In Seattle this week I saw a man being refused to board a redeye AA flight 'cos he was drunk. Not falling-down but not focussed and unsteady. What guidelines if any do the flight crew/secruity follow about this?

Feetup'n lovin it!

That reminds of long layovers. Think repeatedly of liquor lovers? Then respond officially, lacking libel.

If you watched "Airlines" you'll see how Southwest denied boarding to a drunk and a couple who was thought to be drunk.

welcome to FT, by the way.

Watched a couple get plastered on an 80 minute hop BRS-AMS once. They'd brought a bottle of vodka on which the FA took away but by the time we reached AMS the woman couldn't even stand. We watched slightly amused as the guy was trying to drag her off the shuttle bus

Nigel

Hey, thanx for replying! Didn't understand you psychonesque, sorry. What's liquor lovers? This interested me 'cos I've gotten a tad mellow sometimes so I can sleep. Wondered what that guy did different to get denied. Glad is wasnt me!!!

Another welcome to ya. Reeking of alcohol could be a clue to the ga or fa that you have been drinking. Obviously if you had a few beers in the lounge thats a different story. I would say the usual signs of someone being intoxicated would trigger the thought.

Found this on the SWA thread:

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 121.575 (c) No certificate holder may allow any person to board any of its aircraft if that person appears to be intoxicated.

I have seen so many drunkards on planes. I never knew this rule of denying boarding to intoxicated people was ever enforced. I've seen drunks waiting in the gate area discussing how much more they planned on drinking on the upcoming overseas flight. To me the question is, why would they enforce it this time? Were there other factors involved?

I was in Newark once waiting on a flight to Boston, and there were weather delays on the incoming flights.

Well, there were a group of guys flying together heading up to a wedding. Actually they were all the groomsmen. Well, because of the delay they got a bit loaded, and the airline refused to board them.

They begged, they pleaded, they sobered up in horror, and still they were not permitted to board.

I've often thought about them, and the poor girl whose wedding was probably ruined.

My guess is the guy was belligerent, but quietly so. There were a helluva lotta Seattle cops called in any case.

quote:
>>>If you watched "Airlines" you'll see how Southwest denied boarding to a drunk and a couple who was thought to be drunk.<<<

I saw that episode and was glad they prevented those obnoxious girls from boarding. It is one thing to have a few drinks to help you sleep on the plane. It is quite another to act belligerent and disruptive. But it doesn't say anything about the people that get drunk while the flight is in the air. They are annoying too!

I was on a flight from PHX-PHL a few months ago (I 8C, a couple 8A/B). The man had his hand up the woman's skirt. They reeked of alcohol. Comments through the flight included "I'm glad I called you and you could come on this trip; your airfare was cheap." During the trip, he wrote the woman a check and said, "thanks again." Not to mention the 5 Jim Beams and 4 Chardonnays the woman purchased. I just kept giving the FA looks as he served them repeatedly...

I wish they were consistent about keeping the drunks off. I used to be a regular on a US SFO-CLT Sunday night redeye. I would have a couple beers before takeoff and sleep all the way to CLT. One night a guy on the stool next to me was buying drinks for everyone in the bar (4 of us) and consuming way too many double Manhattans.

An hour into the flight an FA asked me if I'd mind a seatmate. Apparently, "my buddy from the bar" had been harassing his seatmate. 15 minutes later, he was back in his old seat and getting a serious lecture from the co-pilot. By the time we landed, he had kicked a FA. He was on his cell phone with his lawyer (at 6 a.m.) when the marshalls dragged him off the plane.

He got his wake-up call but seems like there's a couple more - not as extreme - but still drunk enough to be obnoxious, on every other flight I'm on. The later in the evening, the worse it gets.

Good God, was he the pilot?!!

If not, who cares, most drunks are pretty docile unless you are rude to them or petty with them.

<thinking about in-flight service again>

Good, happy drunks are cool. Rude, obnoxious drunks are not (think the guy from Connecticut from a few years back that got so out control that he dumped on the service cart). Anyway, I agree that so long as drunks don't pose a threat or present themselves as an utter annoyance, who cares?