will american airlines serve a 19-year-old on a flight to europe? does the american drinking age apply to an american flight over international waters?
(1) Airliners (just like boats) are governed by the laws of the country of registration. So an American-registered airplane would (I expect) limit alcohol to people over the age of 21.
(2) I vaguely remember/heard somewhere/happened to a friend of a friend… that airlines may have policies about serving alcohol on planes which exceed the legal limits. That is, Scruff-Air (being an american-based airline) would be legally prevented from serving alcohol to people under the age of 21. But I might have as a policy “No alcohol to anyone under the age of 25” and that’s that.
I took American Airlines to Germany when I was 19. They had no probibitions about serving me alcohol then. Plus, being an international flight, it was free! 'Course, that was back in 1992, so things could’ve changed.
Balt, Scruff is right: The American laws are in effect on board of American plane in flight over international airspace. Besides, the “international law” regulates relations between countries, not the drinking age.
The fact that you got served may have just been them not carding you; however, I’d bet airplanes are less strict than, say, a bar or liquor store when it comes to underage drinking. Who knows, though. Doesn’t hurt to try. Heh.
I know someone who, last May, flew from Minneapolis to Rome. She was 18 at the time, and they served her, no problem. This was, I think, Northwest Airlines. Whether or not they were legally allowed to do so or not, I don’t know. She also got served liquor departing from Europe, out of Amsterdam.
Damn straight. I was regularly served beer on domestic flights from age 16 onward. And I turned 21 in 1991. I doubt things have changed much.
And if you want to drink for free, pay them with a 50 dollar bill. Likely they won’t have change during the start of drink service, and they’ll just give you a few drinks hoping to collect later. Most of the time they forget to.
Is there a federal law restricting alcohol to only those over 21? I thought each state was “encouraged” to pass their own law individually. If an airline did serve to a minor, what legal proceeding could the US take?
There’s no federal law in re: to a drinking age, but the Feds have strongly um, ahem … “encouraged” states to make it 21 – by cutting highway funding to states which don’t comply. They all do.
Uh, yeah, I forgot this very important point. Outside of US airspace, there are no state laws governing the drinking age – US law wouldn’t say anything, so I would presume that the airline can serve whomever it pleases.
I seem to recall something from a year or two ago (that maybe I read on the old AOL Straight Dope) about state laws governing airlines over the state airspace. It had something to do with beer, or returnable bottles, or something. Anybody have any idea what I’m talking about? Sadly, I don’t 
Well, I’ve been poking around, and have so far only come up with a negative (and everyone knows you can’t prove a negative…)
CFR135 states:
So the US FAA CFR (governing operating requirements for commercial/air transport operation) doesn’t mention an age limit. The search continues…
Well, I’m at work right now with an office full of potential eavesdroppers, so I won’t do this myself right now… but has anyone just tried calling an airline and asking what their policy is?