Smid

This isn't a question on being drunk onboard. This is a question of consuming own drink onboard. Clearly, when not drunk.

DYKWIA

There was a scrap on the MAN-AMS 7am departure I was on last year Fortunately, it only kicked off after we'd landed and were taxiing to stand. One lad out of group of about 15 had been obnoxious all through the flight, and a couple of his "mates" had had enough of him.

We were delayed for about 20 minutes awaiting the Dutch Plod to board.

rapidex

I do the night cornish riviera regularly,and there is plenty of drink available.

I also witnessed a passenger from Prague get ambulanced off in STN after drinking half a bottle of absynthe in an hour.He later died in harlow hospital.

Howard Long

IATA have a view on it https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/safety...ol-onBoard.pdf

3.4 Passengers’ personal alcohol

It is advised for airlines to expressly convey that the consumption of personal alcohol is not permitted on board. The consumption of passenger-provided alcohol (e.g. duty free) should be forbidden on board as the cabin crew would not be able to monitor the passenger’s alcohol intake. The unmonitored overconsumption of alcohol may be a catalyst to disruptive and unruly passenger behavior. Some airlines have a policy which permits the cabin crew to confiscate the passenger’s personal alcohol if they are consuming it on board, which would be returned to the passenger at the end of the flight upon deplaning.

I've not actually seen anything specific regarding consumption of own alcohol in any ANO, but the last time I studied this specifically was a few years ago when I took my original PPL exams.

Even before then, it'd long been my understanding that alcohol consumed on board a plane must be served by the crew so that they know how much you've comsumed. Of course that doesn't cover what you might've had before boarding. But it does mean that you can give the crew a bottle of your own grog to open and serve if they agree, and sometimes they won't.

Whether they do allow it or not practically speaking ends up being either dictated through standard operating procedures (if there is a company procedure and the crew know that procedure) or at the whim of the particular crew. At the end of the day, the crew can always fall back to catch all of the ANO "obeying a lawful crew command", and in the absence of knowledge or procedure the easy and understandable answer is always going to be "No".

Before the liquids ban I did BYOB fairly frequently on long haul. Ch d'Yquem, Cheval Blanc, etc. I've done it occasionally a few times since the liquids ban with duty free purchases, with quarter or half bottles of dessert wine when I can find it on carriers that don't offer such wines on long haul, but not recently. I always ask them to open and serve it, and often they offer to chill the whites too. Sometimes it works, other times not, but I work on the basis of not assuming or expecting a positive answer so I'm not disapponted at any outcome.

baggageinhall

The word 'illegal' is oft misused. It's not illegal to bring alcohol onboard or indeed consume your own.

Airlines are free to prohibit it of course. That's a private law issue between the contractual parties (i.e. you and the airline).

FrancisA

Definitely not illegal to drink one's own alcohol and very much down to the airline. Being drunk on board an aircraft is a different matter.

I remember flying Air Zimbabwe from HRE to LHR in the 90s. Announcement was made made that Air Zimbabwe did not provide free alcohol. Expected it to stop then or offer a BoB service. Instead the announcement continued "so passangers may wish to purchase extra duty frees for the journey and the crew will be happy to provide glasses and a selection of mixers."

Great flight back with a bottle of duty free rum!

Flyingturkey

Whats the rules of "Sell on board?" I am keen to open a LHR - ATH or LHR - IST inflight kebab/gyro dining experience

Smid

The law about consumption of alcohol onboard quoted in post #19 tends to come from assumptions of some things:

1) The airline is otherwise typically providing alcohol, probably for free.
2) The person drinking the alcohol is drinking duty free, and thus quite likely to be in quantity.
3) The issue then is monitoring, really. But in reality, this sort of thing was kind of thrown out when they decided we'd pay for things previously included in the price.

However, if BA dropped their fares down to the prices that a Low Service Airline might charge, and did the type of offers like 2 wines for 6 euros (wizzair), 1 wines for £6 (flybe), 3 vokdas for 10 quid (jet2), then I'd perhaps buy from them. At the moment, nope. Not going to do that, personally. Not flying SH in immediately future with BA, but info is useful...

rapidex

I'm sure Kemals kebabs and C-W-S will be happy to consult on that one

Flyingturkey

One only has to get the food hot and ready before service commences. I reckon £5 per kebab, cash or credit and I could easily pay for my LHR - IST flights! At current prices only need 20 sales + costs!!

ginger50

AFAIK bringing your own drink on board to consume is not banned by BA, but as a courtesy to the CC I would let them know so that they can be aware and not concerned.

This thread amuses me because it brings two of my past flights to mind:

Flight 1:

LHR - ANC in 1988. I was with a bunch of engineers and technicians travelling to ANC to board a survey vessel. Our "crew" (for want of a better word) were partial to dark rum and emptied the Y bar of rum in a single round. One of the engineers collard the CSD and asked politely if he could open his bottle of Lambs and if the CC could keep the Coke flowing... "of course sir" he replied. The CSD asked what on earth we were doing getting off at ANC (in those days the flights stopped there to refuel for NRT). When I explained I was soon invited onto the flight deck because the captain was doing an Oceanography degree at the Open University.... ah.... what a memorable flight!

Flight 2:

One of the extra flights laid on by BA to get rugby supporters to the world cup in Sydney in 2003. Well....... all I have to say is what an utterly magnificent effort by the CC to handle a full flight on inebriated supporters intent on singing for 10,000 miles. It was a magnificent flight with - I suspect - several bottles of drink brought on board and not a single problem. A simple glare from a crewmember had the supporters back in their seats and behaving themselves!

TravellerFrequently

I suspect that the volume of passengers bringing on food and drink now will be quite a bit higher than previously but only time will tell.

I assume that BA's model will be based on a certain level of passenger purchase. Large numbers of passengers not buying items and bringing their own items will not assist the income and will lead to extra waste to be managed. In addition, there will be the logistics and costs of providing flights with items that may not be bought (the perishable items will have to be disposed of after a while) and increased fuel to carry the BoB items. Just my thoughts.

I have not flown U2 for 15+ years so do not know how it works there.

Glad that we are now clear that we can bring our own alcohol on board. I wonder if the lounges are now stocked with extra mixers?

Will the crew provide free ice?

FrancisA

I actually think those who are flying Y will change their behaviour. When you are offered free food and drink, you come to accept and expect this. But do you take food or drink on a one or two hour train journey? I know from experience most people do not. On some rail routes catering is provided, but few use it.

The problem here is the legacy carrier model has led to an expectation of free food and drink in Y. Removal is therefore a huge issue, yet increasing the price to cover something not offered by the LCC competition is not acceptable.

What I find rather bizarre is that many of those complains have lounge access and can easily have their fill of food or drink before their flight.

I personally like a drink when I am flying in a comfortable environment and hence will probably stick to CE in future. I also used to have a first class train season ticket which offered seat the same size as Standard, but in a quiet compartment with a high likelihood of empty seats provided the class distinction was enforced. Many would not but that.

ConfusedByBAEC

Now this is interesting. I flew to Toronto with BA (in Y) last year and the chap next to me was told he could not drink his own alcohol on board after he cracked open one of the small bottles of wine.

At first I thought it was because he'd had a few (he told me he was a nervous flyer and it was his way of coping) yet the cabin crew still served him from the trolley.

Are there different rules for LH/TATL or was it more a case of they wanted to monitor his consumption?

orbitmic

Actually, that very much depends on the country! In the UK, very few people bring food onboard trains (although my luck is that whenever I take a train, I get some stinking cheese and onion crisps lover nearby!) but there are many other countries where you literally cannot sit in a wagon without being surrounded by opulent, and sometimes very smelly picnics.

I think that many people are still unaware of BA's new policy, especially outside of the UK, but when this becomes broadly known, I expect the same cultural patterns to reoccur and I am quite certain that flights from some routes will see many passengers bringing ample provisions.

The alcohol bit worries me a little more and again I think that some routes could be more affected than others. There is a reason why airlines like Aeroflot have a very strict policy of not consuming alcohol brought onboard. I could also imagine issues with some holiday routes where people leaving/returning to the UK a bit too excited about their holiday may be tempted to bring supplies for an onboard party.