How Much Alcohol do you Drink in Business/First?
Jan 9, 2019, 4:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: London(ish)
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 569
How Much Alcohol do you Drink in Business/First?
I appreciate that there are lots of variables such as whether you're on business or not and length/time of your flight however take a typical lunchtime departure long haul route. How much do you drink on the flight?
If its a day flight to Dubai I guess I'd have a one or two glasses of wine in the lounge but not always then when onboard its 50/50 whether I have the welcome drink. With my meal and for an hour after my meal I'll probably have 3 maybe 4 glasses of wine. Possibly one before landing.
It sounds like a lot but reading trip reports others seem to drink this before departure...
If its a day flight to Dubai I guess I'd have a one or two glasses of wine in the lounge but not always then when onboard its 50/50 whether I have the welcome drink. With my meal and for an hour after my meal I'll probably have 3 maybe 4 glasses of wine. Possibly one before landing.
It sounds like a lot but reading trip reports others seem to drink this before departure...
Jan 9, 2019, 4:45 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,985
Usually either nothing or one glass of wine. Occasionally I might indulge a bit more. Once in a blue moon I'll get quite merry, but generally for me flying and booze don't mix well.
Jan 9, 2019, 4:56 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Mucci: Classe de la Luxe Eternelle
Posts: 817
My usual routine for leisure flights in F/J:
In the lounge:
Three glasses of champagne before lunch
Two glasses of wine with lunch
A cocktail before coffee and dessert
On board:
Two glasses of boarding champagne
A gin and tonic after take off
3 glasses of wine with lunch/dinner
A glass of dessert wine
A digestif
Then an ibuprofen and as much water as they will give me!
In the lounge:
Three glasses of champagne before lunch
Two glasses of wine with lunch
A cocktail before coffee and dessert
On board:
Two glasses of boarding champagne
A gin and tonic after take off
3 glasses of wine with lunch/dinner
A glass of dessert wine
A digestif
Then an ibuprofen and as much water as they will give me!
Jan 9, 2019, 5:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,848
I suspect this will be highly variable. At one extreme you might have @corporate-wage-slave and the other this legendary report from @macabus: 8 bottles of Dom from LAX-BKK on SQ in F
Personally, at present any business class travel is leisure-based, so I will usually have a drink or two. My most recent was a PRG-DOH-PVG and return. The outbound was well timed for PDB of champagne, wine with the meal, and post-meal whisky before Doha. The onward connection also involved some wine and a whisky (I think, my body clock was a bit screwed at that point). By contrast, the return from PVG involved nothing at all, as it was 1am and I was exhausted. I made up for this with a 4am espresso martini in Doha...
Conclusion? Too many variables: flight length, time of day, what one is doing the next day, what company one is in, general “do I feel like alcohol” mood, etc.
Personally, at present any business class travel is leisure-based, so I will usually have a drink or two. My most recent was a PRG-DOH-PVG and return. The outbound was well timed for PDB of champagne, wine with the meal, and post-meal whisky before Doha. The onward connection also involved some wine and a whisky (I think, my body clock was a bit screwed at that point). By contrast, the return from PVG involved nothing at all, as it was 1am and I was exhausted. I made up for this with a 4am espresso martini in Doha...
Conclusion? Too many variables: flight length, time of day, what one is doing the next day, what company one is in, general “do I feel like alcohol” mood, etc.
Jan 9, 2019, 5:11 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Not a lot really - but a fair bit of green tea !. Not a big fan of the bubbly stuff, whether in air or on ground
Maybe one glass of wine with main meal, and a decent cognac after (Hennessy Paradis carried by EK being a favourite). If an especially long sector (say 10 hours +) will have a bloody mary too.
Maybe one glass of wine with main meal, and a decent cognac after (Hennessy Paradis carried by EK being a favourite). If an especially long sector (say 10 hours +) will have a bloody mary too.
Jan 9, 2019, 5:16 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 26
I’ve had four (miniature) bottles of champagne and a single baileys on a LHR-DUB. The crew were pro active and I was the only one in CE. Ordinarily it’s two at most and I don’t believe they stock baileys anymore.
On longhaul I drink very little for fear of having to deal with a hangover on board, which is something I never want to experience again in my life!
On longhaul I drink very little for fear of having to deal with a hangover on board, which is something I never want to experience again in my life!
Jan 9, 2019, 5:26 pm
#9
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,990
Have managed 4 of the 187ml bottles of champagne a few times last year on LBA-LHR which I thought was a decent achievement. My usual is probably more like 2.
Jan 9, 2019, 5:29 pm
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,213
Not a huge amount. I tend not to touch the sauce before boarding.
On long haul, perhaps a glass of the fizzy stuff while I settle into my seat, a Bloody Mary before the meal, and a glass of port to accompany the cheese n crackers.
Lately I’ve been enjoying cranberry juice with a dash of tonic
On long haul, perhaps a glass of the fizzy stuff while I settle into my seat, a Bloody Mary before the meal, and a glass of port to accompany the cheese n crackers.
Lately I’ve been enjoying cranberry juice with a dash of tonic
Jan 9, 2019, 6:13 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Singapore - the hot, little red dot
Programs: BA, SQ
Posts: 861
It really depends on the time of day for me.
A morning flight and I'll not touch the stuff in the lounge. Anything after lunchtime I'll have a beer or two, might indulge in a glass of bubbly if travelling with the wife.
Once on board regardless of time of day I'll take a welcome champagne.
Again depending whether I'll be sleeping after the first meal or not will depend on my alcohol input.
If I intend to sleep (evening flights) I'll have a bloody mary pre-dinner, a G&T as an aperitif and then have a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner. Usually I won't make it through to dessert and will just then fall asleep. I find the alcohol really helps me to sleep faster...
On a day flight on the other hand it'll be a case of once on board I'll drink like I'm down at the pub on a lazy Sunday afternoon e.g. a constant flow of booze.
I don't think I change my drinking habits when flying to my usual routine...
A morning flight and I'll not touch the stuff in the lounge. Anything after lunchtime I'll have a beer or two, might indulge in a glass of bubbly if travelling with the wife.
Once on board regardless of time of day I'll take a welcome champagne.
Again depending whether I'll be sleeping after the first meal or not will depend on my alcohol input.
If I intend to sleep (evening flights) I'll have a bloody mary pre-dinner, a G&T as an aperitif and then have a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner. Usually I won't make it through to dessert and will just then fall asleep. I find the alcohol really helps me to sleep faster...
On a day flight on the other hand it'll be a case of once on board I'll drink like I'm down at the pub on a lazy Sunday afternoon e.g. a constant flow of booze.
I don't think I change my drinking habits when flying to my usual routine...
Jan 9, 2019, 6:20 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 1,736
LPGS is my favourite champagne and do I drink that in the ccr and then maybe 3 glasses on board. Sometimes a nightcap. In CW I haven’t drunk anything the past couple of times as the selection is dismal.
They need a different gin and a good craft beer.
They need a different gin and a good craft beer.
Last edited by Barnaby100; Jan 9, 2019 at 6:26 pm