Red_Rob

You can save even more by having your drink in a paper bag for your drive afterwards instead of stopping at the bar mid drive

rcheneyjr

Just wondering...what is the reason that this is illegal?

y2k1jetta

My car service driver knows what I need and has it at pickup. He's appreciated every week.

cordelli

Because there are reasons people should not be served, and if you are serving yourself you would probably ignore those reasons

No certificate holder may serve any alcoholic beverage to any person aboard any of its aircraft who—
(1) Appears to be intoxicated;
(2) Is escorting a person or being escorted in accordance with 49 CFR 1544.221; or
(3) Has a deadly or dangerous weapon accessible to him while aboard the aircraft in accordance with 49 CFR 1544.219, 1544.221, or 1544.223.
(c) No certificate holder may allow any person to board any of its aircraft if that person appears to be intoxicated.

jetaway96

Amen. Thank you.^

villox

Some airlines (I don't believe UA is one of them) have a self-serve bar in First and Business on int'l flights. I've wondered how they are able to comply with this regulation:

"No person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage to him."

I helped myself to some wine on a JL flight from NRT-BOS... do foreign carriers not have to comply with these regulations too, or is the definition of "served" liberal enough to include "present"?

FWAAA

There are some areas where the federal government lacks the power (or the will) to impose its rules on other countries (or their airlines) and the alcohol rules are one of those areas. Thus, JAL (or QF) must follow the Japanese (or Australian) laws on alcohol served aboard their flights and are free to ignore the FARs. UA, DL, AA, US and every other USA-carrier must abide by the FARs.

Not all that different from the decision to ground the 787. The FAA order applies to USA-carriers operating the 787 (UA is currently the only one). Other countries were free to ground or permit the 787 to fly. Obviously, given the huge risk that a fire posed, they chose safety.

Mad_Max_Esq

I can see that the section of the CFR clearly states that you cannot serve yourself, but I do not see any section identifying the penalties for violating the regulation. Is it in another chapter?

ETA: I see that paragraph (d) of 121.575 requires "Each certificate holder shall, within five days after the incident, report to the Administrator the refusal of any person to comply with paragraph (a) of this section, or of any disturbance caused by a person who appears to be intoxicated aboard any of its aircraft."

Does it go on your permanent record?!!

villox

I doubt you'd be reported if they catch you - you would probably only be in trouble if you refused to obey their orders to stop serving yourself. Even then it seems highly unlikely anything would truly come of such a thing.

Builderman

Yes. As someone said earlier in this thread, the reason the regs exist is not so that you have to buy the airline's booze, but so that the crew can cut you off if you may become a problem at 36,000 feet.

IflyfromABE

Ok.
Here is some math, I hope you find helpful:

- Miniature bottles of booze at the liquor store: $3-4
- free drink on UA coupons on ebay: $2-3

Hope it helps.

andyh64000

Not to pick nits but the Booze that UA serves in minis is $1-2 at the liquor store.

Long Zhiren

No consumption of any non-prescription alcohol from any other source. I learned this the hard way. The Alaska Airlines crew confiscated the mini bottle that I got from a connecting flight. If the crew was strict and in a bad mood, they would have fined me. [A nice Horizon flight crew made it up to me from that experience and snuck a full unopened 750 ml wine bottle to me during a flight! Yep. I'll fly Horizon again!]

I hear that Aeroflot has a different kind of practice going, despite the "official" policy. Maybe it's their flight quality, but the frequent fliers do usually bring and consume their own alcohol, from the duty free shops, etc.

What I want to know is what kind of mixers can I get and bring. I'm getting really tired of the alcoholic drink offerings on different airlines. UA metal (ie not CO metal) has amaretto. If I could get a sour mix, I could make myself an amaretto and sour.

JDS747

Learn something new everyday! I had no idea people sold them on ebay.

But as another posted, the bottles UA serves can usually be bought for $1-2.

cooljazz

I hadn't thought about going to ebay to buy drink vouchers, but when I did, most of the coupons I see right now are 5 bucks per drink voucher, which is different from $2-3 per.