Drinking age
Dec 22, 2010 | 12:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
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Drinking age
Flew UA837 (NRT-TPE) today.
Asked for champagne after take off as no drinks were served prior to departure.
The flight attendant asked me if I was old enough then told me the drinking age is 21 as per US regulations (I am 20, legal in both Japan and Taiwan).
This is the first time I have been asked my age on any flight.
I kind of feel that part of it was her being lazy as there was no champagne bottle on her cart; she'd have to go back to the galley for it.
Anyway, can anyone confirm the drinking age on UA and share their experiences?
Asked for champagne after take off as no drinks were served prior to departure.
The flight attendant asked me if I was old enough then told me the drinking age is 21 as per US regulations (I am 20, legal in both Japan and Taiwan).
This is the first time I have been asked my age on any flight.
I kind of feel that part of it was her being lazy as there was no champagne bottle on her cart; she'd have to go back to the galley for it.
Anyway, can anyone confirm the drinking age on UA and share their experiences?
Dec 22, 2010 | 12:39 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Not disputing you, or the rule (and I don''t want to fan the fuel of the 21 age min. for drinking)...
but: would this still apply for flights that don't even touch the US, like the OP? (SIN/SGN-HKG, etc).
How could this possibly be enforced?
but: would this still apply for flights that don't even touch the US, like the OP? (SIN/SGN-HKG, etc).
How could this possibly be enforced?
Dec 22, 2010 | 12:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,939
Yeah, I don't make the rules and since I'm well over the drinking age, doesn't impact me much. The planes/operating license are still US-based. I don't know enough about the details, but even if they could, they may just have a blanket rule of "21" to avoid the complexity of country and regional specific laws. Sadly, its easiest to take the lowest (or in this case highest) common denominator. This could be as much UA policy as it is anything else.
Dec 22, 2010 | 2:53 pm
#7
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Dec 22, 2010 | 2:58 pm
#8
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Dec 22, 2010 | 4:28 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 225
One of my friends was flying from Asia to the US, he is under 21, and asked for a drink, they told him the age depends on the country that they are going to. So if you are flying to the US, you have to be 21+, going to say, Hong Kong 18+. But I don't know if it was on UA, it was UA or CX probably.
Dec 22, 2010 | 5:11 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 571
When I was still under age Id order alcohol all the time on CO, either with chits or in F. Either they didnt ask or asked with a subtle just-say-youre-21 sort of hint. Either domestic or international.
If someone could actually point to a regulation that says a US-based carrier must enforce a drinking age, Id like to see it, but as I recall every time this topic has come up the legal consensus has been that there is no drinking age because state law doesnt apply on planes or something along those lines.
IANAL.
If someone could actually point to a regulation that says a US-based carrier must enforce a drinking age, Id like to see it, but as I recall every time this topic has come up the legal consensus has been that there is no drinking age because state law doesnt apply on planes or something along those lines.
IANAL.
Dec 22, 2010 | 6:51 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SEA
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Posts: 731
Drinking age on a plane is always whatever it is in country the operating airline is registered in, regardless of if that aircraft touches its home soil for that flight. The only time this might be different is when the aircraft is still on the ground, in which case it would be subject to whichever drinking age is higher. For example, a Qantas 747 on the ground at LAX will have a drinking age of 21 for the PDB, but goes down to Australia's age of 18 as soon as it takes off.
Of course, YMMV on whether or not these rules are actually enforced by the FAs. I'm not yet 20, yet FAs regularly offer me a drink on domestic US flights without me even asking.
Of course, YMMV on whether or not these rules are actually enforced by the FAs. I'm not yet 20, yet FAs regularly offer me a drink on domestic US flights without me even asking.
Last edited by dabears1020; Dec 22, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Dec 23, 2010 | 5:50 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,251
As IAHRyan pointed out, the United States has no law addressing drinking age. Drinking age in the USA is governed by each state, and there are many nuances. (For example, minors may legally drink in many states under certain circumstances -- in a private residence or with parents permission or at church, etc.).
Dec 23, 2010 | 6:00 am
#14
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This is my exact experience.
Originally Posted by IAHRyan
When I was still under age Id order alcohol all the time on CO, either with chits or in F. Either they didnt ask or asked with a subtle just-say-youre-21 sort of hint. Either domestic or international.
If someone could actually point to a regulation that says a US-based carrier must enforce a drinking age, Id like to see it, but as I recall every time this topic has come up the legal consensus has been that there is no drinking age because state law doesnt apply on planes or something along those lines.
IANAL.
If someone could actually point to a regulation that says a US-based carrier must enforce a drinking age, Id like to see it, but as I recall every time this topic has come up the legal consensus has been that there is no drinking age because state law doesnt apply on planes or something along those lines.
IANAL.