Buy own alcohol and food from Pret for consumption on board
May 24, 2022, 1:01 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
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Highlife magazine has for a number of years (pre-pandemic) contained wording to say that you shouldn’t consume your own booze onboard so maybe that’s where you saw it. However that wording seems to have been dropped from the most recent issue.
May 24, 2022, 1:09 pm
#17
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That was added during the parts of the pandemic where alcohol was restricted.
May 24, 2022, 1:32 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
Consuming your own alcohol *is* permitted onboard. However, crew reserve the right to confiscate it should behaviour become disruptive. There are also further actions we can take. It’s also worth noting that being drunk onboard an aircraft is an offence.
Not that these will apply to the OP, I’m sure they are wholly responsible.
Not that these will apply to the OP, I’m sure they are wholly responsible.
May 24, 2022, 1:48 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 847
However I note and believe what MFCC says.
May 24, 2022, 4:04 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DMM / YLW
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 34
Hi All, we were browsing the highlife pre order food and drink for short haul economy and have come to realise what a rip off it is. Pret at Heathrow sell fabulous food for takeaway along with little 2 glass bottles of wine and plastic glasses. Question is, is it ok to enjoy this onboard or are the crew going to be upset about it?
Pro tip for staying under the radar: Just wait until the drinks have been served. Ask for water so you can have one of their glasses to drink from. And be careful asking for straight ice. That will raise suspicions. Always ask for ice water if you want ice.
May 24, 2022, 4:45 pm
#21
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May 24, 2022, 5:31 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Posts: 1,251
At Faro recently a pax across the aisle from me walked on board with a plastic takeaway cup of wine, presumably brought from one of the bars at the airport. FA questioned her about it but from what I overheard it was fine so long as she wasn't topping up from her own duty free bottle or whatever. This was on a "BA operated by Finnair" flight.
May 24, 2022, 5:57 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 494
I have a vague recollection from years ago of a rule that any alcohol to be consumed on board must be poured a a member of cabin crew. That was not necessarily a BA rule, it could have been one from BEA, BOAC or even Pan AM or TWA.
The case of a passenger drinking straight from the bottle was not addressed explicitly, but I can imagine a stewardess (then current terminology) being asked to pour the gin down the passenger's throat.
The case of a passenger drinking straight from the bottle was not addressed explicitly, but I can imagine a stewardess (then current terminology) being asked to pour the gin down the passenger's throat.
May 24, 2022, 6:48 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,607
I've asked for a glass of ice dozens of times on many airlines -- usually because of the cabin being kept at sauna temperatures which is a whole 'nother thread. I can't vouch that the crew wasn't watching to see if I poured anything into it as I just happily munched on my ice. But I never got any hesitation or suspicious questions when I asked and they always happily provided it.
May 24, 2022, 8:31 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2015
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I wouldn’t have an issue buying on board, but BA don’t take cash unlike all competitors (from what I can see). So buying at Pret or similar (which of course do take cash) and taking onboard is a viable alternative for some.
May 25, 2022, 12:38 am
#27
Join Date: Oct 2006
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My local Pret is card only with a sign saying it's "part of trial to be expanded across all Prets" so not for long
May 25, 2022, 12:46 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,770
May 25, 2022, 1:30 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 557
In a lot of countries a business need a license to poor/sell alcohol, and such licenses forbid the consumption of your own. Not sure about the rules in UK, but in a lot of countries this is also including the airlines and they need a strict rule. Please just have that in mind if you go on other carriers. (Unsure about what alcohol license is in force when AY is operating on behalf of BA as wet-lease)
May 25, 2022, 1:35 am
#30
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I haven’t travelled in ET for a while; is tea and coffee free again, or is it just a bottle of water?