says about booze is that it "operates alcohol-free flights to all destinations."
Can I get drunk during a flight? You can, but you might want to watch it if you want to keep all your flying privileges. This past summer a spate of alcohol-induced rowdiness, security threats and violence in the skies caused airlines to crack down hard. Budget airline Jet2, for example, sued one passenger for £4,809 and has taken a zero-tolerance approach and banned multiple passengers for life, and now the Civil Aviation Authority is considering blacklisting disorderly U.K. passengers from all airlines. Don't go from blackout to blacklist.
What's the minimum drinking age on a plane? As a general rule of thumb, when the plane is on the ground it follows the local laws of wherever it is at that moment. Airborne, the laws of the country where the airline is registered reign. For example, American Airlines follows U.S. law. Air France follows French law.
Can you drink on a plane registered in a country that prohibits alcohol? Probably not. Carriers like Saudia and Kuwait Airways, registered in countries that follow Islamic law, do not serve alcohol. Even international airlines respect local law and refrain from serving on the ground in these countries, which probably only matters if you're sitting in the front of the plane. Sorry, but no champagne for you before takeoff.
What about U.S. state laws regarding alcohol? Same deal with having to respect local laws. If alcohol sales are prohibited, say, before noon on Sunday (as in the case in New York), airplanes on the tarmac in those states also are unable to sell or serve. Once in the air the bottles can pop, though.
Can an airline employee deny someone alcohol? Absolutely. Just like a bartender can cut you off, so can cabin crew. According to FAA regulations, it is prohibited to serve alcohol to anyone who "appears to be intoxicated." And a drunken rant definitely won't help anyone's cause. Flight attendants really are more concerned with making sure everyone and everything is safe and orderly than serving someone a drink or making the airline some extra bucks off booze.