On a mission
 

I recently instructed my 78th AA FC attendant in the making of a "French 75," my goal for this year was to reach 100 FAs. Likely to settle into my plat status with little or no flying until 2014. Will I reset the counters?
P.S. On board it is made only with cognac and champagne.

I don't drink that much these days, too much work and school work. The plane is kind of a break for me sometimes, and is usually the start or end of a vacation so I like to have a few celebratory drinks. I also fly a lot of redeyes and it's much easier to go to sleep with a subtle, relaxed buzz. The only time I drink heavily in the air is if I'm traveling with a friend (or the FA is quick with the refills).

I don't mind other people drinking heavily, I've never really seen anyone get out of hand...generally they just get hammered and pass out. As long as they aren't driving when they get off the plane then it's no harm to anyone else!

[QUOTE=Elevate;21921193]I used to drink regularly or heavily (if one believes the medical profession's definition of heavy drinking!) regardless of whether it was directly out of my own pocket in a bar/from a supermarket or "free" in an airline lounge/in a hotel club lounge/on a plane.

I stopped completely one month ago as my travel schedule intensified greatly this year and I find I just cannot honestly operate nearly as well on frequent zone/country/culture changes when the body is also recovering from alcohol. I used to hold the view oft-expressed by some here that it helps as an anesthetic and a brain number but now feel quite differently as I am more alert on arrival in a new locale.

Now I just wish airlines would introduce a non-alcoholic J class fare so that I my reduce my travel costs by not having to subsidise the copious champagne/whisky intake of some fellow passengers! QUOTE]

Perhaps I misunderstand? But it sounds like you quit drinking alcohol one month back and want the world/people/airlines around you to change? :confused:
What about all the non drinkers while you were "drinking heavily"?
I don't drink alcohol at all but am perfectly happy to see others indulge or overindulge as I am neither their conscience nor an enforcement person of any kind (unless they fall on me or throw up on me of course - then it bothers me :)

When I flew F on TG, the flight attendants were weirded out when I declined their offers for alcohol. They asked several times and asked if I was sure. Alcohol has no value to me.

However, I was more than happy to eat the caviar. :p

I drink maybe once a week at home. Primarily because I don't want the extra calories. But flying - if I am not going to be driving & don't have business on arrival, I'll have a couple, sometimes three. Maybe 1 every few hours. If in F or J, it's sort of a break from home where I don't like to drink in front of the kids. I've never seen another PAX completely smashed, but maybe some of them just absorb the booze better than me; I'm only 160#.

Where a PDB helps is to relax and watch the boarding street circus when you know a flight is packed and you see all the signs of pax strife; e.g., rebooks/delays, multiple large bags, double deck strollers, gate lice already using profanity at the gate...

True, which plays a large part in my preference for seats with direct aisle access. :D

My company recently adopted a policy that discourages working in airplanes or other public areas where proprietary information could be potentially be exposed, so this really is down time for me. A couple cocktails with dinner, a movie or reading followed by a nap is my preferred method of enjoying a long flight.

I'd love to drink heavily. Unfortunately, as I have been flying mostly AC on my longhauls this year, the wine selection certainly doesn't encourage it. AC doesn't carry what I would consider premium spirits either (e.g. no Beefeater or Tanqueray) so after a drink or two, I get heartburn. Honestly, I think on the flights out of North America, people are drinking less than in previous years. It's a trend in the workplace as well. When I first started working, people from the office would head out on Fridays to a bar and get bladdered or when flying, would drown themselves in booze. At the office now, people dash of to the gym or home etc.
I only fly J on longhauls and most pax don't over do it. On the other hand, I've been on some flights to certain destinations (e.g. florida during springbreak, or EU to Thailand) where the pax are drowning in the booze. Considering the cramped legroom on flights now, I do understand why some pax need a few drinks. It dulls the pain.

If heavy drinking is a concern there is always the Egyptair or Saudia option. Mind you, after an hour sitting on one of those planes, you just might want to become a heavy drinker.

pollution control; professional tips
 

Agree with those who say a drink or two or ten makes the process less stressful, but also don't want to be so polluted I can't think quickly when IROP or Shena N. Iggans rears her ugly head.

Professional-strength tips for 24-7-365 use here: http://www.ModernDrunkard.com

I am a moderate drinker whether on terra firma or aloft. Wine with dinner, perhaps a port or brandy afterwards which is not much different than when at home. An exception will be made if a good scotch is being offered and I might have one on the homeward leg of a long business trip but never on the outbound journey.

Getting plastered on an airplane never made much sense for me. Feeling like crap when you land isn't worth it.

As I've mentioned in other threads, I spent part of my childhood in Saudi Arabia, where the expat schools end after 9th grade. Consequently, you'd have a huge influx of expat kids in the 15-21 year age bracket into the country during school breaks. Certain routes (Dhahran-Amsterdam-???, for example) where very popular, and you could expect all of coach to be filled with kids, many of whom knew each other. To say it was a party was an understatement.

I remember one flight where my best friend and I were sitting toward the back of the plane. By the time the drink cart got to us, our choices were something disgusting (Cointreau?) and something equally disgusting. But when you've been swiping your parents moonshine for your entire vacation, anything with an actual label seems like an improvement.

(Oh, and woe to be the kid whose parents dilly dallied on booking flights and who got stuck flying Saudia.)

I'm with you.

Yeah, I'll have a drink if it's free. Which doesn't happen that often these days, since I mostly fly Economy. One or two drinks is the maximum - I don't want to be drunk when I land and have to figure out a strange airport/public transportation system.

Most of my flights this year were early morning departures and no matter what time is, there's always someone having having a beer or two before boarding at HEL. I guess it's a "going on vacation" thing for some people, but I would rather have coffee at 6 am.

ah yes, I remember when I first started working (late 70's) and I had a client that would take me out to 2-3 Martini lunches (while I was 21, I held my liquor reasonably well) after which I had to present to the President of a division a Fortune 500 company. I guess I was cogent and they became one of my company's largest clients so it must not have been an impediment.

There are agressive drinker, jovial drinker, I'm a sleepy drinker. A few glasses will make me sleep so much better, which is a major advantage on a plane.

I don't know. I'm not a drinker, so . . . I'm happy with my Diet Coke and chamomile with honey. As for others, as long as they are not obnoxiously drunk, whatever.

ahem... may I suggest that most people in this thread, on FT and general flying public do not know what 'heavy drinking on flights' is?

If you'd like to experience this, get on one of charter flights going from Russia to Egypt or Thailand.

... or join me on a LH First Class Flight ;)

Do people on LH's F start fights once airborne? Russian airliners have database on about >2000 people who become intoxicated and started beating other pax/FA during the flights. Vast majority of them are from those charter flights.

Nope. But I consider 3 bottles of Louise + half a bottle of JW Blue still "heavy drinking" ;)

When I saw that HEL was the departure point, it reminded me of the boat ride I took (many years ago) from Stockholm to Helsinki--lots of Swedes and Finns ride this overnight boat just to drink, they are escaping the high liquor taxes in their home countries, all prices on the boat are duty free.

There are bunch of boat rides in those countries, they are called 'drunk cruises' there - cruise to nowhere, just get out from the territorial waters and get access to DF alcohol and come back in 24 hours.

Yes three or 4 drinks would be what I have too.

I agree with this and it is one of my reasons.

Or a Russian or German. Mind you some of us Brits can hold our own too!!

Absolutely.


Recently in BE I had a PDB in MCI, two mid flight and then 2 in the ATL Skyclub. I then had a glass of Champagne as my TATL PDB, then 1 Woodford and 3 different wines. I finished off with a glass of Port with the cheese. I suppose that is classed as fairly heavy drinking.

Oh BTW- I enjoy drinking. Nobody has mentioned this so far - some, myself included, drink because we enjoy it. ^

If the booze is part of the ticket like on Lufthansa or British Airways in coach a lot of passengers would imbibe if given the chance especially if the drinking age is lower than on US carriers.

Now when I travel I do enjoy drinking but not to the point of getting so drunk that I don't know where I am.

I'll start the flight with an aperitif before the meal. On Lufthansa they usually have Campari, Gin and Tonic Vodka or beer.

With the meal I'll go with Sparkling Wine or Red Wine.

After the meal I'll go for either the Cognac or Bailey's Irish Cream that LH serves in coach.

In between meals if the flight is long enough I'll ask for more Cognac or a beer etc.

Before landing I like having a Warsteiner Beer.

Everyone handles alcohol differently and when I go to the airline lounge before a flight I do like to have something as it eases the stresses of travel.

I do sleep better when I've had something to drink and before you know it the flight is almost over after watching the IFE.

I was on a flight where this passenger was cut off from alcohol and he was being aggressive with the flight attendant.

I have never been cut off on land or in the air as I know how much I can handle. And remember 1 glass in the air is like 2 glasses on land.

Now in between I will drink Water, Orange Juice and Bitter Lemon to rehydrate. A lot of the after effects come from being dehydrated. My rule is 2-3 glasses of water or OJ for every alcoholic beverage and I have not gotten a hangover.

I also feel that I don't get sick when I drink on the plane as on my last trips I came home healthy and got over my jetlag quickly.

I don't know about you but when I drink on the plane it seems like the flight went by so quickly. I have tested this out on a SJC-LAX flight and on a MUC-SFO flight and needless to say if I drink moderately I feel that I can sleep better. I put on the relaxing channel on a decent volume and fall asleep pretty quickly.

If you have to pay for the booze then that is a totally different ballgame.

I think all companies should adhere to this policy. What if someone accidentally spills a drink on the company's laptop.

What if you need to be on schedule to attend important meetings.

I think flights should be downtime to enjoy the experience and drink here and there.

I hate it when people drink heaps just because it's 'free'.

I also hate sporting events where men (usually) get out of their seat every 5 minutes and get in your way so they can go and get their 46th refill for the night.

Drinking really helps me with jet lag. When going to EU I try to down 2 or 3 red wines and they knock me out completely for the rest of the flight. A lot of people take drugs, I take different approach. ;)

Earth to danielonn - Who cares?

One person's interpretation of heavy drinking can be vastly different from another person.
I can go on a 6-9hr flight, have 5-7 drinks and feel fresh and ready to go when I land, conversely I don't feel good at all if I take meds to sleep.
My mother would have 2 glasses of wine and be loopy...
As long as you know your reasonable limit, and don't get stupid in flight, go nuts.
I especially enjoy the first/business premium alcohols which I might not go for on a regular basis at home.

I don't care what others do while they fly, as long as they don't disturb me or create a safety issue (i.e., sit in an exit row and get intoxicated to the point they cannot help in an emergency).

If folks want to drink inflight because they don't have to drive when they get off the plane, or they find it "soothing", or for any other reason, who am I to stop them. Do I think they should stay hydrated? Sure. But I'm not hesitant to drink on a plane if I'm in first class or business class. If I've had a rough day and want to unwind a bit, I'll even splurge on a drink or two in coach class.

I'll ask the OP - why does it matter to you, unless folks are getting rowdy or creating a safety hazard.

Do you also hate puppies and rainbows? :D

Free booze is a perfectly cromulent reason to drink more. What other incentive would be needed?

I wouldn't have to get up 46 times at the match if they would allow me to take a commensurate amount of beer to my alcohol needs back to my seat every time. Usually, I can only take two smallish beers back with me, and that doesn't last long.

I knocked back four beers on my DUB-JFK flight yesterday then passed out for 2 hours. It's free, so why not?

Only 4? That is normally the amount I drink before take off ;)

Best 2 workarounds for this I have seen, both at cricket and neither particularly politically correct:
- Newlands: the brewery running the beer stand brought in a number of women, who had the job of being the +1, thus letting someone get 4 beers not 2. They would follow the person back to their seat, hand over beers, and then go and help the next person.
- Old Trafford: no purchase limit other than what you could carry: a group of lads had one spare ticket, and had brought along a waitress who had sole job of ferrying beers to and fro all day. Not sure if she watched much of the match, but presumably got a decent tip for her efforts.

Lol. I'm a lightweight (only 145lbs). 4 in 35 minutes got me pretty hammered.

OK, for a girl, that's pretty good (I'm just kidding ;) )

How's a 2:33 marathoner sound hahaha.

I just need a girlfriend. Wonder if there's a correlation between weight and lack of girlfriend.

I weight 138lb and I'm 5'11. Have been married for seven years and all attempts by my wife to fatten me up has failed. Which she admits.

I like to drink when I fly because I hate to fly and it helps me sleep . Long flights it is mandatory to sleep or the flight seems to take an eternity .

"I hate to fly" - nice first post! ^

Honestly, I don't mind drinking on flights. It's a way to unwind and relax, especially before trying to get some sleep on a long haul flight. On most of my business trips, they are sub 2 hour flights on the east coast so it doesn't make much sense.

The one flaw with drinking heavily on a plane, is having to get up every 20 minutes to go to the bathroom. Well, my flaw at least :D.