Can I sneak booze onto the plane and serve myself?

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I have Admirals Club where the wine is complimentary, so just before my flight I get a glass, pour it into an empty coffe cup from the lounge, and take it on board. You could also pour it into a beverage container if you had one with you.

by Vic on Wednesday, February 29, 2012

It is an FAA regulation that that passengers are not allowed to consume alcohol on a flight that is not served by the crew. If caught the flight attendant is required to take it. If the passenger refuses he/she is subject to arrest. It's that serious. I know because I am a flight attendant.

by bgirl on Thursday, February 23, 2012

I frequently buy mini's at my local liquor store and take them on flights. The cost is 50% less and I get better quality and variety. Good Scotch for 1/2 the price of lessor brands, after dinner liquors- I've never had a flight attendant say a word.

by Frequent Flyer on Saturday, October 29, 2011

i'd like to let everyone know how to do this. i just returned on American from Chicago to London, and my problem is not about the cost of alcohol, but with the attitude flight attendants give when a passenger wants more than 3 drinks on an 9 hour flight. in coach, they treat like an alcoholic terrorist if you ask for that 4th drink - all the while serving 1st class with as much alcohol as they can possibly consume. this type of crappy service began after 9/11 for some lame reason. anyway, there's the easy way and the harder way. the easy way is to buy 1oz bottles of booze (i bought 10 bottles of jack) and the plastic TSA baggies will hold 5 each. twice, TSA employees thought this was cool - one even asked where she could buy the bottles because she's flying soon. another TSA guy laughed and said that's the way to fly. with the bottles in your carry-on below the seat in front of you, you can palm one very easily and pour it in your juice or soft-drink. you just need to look over your shoulder and make sure the person next to isn't going to narc on you. just be a little careful and you'll be fine. also, NEVER do this before the flight takes off, else you could get kicked off the plane. if you suspect the person next to you is a prude, get a mini bottle of water from the flight attendant, put it in your pocket (booze in other pockets) and fill it up in the lavatory. 100% effective. the hard way: on our return flight, we couldn't find a store that sold 1oz bottles, so we bought a big bottle of vodka at duty free (they don't sell anything smaller than big bottles in most US domestic international terminals. the bottle was sent to the gate and a lady handed it off to me with a wink. put the bottle in your carry-on bag in the jetway or just hold it the bag and be casual. my girlfriend had a starbucks cup and used that as a funnel, ripping the bottom out and splitting the side to wrap it up nicely. she doesn't even drink, but found the deception to be fun. she put the bottle in her bag along with a medium-sized bottle of water bought in the terminal. she filled the bottle in the lavatory and that was it - 100% effective! i'd like to note that i had a great buzz during the flight and i didn't once urinate in the aisle, punch a flight attendant or fellow passenger - and i didn't even try to storm the cockpit. i just sipped my drinks until i fell nicely asleep. that's the way it used to be to fly.

by pentta on Thursday, October 20, 2011

Yes, of course I need a drink. I'm flying across the ocean and the american company I'm flying with charges me 7 $ per drink when any other european company have free unlimited alchool and one more thing you american stewardess please stop making faces when I ask for things especially on long flights - take lessons from european and asian flying companys!

by JAKE on Tuesday, July 12, 2011

I have always drank my carry on booze on flights, even serving other passengers around me. The 3oz rules has made it hard though. I have put it in my pockets before.

by Drunk_In_The_Air on Tuesday, July 05, 2011

I was on a flight just last night (09/16/10). The flight attendant not only confiscated a small bottle of alcohol a passenger brought on board but explained that she was supposed to report the matter to the captain and have police waiting to escort the passenger off the plane when we arrived. According to her it is illegal to bring alcohol on the plane outside of your checked baggage. She did also say that other airlines have been sued for allowing drunk passengers to depart and then hurt people. I have a feeling that there is probably a lot of confusion around this issue and so far have not been able to lock down an absolute legal answer.

by Alexgone on Friday, September 17, 2010

My guess is that the pouring rule has to do with the airline's liability insurance coverage. I work at an institution that rents out space to community members for weddings and other events. Our food contractor always has to be the one to pour the alcoholic beverages because their employees are covered by their liquor liability policy. If anyone else pours it, they are not covered and if a guest decides to sue because of the behavior of a guest who has been drinking it could get ugly. So, while I understand the desire of the passenger to save money, I can also understand the airline's position considering our litigious society.

by vicarious traveler on Monday, June 21, 2010

Heck yes I need a drink! Little Ms/Mr flight attendant, have you noticed how annoying people on flights can be? The seats keep shrinking and folks keep growing. It is illegal for someone to touch you without your consent, yet the dude next to you can lean all into your space at will. Do you enforce the large-people-must-buy-a-second-ticket rule as much as you do the no free drinks? The key is be discreet and drink sensibly, then go to sleep.

by joe on Monday, March 15, 2010

About a month after 9/11, a buddy and myself took a trip together. I wanted to save money, so I brough a few of these shot size booze things on board to mix my own drinks. At the time, TSA had no 3 oz. liquid rule. Plane was on the empty side. We each had a row to ourselves. I gave my buddy a small bottle or two, for him to mix his own drinks. The FA saw him with the bottles and went off on him how he is supposed to inform her that he has these things. I was trying to contain my laughter, cause I had been far more discreet, and I didn't want to get chewed out. A little later, my buddy got up to use the restroom. I took my empty bottles and placed them on his seat, hoping the FA would see and chew him out again, but she never came by while he was in the restroom. Oh well, I tried to get another laugh out of the deal. Since the TSA started the 3 oz rule, I have not tried it again, but if the TSA is okay with it, and knowing the FAA has some rules to follow, I just may try it again.

by practical joker on Monday, March 15, 2010

This pertains to US airlines. I cannot vouch for non-US airlines as they operate under their own national rules and those of ICAO.
The Federal Aviation Regulations do NOT require that you buy your booze from the airline. However, they DO require that the airline actually serve the alcohol to you. It is not unlike the brown bag laws in some states that allow you to bring your own bottle into the establishment but require the establishment serve it to you.
The Regulation for the airlines and which you can look up on the Internet is 14 CFR 121.575 which states in part, "No person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage to him." Of course there is also language that says they may not serve anyone who is intoxicated or appears to be intoxicated.
Airlines also have their own rules, approved by the FAA, known as Operation Specifications, that establish how this is to be done on board their aircraft. Flight crews are trained on these OpSpecs. These OpSpecs are approved under the Part 121 rules and have the same force as the Federal Aviation Regulations. So, you could be well within your rights to bring your own alcohol and then present it to the Flight Attendant(s) and ask them to serve it to you. I can just see some of the FA's fuming over that one! Can't you? :-) Getting it past TSA may be another matter, but as long as it is small enough and fits into your single, 1 quart baggie, then you could be quite alright.

By the way, there is no rule that says you cannot possess alcohol on a flight. Remember the days when you could buy bottles and bring them aboard? Buying Duty Free still does this.

The rule is only on serving and drinking. So, you could well have your "stash" of mini-bottles and call the FA each time you need to top off your cocktail. Give it to him/her and ask him/her to top you off. Bet you don't get served too many set-ups if any at all, right? Good Luck!

by on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I have often considered doing the same thing (with regards to alcohol) so as to save a few dollars and I am not one who likes to even get close to being 'plastered' ever. It is just that the cost that an airline charges for anything you might want to consume can really add up over several flights. I bring my own food to save money. I bring my own water (purchased after TSA inspection) because the flight attendants are slow to bringing out the drinks (even water) and then they bring such a small amount that I can never get enough (water that is, not alcohol).

by on Saturday, August 09, 2008

Well, at $6 bucks for a can of Bud-Light (example) it is no wonder pax want to "brown-bag" their booze. I think pax want to save $$. A couple of "miniatures" added to OJ or coke, not to get 'plastered' but to save some $$, on a long flight is a $24 savings for a couple.....each way!

by on Thursday, August 07, 2008

i;m not sure who answered about bringing your own alcohol and being discreet and drinking on the flight. i work as a flight attendant for a major carrier and this is not ok. have you not seen/heard of the psgrs. that cause problems and emergency landings because they have gotten out of control on the plane because of drinking. it will be taken away and you may be finding yourself off of the airplane and banned from that air carrier, it can and does happen. why would you want to put yourself and everyone else through that? also do you really need to have a drink that bad?

by on Tuesday, August 05, 2008

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