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do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?

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do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?

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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 12:58 pm
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do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?

do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 1:17 pm
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Originally Posted by Roy2CDG
do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?
I'd have to say no.. If you look old enough, if you ask they will give..
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 1:28 pm
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Originally Posted by General_Flyer
I'd have to say no.. If you look old enough, if you ask they will give..
I've seen passengers asked/carded before. It does happen on occasion.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 2:20 pm
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21 is the age that is enforced. If you look young I will card you, but YMMV on any airline. Personally I don't want it coming back to bite me that I served a minor.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 3:01 pm
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Originally Posted by Roy2CDG
do all airlines enforce the same drinking age?
No. Airlines enforce the drinking age for the country where they're based.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 3:38 pm
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Just to complicate this further, what about over international waters? For example, if a pax is 20 and flying EWR-FRA and is out of US airspace, what rules do they follow?

I thought I remember hearing at one time that someone under 21 flying to a country with a lower drinking age, the airline will follow that country's law. Perhaps I'm not remembering correctly though.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 3:48 pm
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I'm not an international lawyer, but I know that you don't have to be 21 to drink in France or on AF flights, even to the US.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 3:53 pm
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Usually wherever the flight departs from governs...

....but its really only a US issue...I've seen kids looking 10-12 having vino on European flights...I think you will see the FA's use discretion if they are having many or appear drunk....here in Canada any over 18 (its 18 in some provinces 19 in others) will get served, my 17 year old nephew wasnt asked at all but the kid is over 6'. So unless its a US departure I dont think you have much to worry about.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 6:55 pm
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Originally Posted by HomerJ
....but its really only a US issue...I've seen kids looking 10-12 having vino on European flights...
When I was 16, the LH stewardess asked my age. I said "eighteen", winked and promptly got my wine.


Originally Posted by GalleyWench
21 is the age that is enforced.
No it isn't. What is enforced is the drinking age of the country of registration.
I find it amazing that a member of cabin crew could be oblivious to this!
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 7:02 pm
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Originally Posted by sbm12
I've seen passengers asked/carded before. It does happen on occasion.
Was that on Skywest? Skywest has carded me pretty consistently. They even carded the 40 year old lady next to me.

CO carded me once on mainline.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 7:26 pm
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IDing is often done in the US although in international business class or first I have never ever seen or heard of this happening.

And to answer your question: No, all arilines don't enforce the same age. Why would they?
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 7:51 pm
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I've been carded when using drink chits when I've been stuck in coach (I was 21 at the time) - I think it was always on Comair, but once it might have been on Chautauqua. I've been carded a few times getting a drink in the Crown Room as well.

Never been carded in F though. Once or twice, a F/A has asked me if I was indeed legal.

My younger sister was in F on a flight out of AUA with us once (family vacation) and tried getting the mimosa before departure - F/A did deny her the drink.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 8:13 pm
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Originally Posted by stimpy
I'm not an international lawyer, but I know that you don't have to be 21 to drink in France or on AF flights, even to the US.
I don't think there's a country in Europe where the legal drinking age is over 18, and in some, it is 16.
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 8:41 pm
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Originally Posted by graraps
When I was 16, the LH stewardess asked my age. I said "eighteen", winked and promptly got my wine.




No it isn't. What is enforced is the drinking age of the country of registration.
I find it amazing that a member of cabin crew could be oblivious to this!
Gosh, excuse me for being so oblivious. I guess I should have stated that the airline I work for the age is 21, no matter where the flight is originating or arriving at. No exception for Canada, Caribbean, Europe or anywhere else we fly, the age is 21.
And as I stated in my previous post YMMV on other airlines.
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 12:15 am
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Cathay Pacific served me wine on an international flight, Singapore to HK, if I remember correctly, right after I had completed the registration form for the kid's logbook program they had in those days. I was all of 14 at the time. So either there was no "drinking age" restriction or the FA didn't care.

I was sitting with my aunt at the time, and she is the sort to encourage a little glass of champagne now and again. However, my mother was none too pleased when she heard about it later.
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