I will be flying on Delta to Washington in a couple of weeks and since flying now scares the heck out of me, I’m wondering about how picky airlines are about passengers stowing a small bottle or two of alcohol in their carry-ons.I looked at Delta’s website and it didn’t say squat about it! Help? I could do things the easy way and just take some xanax, but drinking would be more fun! 
Dunno about official policy, but I can relate a personal experience.
About a month ago I was making a plane trip on Southwest, and had some glass bottles I was bringing with me (long story). Anyhow, I obviously wasn’t going to stick them in my checked luggage and have them get shattered, so I had to carry them on. And the ONLY thing I could find that made a decent carrier was an old cardboard case for a 24-pk of Bud Light.
So I carried what for all the world looked, felt, and sounded like a couple dozen beers past check-in, security, and the gate agents. I got lotsa stares and a couple of “whoa! I see you brought the party!” type comments, but not once did anyone stop me or ask to see what was inside.
Made me wonder a question similar to yours…but of course, I didn’t exactly try and sneak a brew or two mid-flight, so I can’t say for sure whether it would be allowed. But I was pretty surprised no one hassled me, since 1.) I thought you couldn’t bring alcohol onto flights (not sure about that though), and 2.) I thought you aren’t allowed to bring a whole lot of glass onto flights (I’m pretty sure about that one).
I’d have to look it up in the FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations), but I don’t have the time at the moment. I think that you are not allowed to consume alcohol on a flight unless it is served to you by the flight attendant.
If someone wants to look it up, he or she can search for “FAR” or “federal aviation regulations” and do a subsearch on “alcohol”. There are several Parts: Part 61, Part 91, Part 135, Part 121… I know it’s in there somewhere.
Is the FAR on the WWW anywhere?
Are you sure you wanna fly with this mob? I thought a nervous flier like you would know how they got their name: Don’t Ever Leave The Airport
I have had similar experience, although I actually asked ticket agents at the airline I was flying (Northwest)
According to this woman, there was nothing particularly special about the handling of alcohol-as-baggage. You could carry it on (assuming it would fit in the under the seat or in the overhead bin, and within other airline regs) or check it (and run the risk of the bottles breaking and/or some baggage handlers having a party at your expense.
Of course, this may be different from airline to airline, and may be another one of those things where the fact that the FAA doesn’t cover it does not preclude gate and/or flight crew from making a decision on the spot.
mm
Also keep in mind that drinking alot of alcohol on a flight is different than drinking on the ground. I found out the hard way.
I was flying a red-eye from Arizona to Colorado for a skiing trip. Before I left Arizona, a friend of mine who was attending ASU, took me out for a beer… and another… and another… I’m not sure how many I had but I was plenty buzzed when I got on the flight. Nothing unusual at the time, I was tipsy but functunal. I take my seat on the plane, talk to the gal next to me, and that’s it. I don’t remember a thing after that. I come to with the cockpit crew and maintenance people slapping me and spritzing water on my face. The flight attendants said I was out like a light the whole flight. Pretty embarrassing.
I’m relieved to find out I’m not the only one who’s had this happen, however. Other friends have reported the same thing happening to them. They drink what they think is a normal amount on the ground and get completely goofy once they hit cruising altitude.
So watch your alcohol intake, it will affect you more than you think.
Bringing alcohol on a plane is no problem. I used to work at a wine store, and would regularly carry on a case of wine when I went visiting relatives.
Drinking, on the other hand, isn’t really allowed. However, I’ve managed it on several occasions. The trick is not to let the flight attendent figure out what you’re doing. Now, if you constantly order mixer material (juice, cokes, etc.) and are visibly getting drunk without ordering any liquor, they’re going to figure it out. The way to do it is to order ONE drink, then quietly fill it up with your own carry on liquor when you finish it. Depending on the length of the flight, you may want to order another an hour or two in. The stewardesses think you’re just a cheap drunk when they see you putting the barf bag on your head and singing along with the in-flight music.
Being drunk in an airplane is a bad idea. If there would be an emergency you are a danger to yourself and others. Not to mention that I do not care to be seated by someone who is drunk. I have seen a couple of passengers behaving as a**holes and I wonder if they had one too many. People who act up in airplanes should face serious penalties. It seems these types of incidents are increasing.
Even if its not allowed, just whip up a spiked version of snapple or something and put it in the original container. Nobody will know you’re boozing 
Funny, I thought it was Delay Everyone’s Lugguage Through Atlanta… 
Thanks for the info everybody! I shall look up the regs later on, and the spiked iced tea/etc sounds like the best bet! LOL And sailor, I am not talking getting drunk here, I’m talking more relaxed! Also :eek: on the airline name! LOL I’m flying Delta cus I’m using someone else’s flyer miles LOL
On a side note, it didn’t really help me last time I flew out to WA via Salt Lake City and after a particularly bumpy landing the pilot said “this plane is only 5 months old!” Well, I was sure glad it wasn’t 15 years old, but not comforting when the pilot feels he needs to tell you that :rolleyes:
It’s no problem carrying it on, either lose cans of beer or bottles of hard stuff. I have done it an several occasions in the past, when I would buy a bottle of gin or some beer on a short business trip, and did not want to leave the remainder behind. The only thing is security will check to see if the seal has been broken. If not, they don’t care. If it has, they will open it and sniff to make sure it is alcohol and not gasoline or something. I probably carried full and partially filled bottles or loose cans of beer at least 20 times over an 8 year period, and never had a problem.
Regarding drinking on the plane, no problem either of two ways. 1) buy the biggest soft drink available, with plenty of ice, mix yourself a strong one in the airport john, and carry it on. Tho I believe you are not supposed to carry on food or drink, I have never been questioned.
2) with the bottle in your bag, simply order mixers and discretely mix your own. Again, the important factor is plenty of ice.
Most of my business flights are relatively short, so I wouldn’t be getting shitfaced on more than one or two stiff gins. But I can well imagine on a longer flight you might want to order a couple of camoflage drinks.
I think the lower pressurization of the cabin at altitude somehow contributes to increased intoxication. As I seem to invite such wonders as wind shear, engine loss, landing gear failure, passengers having medical emergencies, and other planes wandering into my plane’s flight path (no kidding–I’ve been through all of those) I religiously souse myself prior to any lengthy flight, and almost always pass out shortly after takeoff. I usually awaken just prior to landing when the plane is at low altitude. Oftentimes, I awaken strangely lucid. It’s an interesting phenomenon.
Being a drunk flyer is not without its setbacks. Once I awoke to the beautiful sight of lake Erie in the moonlight. That’s all well and good, but I was supposed to be going to Washington, DC. Another time I woke up on the tarmac, expecting to see St. Thomas. Instead I saw Norfolk. That was one of the medical emergency flights. Boy, was I confused that time.
I usually take a couple of flasks with me in my carry-on, just in case. Once I had a Jamaican security guard “test” the contents of my flask to make sure it wasn’t dangerous, but that’s all the flak I’ve ever recieved.
As far as being a danger to self and others on a passenger plane, I think that might be a little unrealistic. If a plane gets itself into a real emergency, you are most likely going to die long before you can endanger anyone. In the extremely unusual case where a plane crashes and there are survivors, a passed-out drunk is quite possibly more likely to survive, because a flaccid drunk can probably withstand a greater impact than a panicked, tense, sober person. And should the plane be burning and passengers need to escape, a drunk will either be 1) dead, 2) passed out and creating the same sort of obstacle the dead people are, or 3) wide awake, panicking, and running like hell for the exit, just like everyone else.
I love it Sofa King–
Here, I’m all embarrassed at being lit when I flew and you come along and not only promote it, but you give some good reasons behind being schnocked on a flight. I particularily like the reasons why a drunk is better than a sober person in a crash. To Hell with embarrassment, I’m going for broke next time!
“I’m relieved to find out I’m not the only one who’s had this happen, however. Other friends have reported the same thing happening to them. They drink what they think is a normal amount on the ground and get completely goofy once they hit cruising altitude.”
It’s not even a flying thing. I bought a book on American rail travel that warned of the heightened effects of alcohol at high altitudes. They said each drink has the power of two – or even more – drinks near sea level, and called it the “Denver cocktail.” (The only place you end up hitting high altitudes in a train is in crossing the Continental Divide, and the highest Amtrak crossing of the CD is through the Rocky Mountains on the California Zephyr. In other words, through Denver.)
Nah, both are a non-issue…especially since so many people buy duty-free liquor overseas to bring home. (Great Dave Barry bit about that, BTW. Spend $5,000 on a trip and brag to your friends about saving $5 on a bottle of Tanquery you’ll never drink just so you can show off what a great deal it was, heh.)
The drinking itself isn’t a problem, they do serve liquor after all, but the issue is more that they don’t know how much you’re drinking if they aren’t the ones serving it to you. I think we can all agree it’s easier to deal with a drinker when we KNOW they’ve been drinking. If you drink with something you brought in yourself and, I don’t know, stumble on the way to the can and pass out or something, they’re likely to think you’re having some sort of medical emergency, not just that you’re self medicated.
That having been said, you can’t go wrong with the vodka in the Evian bottle, or for the more enterprising: the margarita in the Gatorade bottle.
I for one can’t drink when I fly, it makes me even MORE nervous for some reason. A shame really, it’s one of my most favorite pastimes when on the ground!
Okay, there’s the rule. It doesn’t say anything about taking alcoholic beverages aboard the aircraft; but it does prohibit a passenger from drinking it – unless he can get the flight attendant to serve it to him.
gilly –
If you’re going to be in the Seattle area let us know and we’ll set up a local Dopefest for you. We haven’t had one in a while and the mix of posters here in the Pacific NW keeps changing but I’ll bet we could find 6 or 8 of us willing to show up at the same place and the same time.
If that sounds like it might be fun and if your visiting schedule permits we’ll try to set it up. Or start a thread in MPSIMS and see if we can get a group together.
I do know that due to the pressure that rises and falls within the airplane, certain things may explode when they are under too much pressure…