Lisa Kulpa, co-founder of the Basic Travel Couple blog as well as a member of the cabin crew of a major airline, has explained why flight attendants stop customers from drinking aboard planes
A flight attendant has shared the item passengers should never bring with them on a plane. Lisa Kulpa, co-founder of the Basic Travel Couple blog as well as a member of the cabin crew of a major airline, has warned against passengers bringing their own alcohol aboard a flight. The reason isn’t so that the airline can flog more of the own booze, but for safety reasons.
“Please, please, please do not bring personal alcohol and consume it during the flight. We need to know (for your safety and those around you) if you are intoxicated,” she told the Points Guy. “By serving you alcohol in flight, we can monitor how much you are drinking. Alcohol affects you differently at higher altitudes, and if you are suddenly passed out or something goes wrong, we won’t know the reason.”
As well as potentially causing flight attendants some issues – particularly if you go really overboard with the drink – it could land you on hot water if you’re flying in the wrong country. In the US consuming personal alcohol on a flight can lead to a hefty fine. Lisa noted that it’s a federal offence in the US that could be met with a fine stretching into the thousands of pounds.
In the UK you can also bring alcohol onboard the plane as long as it was bought in the airside departure lounge, it is unopened and it is lower than 70% ABV. It must also be packed either in an airport shopping bag or in your cabin bag. Passengers are forbidden from drinking any booze when flying, unless it was bought onboard.