The Air Transport Association, the industry's Wash based trade group, said, "This proposal is poor public policy that would unilaterally penalize the hundreds of millions of cooperative, law-abiding passengers because of the disruptive, rude, and often illegal conduct of a few."

Flight crews also oppose the Feinstein plan, but from a different viewpoint. The Association of Flight Attendants says airlines should limit passengers to one drink at a time during flights, and stop serving alcohol before takeoff.

The FAA, which reported 314 incidents involving "unruly" pax last year, says it may study possible connections between drinking and "air rage."