Don't have One Too Many or Admit being Drunk...

[V Singh]

With free booze available @ various Lounges, its easy to have one too many pre-boarding drinks. What has been your experience on this front?

 

[V Singh]

Usually drink-up one/two before they accept next drinks order

 

[banana boy]

I must say considering the amount of alcohol consumed by fliers I'm surprised I haven't seen much boorish behaviour ever. Not even from me...

You should get out more often (or not). Absolute worst I encountered was an Air France out of Singapore. A drunk Australian bogan was shouting at everyone and offering to smash anyone and everyone's face in. This was before take off and I couldn't believe he was allowed to board. I think Air France was trying to avoid fines and/or delays. They gave him what I assume was sleeping tablets and he passed out soon after take off. If I knew what I do now I don't think I would have just sat idly by - it was entirely unacceptable.

 

[nickykim]

Must be an Air France thing - flew back 10+ years ago from Paris. There was a Russian on the flight who was so drunk he could barely walk to his seat. Passed out, slept almost all the way to Singapore, then explained that he had been on an Aeroflot flight that had crashed on take off and this was the only way he could cope with being on a plane!

 

[Mattg]

I had to laugh at a sign next to the bar in the Air China lounge at PEK that says "For your own health and comfort during the trip, we recommend you drink moderately".

That'll stop all those binge drinkers. And non-drinkers too, for that matter.

 

[suze2000]

Coming into BNE and BDB on Xmas Day, thunderstorms and rain. I'm a nervous flyer and always carry Xanax, but prefer alcohol for its calming and soporific effect. It's actually one of my biggest fears - that they will ban booze on planes. The Xanax would really get a workout then!

 

[Dr Ralph]

With free booze available @ various Lounges, its easy to have one too many pre-boarding drinks. What has been your experience on this front?

Yes.

 

[jase05]

A few years ago we picked up a bargain on HU in Y for SYD-CSX-PEK $320 return. Not long after takeoff staff came around for drink orders and somehow my order of Vodka and Sprite got lost in translation to a tall glass full to the brim of Vodka and a can of sprite. The staff were lovely but the poor girl couldn’t grasp the concept of a mixer and I tried explaining it but the next one came out the same. Eventually I got up to visit the rear loo and whilst there I saw the girl getting more drinks and she asked me to show her how I wanted mine made. We had a good chat for about 10 minutes and her English wasn’t great but she was keen to converse and ask a lot of questions. When I went to return to my seat she mentioned that staff would be busy serving dinner shortly and that If I didn’t want to wait for a drink I could kindly pour my own at any time and directed me to where the bottles were kept

 

[Mrmaxwell]

When I went to return to my seat she mentioned that staff would be busy serving dinner shortly and that If I didn’t want to wait for a drink I could kindly pour my own at any time and directed me to where the bottles were kept

With great power comes great responsibility

 

[YSSY]

Hangovers from drinking at altitude are the absolute worst, I know from experience during my early twenties. I've never once been stopped boarding an aircraft, but have definitely boarded planes inebriated. The times that I've boarded were when I was FiFo on ships and disembarked in a ship in the morning but didn't fly out until the evening (Darwin and Portland are ones I recall well) so went for some drinks before heading to the airport. I also had do a mileage run to Ibiza from the UK once with my father, we caught a 4am flight full of alcohol fuelled joy.

I've also boarded aircraft sober and left completely drunk. The first time was an op up to business flying from New York to London and my seat partner who was a purser from a different cruise ship had been upgraded also, the stewardess just gave us two bottles of bubbly and left us too it.

Another occasion was with Qantas flying from Perth to Sydney in business, I was sat next to a very friendly and flamboyant gentlemen and the steward was also a very flamboyant gentlemen who I think may have been batting for the same team as my seat mate. The steward seemed to assume that my seat mate and I were travelling together and made a significant effort to ensure we have enough alcohol and had tried a few different things we hadn't tried before. Quite honestly the best service I've ever had on a flight, my wife was quite shocked picking me up so drunk at the other end.

The only issues I've ever had were on an Iberia transatlantic flight about 15 years ago where I was cut off after my second beer because thats the rules... (I hadn't drunk before hand and certainly was behaving myself, just watching a movie, I think she may have misidentified me as someone else). I also received a slap on the wrist in the Qantas Club Perth during a delay when the server discovered that the whisky and coke + a whisky for my friend all afternoon long had been just for me all along.

I probably seem quite the alcoholic from these stories, but most of them are from my early twenties when I was a drunken young merchant sailor. These days I tend to avoid alcohol and flying.

I have also seen a few people booted off planes for drinking. Usually for being loud or misbehaving.

 

[bigjobs]

Sat down on a red eye 737 service PER to BNE in the 2nd over wing exit row. Cabin crew member went through the briefing and asked us all for a verbal confirmation we were happy to help. Guy in the row in front had fallen asleep through the briefing, member had woken him up, he fell asleep again. When the crew member asked him for confirmation, she had to wake him up, at which time she asked again “sir, are your prepared to help in the event of emergency” ... there was a pause ... then this chap eloquently stated “yeah, I dunno eh, I’m pretty coughen pissed” ... those of us within earshot laughed. Within about 37 secs he was out of that nice extra room seat and a more suitable candidate was drafted in.

 

[Jos888]

Coming into BNE and BDB on Xmas Day, thunderstorms and rain. I'm a nervous flyer and always carry Xanax, but prefer alcohol for its calming and soporific effect. It's actually one of my biggest fears - that they will ban booze on planes. The Xanax would really get a workout then!

When flying from PER to SIN on QF, the flight leaves around midday, so no alcohol allowed in the J lounge. I'm also a nervous flyer so usually have to leave the lounge early to buy a glass or two of bubbles downstairs. Or take a Xanax. Looking forward/hoping Qantas will move back to the International terminal someday.

 

[oz_mark]

When flying from PER to SIN on QF, the flight leaves around midday, so no alcohol allowed in the J lounge. I'm also a nervous flyer so usually have to leave the lounge early to buy a glass or two of bubbles downstairs. Or take a Xanax. Looking forward/hoping Qantas will move back to the International terminal someday.

You've got a 5 or 6 year wait in front of you!

 

[Jos888]

You've got a 5 or 6 year wait in front of you!

I know

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A few years ago we picked up a bargain on HU in Y for SYD-CSX-PEK $320 return. Not long after takeoff staff came around for drink orders and somehow my order of Vodka and Sprite got lost in translation to a tall glass full to the brim of Vodka and a can of sprite.

Not just HU... this is a 'feature' of many Chinese carriers (And also beware when ordering something like a bloody mary... the tomato juice in China is often a sweetened blend of tomato + other juices.... might be nice by itself but make a bloody awful drink )

 

[juddles]

I am a firm believer in the responsible consumption of alcohol.

 

[BAM1748]

The BAM has never cut anyone off, it does request you stick your head out the window should the need the arise; where we can put the hose on it later.

 

[Matt_01]

I am a firm believer in the responsible consumption of alcohol.

I totally agree, @Buzzard and I have first hand experience in your beliefs.

 

[ferntree]

I've never had a bad experience with a drunken fellow passenger in a lounge or on a plane ..... Have to admit I have hit lounge bars pretty hard a few times (hello The Pier, Hong Kong) but am a pretty mellow/happy drunk and would confidently/hopefully say I have never disturbed another pax or caused annoyance etc. The one (minor) time it went a bit wrong was when I fell sleep (crashed out) once on board and spilled my glass of wine on myself. White wine, so not a disaster...

Ha ha, I think perhaps we must be related!

 

[openseat]

Sat down on a red eye 737 service PER to BNE in the 2nd over wing exit row. Cabin crew member went through the briefing and asked us all for a verbal confirmation we were happy to help. Guy in the row in front had fallen asleep through the briefing, member had woken him up, he fell asleep again. When the crew member asked him for confirmation, she had to wake him up, at which time she asked again “sir, are your prepared to help in the event of emergency” ... there was a pause ... then this chap eloquently stated “yeah, I dunno eh, I’m pretty ****en pissed” ... those of us within earshot laughed. Within about 37 secs he was out of that nice extra room seat and a more suitable candidate was drafted in.

I've experienced the opposite on a JQ flight OOL MEL where the people sitting in the exit row on one side were so obviously drunk. The silly acting young FA thought it a great joke. I mentioned it to the cabin manager (?) while waiting for the loo. She just shrugged her shoulders. So I made a complaint to CASA who responded immediately and with a follow up that the crew were undergoing retraining.

 

[toowongman]

Years ago I was waiting for BNE-SYD on Impulse. Arrived early, it was a warm afternoon and I was happily buying more than one lager to pass the time, watching all the planes. A 717 pulled up, stuff happened, then all the people disappeared. Must have been in a world on my own. Then an Impulse lady walked up and asked me if I was Mr Toowongman...

"Yes, I am. Just watching the planes before my flight".
"See that nice plane?"
"Oh yes"
"It's waiting for you"
So down the airbridge we go. All good until I turn right and head for row 2... then firmly face-plant into the floor. That hurt.
So they put me in 1C, happy days as I can watch the flight crew (this is before 9/11).
Then to top it off they give me another beer during service.
Australia FTW.