I thought I had read that one was able to bring their own wine on board and enjoy it during the flight IF the cork was removed by a FA.

Liquor and beer were not allowed.

If you are in biz or F this is a mute issue.

But for those economy flights?

Some time ago I posed this question to some FAs on an AA flight. They told me that a pax could bring his/her own wine and, as you mentioned, it had to be opened and served by a Flight Attendant. They went on to say that the practice was discouraged and they assessed each situation indivdually based upon the presentation of the passenger and how busy they were. Since Sep. 11, though, I wonder if any airline would allow it.

Hello, Chicago Wine Lovers!

This was first a question of mine when I used to fly PanAm from Europe to the U.S.

The response I always got was pretty much "Don't ask, don't tell".

I think it is officially frowned upon (there are probably FAA/airline regulations).

If it's domestic U.S., you can probably wait. Or befriend a FA.

If it's international, they serve wine in Y (screwtop), so if you bring your own:

1) You need to get your corkscrew past security

2) Open your nice bottle of wine with discretion and enjoy

don't forget that your friendly, helpful and efficient soon-to-be government employee security agent at the checkpoint may make you open that sealed bottle. i mean, it could be a "beaujolais cocktail". of course, they'll first make you open it with your own corkscrew (which they will then confiscate), then make you drink it right from the bottle (without letting it breathe), and then probably find an excuse to keep the cork! so the corking fee in this case is probably a moot point!



------------------
All Hail Mighty Oregon!

GO DUCKS GO!

duxfan,

LOL!

Thanks for the levity. Sometimes it's almost as good as the wine.

thanks, i've learned it depends on the cheese you serve with it...

sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! i just happened to get lucky today.

The federal laws in most western countries prohibit the consumption of alcohol not supplied by the licenced carrier. This is also part of the standard international/IATA transport agreement on the use of alchohol in flight, or even on trains crossing state or international boundaries. For domestic airlines, they are not only bound by these federal statutes and international agreements, but also by state or provincial liquor laws. In all cases, consumption of non-carrier supplied alcohol is a breach of license which can result in the loss of the privilege to serve alcohol on flights into/out of the respective jurisdiction(s). This holds for both the United States and Canada, and I expect other countries as well.

It is also the reason you cannot open your duty free alcohol on a flight.

Add to that the whole issue of "air rage" which has often resulted from the clandestine consumption of non-airline supplied alcohol -- particularly in commercial coach cabins -- and I think you will find even those crews who in the past might have adopted the "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" approach, are less sanguine about it today.

Obviously you could always try to smuggle on some Sauvignon Blanc in your Evian bottle, or a Cabernet in a darker plastic screw top Coke bottle, but that's up to you. I have never had my carry-on water bottle opened [to test for petrol or vodka] or confiscated. Now that even the airlines must have their fine wines opened by catering prior to departure -- no corkscrews, screwpulls and the like -- opening a regular bottle of wine in flight will be an interesting act to achieve.

That only makes sense. You can't for example, bring liquor into or out of a bar in most places. I'm not surprised they don't let you bring liquor on board a plane and consume it.

If you can't do it at a bar, where there are bouncers to throw you out if you cause problems and cops to take you away if you get really out of hand, there is no way in hell it makes sense to let you do it on a plane where you are on there for the duration of the flight.

Especially in light of the incidents where drunk passengers have done things like, well, make a mess of themselves on the food cart.

Good point, Shareholder. I was making light of a subject that can be very serious.