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Am I Allowed To Bring and Consume Mini-Bottles of Alcohol on a Flight?

Am I Allowed To Bring and Consume Mini-Bottles of Alcohol on a Flight?

Old Jan 23, 2013, 6:46 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by Long Zhiren
No consumption of any non-prescription alcohol from any other source. I learned this the hard way. .
Where do I get a prescription?
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:15 pm
  #32  
 
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Talking

Originally Posted by y2k1jetta
You can sit next to me, I will shield you anytime in E+ if you share.

FYI, I am doing a trial run of this next week, I need to save a few pennies, 6 drinks at $7 each on a 2 hour fly is adding up. Then I have another 3 hour flight for another 6.
At least you have the common decency to slow down to 2 per hour on the second flight. I'm assuming this is after 6-7 in the club?

You guys can sit next to me anytime. I won't look so bad. (-:
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:38 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by Derek
Where do I get a prescription?
Ireland.
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:44 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Builderman
It's illegal to drink alcohol on a plane unless it is served to you by the crew.
I can buy a bottle of sake and drink it on the plane on JAL, ANA and many others.

Which law is being broken on a UA flight from Tokyo to an Asian destination?
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:45 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Long Zhiren
No consumption of any non-prescription alcohol from any other source. I learned this the hard way. The Alaska Airlines crew confiscated the mini bottle that I got from a connecting flight. If the crew was strict and in a bad mood, they would have fined me.
An airline has no authority to "confiscate" anything nor do they have the ability to fine you. The only thing they can do is forward the information to the appropriate authorities. The only fine defined in the law is against the airline for allowing you to consume the alcohol. The only fine you could be liable for is for not complying with aircrew instructions but if you stopped when asked that would not apply.
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:46 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
I can buy a bottle of sake and drink it on the plane on JAL, ANA and many others.

Which law is being broken on a UA flight from Tokyo to an Asian destination?
The same regulation cited above that applies to UA as a US-based carrier? Just a wild guess.
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:48 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Ejote
The same regulation cited above that applies to UA as a US-based carrier? Just a wild guess.
how can they enforce a US law on a Japanese citizen flying from Japan to Hong Kong?
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 7:50 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
how can they enforce a US law on a Japanese citizen flying from Japan to Hong Kong?
There might be a side business here for you

On second thought, there might be a conflict of interest here for you...

Last edited by emcsweeney; Jan 23, 2013 at 8:13 pm
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 8:09 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
how can they enforce a US law on a Japanese citizen flying from Japan to Hong Kong?
Perhaps by phoning ahead to HKG and asking the law enforcement officers meet the flight upon arrival and then alleging facts that cause the person to be taken into custody?

As a US citizen, I'm not about to test how CX plans to enforce Hong Kong aviation law against me when I'm flying from NRT to HKG or LAX to HKG or HKG to NRT. I'll leave it to others to sort out the conflicts of laws questions by personal experience.
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 8:23 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by FWAAA
Originally Posted by mike_asia
how can they enforce a US law on a Japanese citizen flying from Japan to Hong Kong?
Perhaps by phoning ahead to HKG and asking the law enforcement officers meet the flight upon arrival and then alleging facts that cause the person to be taken into custody?

As a US citizen, I'm not about to test how CX plans to enforce Hong Kong aviation law against me when I'm flying from NRT to HKG or LAX to HKG or HKG to NRT. I'll leave it to others to sort out the conflicts of laws questions by personal experience.
Call ahead for what? I have brought my own liquor on flights from NRT to HKG on Asian carriers no problem do you think China cares about USA laws?
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 8:48 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
Call ahead for what? I have brought my own liquor on flights from NRT to HKG on Asian carriers no problem do you think China cares about USA laws?
Many here have also brought their own liquor onto US flights despite it being against the law here ... that doesn't mean it's legal. Aviation law is a pretty tricky subject, but you can rest assured that if a crew wanted to come down on you for violating the law, they would probably have little difficulty making your life difficult ... fortunately, there is little incentive for anyone to do so in any of these cases unless you cause such a disturbance that you have bigger issues anyway.
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 9:17 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Derek
Where do I get a prescription?
Here in California, medicinal marijuana is all the rage now.
It's only a matter of time before people are lighting up again on flights because of medical ailments of course, starting with the pilots and air traffic controllers? woo-hoo. bam. JAL 123 re-play minus other causes.

I seem to remember that certain liquors have certain medicinal properties so why not?

Originally Posted by n9536j
An airline has no authority to "confiscate" anything nor do they have the ability to fine you. The only thing they can do is forward the information to the appropriate authorities. The only fine defined in the law is against the airline for allowing you to consume the alcohol. The only fine you could be liable for is for not complying with aircrew instructions but if you stopped when asked that would not apply.
Well, I did hand it over. So it was all false authority and false threats, and the flight crew got themselves a bottle to enjoy?

Last edited by iluv2fly; Jan 23, 2013 at 10:33 pm Reason: merge
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 9:40 pm
  #43  
 
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I'm a regulatory lawyer and wish to clear a few things up (obligatory: this isn't legal advice!).

Serving yourself alcohol on a U.S. commercial flight is a regulatory offense, but it is not a crime. 14 C.F.R. 121.575(a) states that "[n]o person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage to him." Violating this regulation is punishable by a civil penalty (i.e., a fine) of up to $1,100. 49 U.S.C. 46301.

According to FAA Order No. 2150.3 at 271, individuals who "drink[] [an] alcoholic beverage not served by [the] carrier" are to be fined the "maximum" penalty (i.e., $1,100).

I do not know how often passengers are actually fined by the FAA for violating 14 C.F.R. 121.575(a). But it has happened before. In 2010, a Continental Airlines passenger named Clare Elaine Spearing was fined $1,100 for violating 121.575(a). (Figures it was a PMCO FA who turned the passenger in !)

Here is an excerpt from the FAA Administrative Law Judge's opinion:

Respondent [Spearing] had purchased a bottle of champagne that she then carried with her aboard the aircraft. Once on board the aircraft, Respondent [Spearing] is alleged to have poured herself a glass of the champagne she had carried on board. A flight attendant subsequently instructed Respondent to refrain from drinking the champagne. Ignoring the flight attendant's request, the complaint says, Respondent proceeded to drink the champagne she had poured.
In the Matter of Clare Elaine Spearing, FAA Docket No. CP10EA0003, DMS No. FAA-2010-0313, 2010 WL 3181341 (Aug. 3, 2010).

So if you bring booze on a plane and serve yourself, realize there's a nonzero possibility you could be fined up to $1,100 by the FAA. If you cannot bear the prospect of paying such a fine, you should probably pay the $7 to UA for their crap cocktails. Whether violating 121.575(a) is rational or not, well, that's your call!

Last edited by jbsay; Jan 23, 2013 at 10:58 pm
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Old Jan 23, 2013, 10:34 pm
  #44  
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As this is not just UA-specific, I am moving this thread to TravelBuzz! for more general comments.

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Old Jan 23, 2013, 10:38 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by andyh64000
Not to pick nits but the Booze that UA serves in minis is $1-2 at the liquor store.
Let me know which liquor store sells minis of brands I know for $1.00.
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