After more than two years, American Airlines brought back alcohol sales to its economy class cabin last month. But the union representing flight attendants at American Airlines is now asking that AA limit the number of alcoholic beverages served onboard to two per flight.
Two Drink Limit On Alcohol Proposed By American Airlines Flight Attendant Union
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) has welcomed the sunset of the federal mask mandate, noting that it contributed to disruption onboard. Importantly, it fell primarily upon flight attendants to both enforce mask usage and to deal with the surge in unruly passengers such masks created amongst a portion of the traveling public.
But it was not just masks: alcohol also fueled disruption (and has fueled disruption long before the pandemic). It was made worse during the pandemic because the lack of portion-controlled alcohol sales onboard moved many passengers to illicitly bring their own alcohol onboard or over-consume in airport bars prior to their flight.
In trying to find a happy medium that reduces the likelihood of passengers bringing their own liquor while also discouraging overconsumption onboard, the APFA has asked American Airlines to limit alcohol to two beverages per passenger per flight.
Not all flight attendants are onboard with the proposal. It’s one thing to limit passengers to two drinks on a shuttle from New York to Washington, DC but quite another on a flight from Dallas to Honolulu or Los Angeles to London. One flight attendant explained to Condé Nast that flight attendants do not have to punish all passengers for the sins of the few and are able to regulate passenger consumption without a strict rule:
“I disagree with a limit, 100 percent. The bad passengers should not be able to ruin it for the good ones. When a passenger appears to be drunk, we stop serving them. Sometimes it’s before we’ve served them one drink on the plane.”
Any limit would likely apply to economy class only. During the pandemic, alcohol continued to flow in business and first class and the expectation of alcohol in premium cabins is probably too much to counteract with new controls.
CONCLUSION
The union representing flight attendants at American Airlines has proposed that economy class passengers be limited to no more than two alcoholic drinks per flight. Flight attendants appear divided on the proposal, with some arguing a “one size fits all” approach is not appropriate while others welcoming the change. American Airlines has not indicated how it will address the matter.
Should economy class passengers be limited to two drinks per flight, regardless of flight length?
image: American Airlines
Just ban all Republicans from flights. Problem solved.
FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!
Not helpful, bud.
Back in the days of the Civil Aeronautics Board, there were Republican and Democratic airlines. No joke. American was Democratic and Continental was Republican. When the President was from one party, the airlines known to be in the other party were punished.
A limit in number of drinks makes sense though a 3rd drink should be allowed for longer flights.
Why republicans are the ones who pay the most? You think the democrat going to visit one of your childs fathers is paying a premium? Child support only goes so far.
I’m a Dem and I usually fly in premium economy. If I find a reasonably priced seat in first I jump on it and rake the bonus points.
Just ban all DEMOCRATS from flights. The skies will be peaceful then.
Really lady? This is a sign of ignorance.
Can you stupid people keep [redacted by admin] politics out of it for once, if you going to limit everybody to just two drinks, I think it’s a good idea, because when people get that fire-water in them, they act like [redacted by admin]! It’s should be for everyone regardless first-class, business- class , or economy. Don’t pick and choose !
Obviously with that stupid response you should be one of the ones banned from drinking on a plane
How about not being divisive? How on earth would you ever fly yourself, without the republicans that own the airlines, airports, fuel companies, etc? Take the bus, lib
“During the pandemic, alcohol continued to flow in business and first class and the expectation of alcohol in premium cabins is probably too much to counteract with new controls.”
And there are never any unruly passengers in Business and First Class, right?
Unlike the drunken riffraff fighting with each other back in steerage, we are quietly enjoying our gourmet meals and politely asking each other if we have a little Grey Poupon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwOCOm9Z0YE
Drive on, Jeeves.
I certainly wouldn’t like this rule! Isn’t using discretion part of being an FA? How many times are they walking through the aisle doing a beverage service anyway? If I walk back to the galley an a 5 hour flight and request a third little bottle of rose, I don’t see how that is a problem.
Jerry, that Hennigan’s goes down smooth on flights. And afterwards you don’t even smell.
Leave it up to the people doing the serving. If we trust them to guard our lives in an emergency then they should be able to manage whether to cut someone off.
You are referring to the same people who used their common sense in throwing two year olds off a plane because they wouldn’t wear a mask. And they are going to save your life?
Generally, yes. Somehow, I’m not worried. Why don’t you scour the internet for every single incidence of a “2 year old thrown off a flight”, then divide that by total US flight attendants (or passenger volume or whatever metric you like as the denominator) and tell us what ratio you come up with. Fraction of a percent, right?
2 year olds never had to wear masks
Muriel
I think the same rules on alcohol serving should apply no matter what whether first class, business or economy being served. I’m disruptive passengers occur in each.
So if you travel Business or First Class you drink as much as you want and can be unruly and obnoxious? Blatant discrimination… No wonder I hate AA….
We need to start teaching Americans we don’t need to eat and drink while driving and flying if the fight is less then 5 hours you can eat drink before or after. Defiantly no one needs more than two Alcohol drinks you all are getting out of hand to many incidents were you all act up.
These women really are addicted to power and want to make the rest of us as miserable as they are.
Don’t worry, soon many of those women will be in prison for having miscarriages thanks to the Christian taliban in this country
Murdering children (63 MILLION since Roe vs Wade) is demonic. Period. Hard stop.
If Christians are ‘guilty’ of choosing life over death, that is something to be celebrated.
Particular subject matter is about a drink limit on flights not about what’s going on with the supreme Court let’s try to stay on the subject matter. Feel free to start another subject on what’s going on with the supreme Court and the freedom of choice issue
The Satan Talibam is what’s in charge of the U.S. right now.
I know it’s kind of hard for some of your troglodytes to stay on the subject matter but please do for the sake of insanity
Your ire is better directed at Billy Bob — who actually went there with the Christian Taliban comments.
Good baby killers belong in prison.
In the 1970s, I clearly remember both American and Untied having a two drink limit in place.
Tailgate it is then… Rational people can handle more than 2, the others will get pre drunk and still cause there same problems.
Let people smoke pot instead. Nobody gets unruly on that
Edibles will do just fine.
Well as a former weeky flyer to commute to work sometimes 2 drinks were not enough but sometimes when u travel and realize u have to drive you really are not in the proper shape to drive…And you don’t have much choice..A two drink limit is good enough most of the time.. Airlines make plenty of $ selling u booze so they like it till you misbehave .Let the fly att decide..They r pros.
.
Limited alcohol on a flight is a great idea.
Class based limits, when you’re making the peasants pay for their Canadian Mist and Wal-Mart brand wine is a terrible idea.
Only America West can think of this
Good call, Karen Union. Don’t let the peasants drink too much. If Covid taught us anything, it’s that we need much more control over complete strangers and the need to enforce our petty will upon others is paramount. Let them swill diet sodas instead, or whatever the poors are drinking these days.
Snob!!!
Cue all the partisan comments!
The airlines handled this “issue” badly.
Just report pax and ban them.
What, a few % of all traffic?
The stupidity of the airlines boggles the mind…..
Ban alcohol , surely one can stay off the booze for a few hours ..it’s not end of the world .
The lazy get lazier.
I am a former flight attendant in the olden days when passengers were more civil and there was two limit drink. We could serve another, it was our call. Most times we would have preferred not to serve any. Caused more problems.
Why do people even feel like they need to drink on a flight? Alcohol is not a necessity for most, although it is I suppose for those who are addicted. Think about it… if you were going about your normal day would you stop and have two or three drinks? Why do people feel they need to do that on a plane? If flight attendants feel that it protects them from unruly behavior, then I say it should be implemented. Nobody likes unruly passengers, flight attendants not other passengers. There is no difference in integrity in the people who fly business class or first class and the people who fly economy. So that’s discriminatory.
I think the best question is why can’t people exercise self-control?
People should be civil, regardless of drinking or not.
If they’re unruly, “Silence is golden, duct tape is silver.”
It would help if the airlines weren’t squeezing so many rows in.
At over 6′ tall, I feel like I need a chiropractor after flying in economy.
How about the airlines take the stressors out of the whole flight .
Start by :
1 a defined price per seat , no bs fees and add ons 3 levels that’s it .
2. Have enough seating at the gate, and room for family’s and people in need of additional services.
3. Start seating from the back of the plane so there’s not everyone smashing their bags into people already seated .
4. Remove rows instead of adding rows your increasingly cramped in these planes and seats .
5. Have all the electronics accessible and easy to use .
6 Less stress is more success
7. Yes your on vacation relax have that cocktail , thank the attendants .
I fly a lot and think all classes should have a 2 drink limit. I also think people should have to pay for their alcohol. It is also a safety issue as some passengers I have seen would be unable to help themselves or others should there be an emergency.
I agree with the flight attendant that said you can’t punish all of the passengers because of one. You are going to create another conflict with restrictions. If you would go into a restaurant or bar they are trained to know the signs of when to cut someone off. It should be the same for passengers on an airplane.
The article isn’t about politics, it’s about limiting alcohol to economy seats. Leave it to a bunch of idiots who can’t differentiate between the difference. We all bleed the same color, if you can’t respond with an answer without political rhetoric where there is none, THINK!! Or maybe you’re part of the problem with hate. If they limit drinks on a flight for one class it should be for all classes. DISCRIMINATION!! I see a lawsuit coming. But those of you spewing didn’t get that point.
Why just economy? The drink limit should be for the entire passenger list. We are allowing them to introduce a cast society.
All that imposing a drink limit will do is encourage people to drink more heavily in the airport bar before the flight. Did no one learn anything from the past 2 years? The is a classic example of creating an actual problem by trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
If people are sloppy on a plane, stop serving them. It’s really that simple. Heaven forbid these FAs should actually have to pay attention to the people on the plane.
Treat people like children and they will behave like children. From the other side of the pond, AA crews always seem to have to have something to whine and whinge about.
The flight attendants have requested this. It has to be dealt with. So if they are going to establish limits (I don’t agree but.) then make it adhere to some scientific evidence. One drink per hour is what normally is considered prudent. So 2 drinks on flights of 2 hours or less. 4 drinks on flights over 2 hours. For long haul international… No limit.
How does one get more than 2 drinks on an AA economy flight? Has anyone seen a domestic AA flight with more than 2 drink services?
The whole issue is that one can get a drink on an airline without spending extra money.
American is acting like they are dictators. I hate flying these airlines. We pay for the ticket and. the drinks. We should. Decide how much we want to drink.
Yep. Dictators. Remember Stalin and Castro? Both of them imposed a 2 drink limit. When Saddam did it, that was the real reason that the Iraq wars started. We knew there weren’t weapons of mass destruction over there, but we couldn’t let the brutality of the 2 drink limit stand.
I’m just thankful that in the USA there aren’t any dry communities run by conservative leaders, because then it would be like we’d have our own little dictators in the US, on the ground, not just in the sky.
Flight attendants’ imperious and condescending power trips during covid are EXACTLY what incited “unruly” behaviors and flight “disruptions” by passengers A moment of self reflecting by these dignified attendant-deities should be pursued rather then amplifying their toxicity with a drink-limit rule for the “lowest class” of passenger
Why not limit the number of economy passengers on flights to 2 instead?
For those individuals claiming banning political affiliations, you are soo ignorant. What you so called flyers lack is accountability for your actions. Been a flight attendant for over 30 years and of lately, my 10 year old has more respect than most of these adult children who only care about themselves. In first class, man and woman never wash their hands as well as main cabin. When you fly , read the contact on your reservation.
There’s absolutely no reason other than greed on the part of the airlines that alcohol is served in the first place. No one NEEDS to consume alcohol to get to their destination and if you can’t go without a drink for 24 hrs. then stay home.
Maybe in your next stroke of genius, you would consider two alcoholic beverages at 30 proof a week would be the high limit if your liver was functioning and the alcohol industry had not been destroyed by bigfoot’s AIDS business…
I say this is mostly a maneuver by their union to enable them to work even less than they do now.
Work less??! Obviously you’re one of the oblivious passengers who have no idea what’s going on around you. Pre-covid, I literally would stand up at the galley counter to wolf down a 2-minute lunch, there was so little time between the services we had to fulfill. You’re basically an unsympathetic idiot and no point trying to convince you. Best you just go work there
As a retired flight attendant, I can say, with confidence, that won’t work. How would anyone remember how many drinks each of 400 passengers on the 777 has c9nsumed? At times, if someone would ask me for water, by the time I went to the galley to get it and went back out I would literally forget who it was. Too many people. We all knew who those were who had too many drinks and would then take action by simply cutting them off. I predict mutiny if this rule is implemented
No fault of the flight attendants,but I’ve had some horrible experiences the last couple of years flying American. Delayed/ canceled flights,getting back credits instead of refunds. No wonder passengers want to drink.
After nine years I took my first on AA and had to request wheelchair assistance due to health issues and when I asked the attentant to assist me in helping me to get my bag out of the bin she asked the wheelchair attantant to come in and get the bag. What happened to the assistance s of the attantant