After an escalation of in-flight abuse against flight attendants including a horrific incident in which a flight attendant lost two teeth, Southwest Airlines will not resume alcohol sales next month as planned. Is this a good or a bad move?
Good Or Bad? Southwest Airlines Suspends Resumption Of Alcohol Sales
Southwest has “made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board,” based upon objections from TWU Local 556, the union representing Southwest flight attendants, and the objective rise in the number of attacks.
Good: Alcohol-Related Abuse Cannot Occur Without Alcohol
On the plus side, alcohol has been historically tied to poor in-flight behavior. Over the years we’ve seen many alochol-fueled incidents onboard that have resulted in poor behavior as well as passenger or flight attendant abuse.
Suspending the sales of alcohol onboard will eliminate the risk that onboard sales will fuel misbehavior.
Bad: Alcohol Still Available In Terminals, Punishes Everyone, Has Not Even Been Linked To Most Recent Incidents
I find myself, however, more in the “bad” camp. What I’ve noticed is that passengers determined to drink…will drink. If “thirsty” Southwest passengers knows there will be no alcohol onboard, they will drink up at the bar prior to the flight. I’ve witnessed it. It absolutely happens.
And if they are surprised to find no alcohol onboard, that may put them in a very foul mood, making them more prone to misbehavior, especially if they are alcohol dependent.
Then there’s the idea that alcohol, if used responsibly, is a good thing that helps to calm people down and make flights pass quicker. While alcohol may cause a bad reaction in a small number of passengers, most who consume alcohol onboard continue to act very responsibly (and some would argue even more responsibly).
Finally, we must ask the larger question of why there has been a huge upsurge in poor behavior recently. Is it the masks? Is it lockdown fatigue? Perhaps the lack of onboard food or beverage sales?
I’m firmly in the “let’s get back to it” camp for most areas of life and commerce, and restoring onboard sales of food and drinks, including alcohol, seems to me like a reasonable step a this point. Masks should be voluntary for vaccinated passengers. We could see that the resumption of “normalcy” in flying will lead to a marked decline in onboard disturbances.
CONCLUSION
Blaming a surge in disturbances onboard, Southwest Airlines will not restore alcohol sales as planned. I tend to think that is an overreaction and may actually contribute to the problem, but I’m also not much of a drinker and so the news won’t impact me personally. But sooner or later, airlines will have to return to the pre-pandemic service and I tend to think that is when passengers will finally calm down.
How about a compromise? No alcohol in economy class only on domestic flights, plus Canada and Mexico. Business class passengers GENERALLY are frequent fliers with more to lose by uncontrolled drinking. Also longhaul international economy passengers are less inclined to be from the bottom rungs of society subject to acting out. A side benefit for passengers under this scheme is that all alcohol will be complimentary.
That’s what Delta/American/United have done for several months. On Southwest, though, there’s only one class of service.
Alcohol is a luxury. If people can’t follow basic rules, then I’m fine with them not serving it. I don’t want my flight to be diverted or be hit with some errant swing or object being thrown because some fools can’t handle their alcohol.
As long as water is served, the basic needs are met.
Maybe Southwest could limit alcohol to their A-list or A-list preferred members, i.e., those who require a certain amount of qualifying flights, and therefore, hopefully are more likely to know how to behave and drink responsibly on airplanes.
I think its a good thing for the time being, there is so much built up anger here about the Covid/how we got here/ and where we are that its not taking much to tip people over these days. Its a dangerous forum to be taking it on on FA’s etc making what SWA is doing the only responsible action. How would you feel if your 37K feet in the air and some nut case boozed up pulls some stupid trick on the plane? Having said that it doesn’t prevent passengers rom boozing at the airports bars before flights. I remember once at SMF the bartender was pushing “an extra shot” for cheap repeatedly that too was not very responsible by the bar/SMF for allowing.
why is the TSA even making mask mandates to begin with? Shouldn’t that be the domain of the FAA?
which reent incident occurred on a flight on which alcohol was served?
The JetBlue Mint cocaine incident.
When did Jetblue resume serving alcohol?
Only in Mint business class, where the disturbance happened.
Isn’t it more likely, as you, yourself alluded to re this case, that some are overly “pre-gaming” in the airport, as
I believe in most other incidents ,they may fear they can’t obtain alcohol in flight:
from your post, the intoxication symptoms began in the airport, not because he was overserved in flight:
“Matt also shares that there were reports of some passengers in the gate area at JFK noticing that the guy seemed intoxicated, and that he had been saying some racist stuff. So perhaps the ground staff should have been a bit more observant.”
“If “thirsty” Southwest passengers knows there will be no alcohol onboard, they will drink up at the bar prior to the flight. “
As a former bartender, I agree that hardcore binge drinking prior to boarding will lead to more problems than it solves. The effects of pounding back many drinks (especially liquor) won’t catch up to the drinker until they are seated and likely in the air.
Awesome. It is a freaking mode of transportation so why serve anything other than water? Seriously, on long flights serve decent food and maybe some alcohol but on domestic flights sit down, relax and enjoy your flight. How people cannot be 4 hours without drinking alcohol?
I’ll confess: I’m someone whose traveled extensively but largely in economy class since losing my status 15 years ago. So why should anyone care about us slugs in steerage? Perhaps the sad logic goes that those whose opinions matter are up front: politicians, lobbyists, bloggers such as Matt, and executives will tend to be in a bubble so out of sight, out of mind.
But something more unpleasant seems to be occurring: I thought it reasonable that elite status would mean better conditions and “freebies” tossed in with higher fare or the good fortune of a corporate travel budget to fund “loyalty”, but now we’re entering a “caste” system: the lower classes cannot be trusted even to buy alcohol with their own money.
Now think about what that means and says about a society that is obsessed with “checking privilege” (particularly certain privilege) while the elites doing so revel in their privilege.
Why don’t they just handcuff everyone to their seats them? Sure there’s been trouble but its got nothing to do with alcohol. When you charge $20 for a ticket, you get $20 people…..drive by ANY Greyhound station in this country for confirmation of this. One flight attendant got clocked….okay, shouldn’t have happened but since its now racist to call the police and slavery to put someone in jail, what would you like to do with the passenger. As much over the top egomaniac behavior that I’ve witnessed from flight attendants since the start of the V.I.C’s (thats Vegetable In Chief) mask mandate there’s still a 50% chance the f/a was being a huge bi**h and that she found the wrong person to pick on. I grew up in a rough neighborhood but guess what…..I still have all my teeth.
AA “matched…sure UA, maybe DL to follow.
@CHRIS – you may be too ignorant to realize this, but mask mandates were in effect w/the airlines for the majority of 2020, when a certain racist, dictator-friendly, insurrection-causing orange blob that you undoubtedly worship was POTUS. And you seem to have a degenerate-level obsession w/FAs…get a grip already.
Personally, this change doesn’t really bother me, I never understood why someone would need a drink on a short haul domestic flight. As a female traveler it’s truly uncomfortable to have to sit next to someone who is intoxicated, I have experienced this and I was thankful the flight attendant did move me to different seat when I requested it.
They should serve it with a joint, oh wait.
The average Southwest flight is 2 hours, and frankly, I’m surprised it is that much. Serving drinks or food is just not that important for such short flights. For a long haul flight leaving at 1800, though, it is a different matter. Then, the wine and a good meal are expected.
But I also suspect that on Southwest, there will be a lot of preboarding drinking. More, perhaps. And then there is Vegas.
To answer your question:
“Finally, we must ask the larger question of why there has been a huge upsurge in poor behavior recently. Is it the masks?”
Yes, the “put your mask back on between bites of pretzels, sir” theater is ridiculous and frankly petty, and I’m confident it contributes substantially to incidents between passengers and FAs. For that reason, I actually think it makes sense to ban alcohol until the FAA decides to dump the masks or at least make the rules more reasonable. I think we’re going to be waiting a long, long time for that to happen, though – which is also why I’m in no hurry to get back on an airplane, even though I sorely miss my boondoggles.
We will see what happens, but I think the federal mask mandate will expire in September and some airlines (not all) will no longer require it.
The above posts ignore the larger issue of pre-gaming in airport bars, no evidence that zero alcohol in flight bev servivice contributed to anyone being overserved on a plane when no alcohol was available onboard in main cabin.
The mask/ no mask schtick , now a relic,is entertaining only if you are nostalgically entertained by the old Miller Lite “Tastes great /less filling” TV ads from the 80’s.
These actions are are a result of Union reps, building a strawman , which unwittiing CEO’s fail to comprehehend, cater to a wannabe elected union official & downgrade the experience of their best customers, who 99.9% of which have acted responsibility since the origin of commerial aviation
Much needed. It is ridiculous how people can’t handle themselves on a plane. Till customers start accepting the responsibility that comes with consumption, let them have soft drinks
Maybe instead of serving alcohol they serve boxing gloves instead…
Granted this just means people will get sloshed before the flight, but still…
The demographic of people flying now has changed
Being primarily a coach passenger, rarely do I order a cocktail. If none available, no big deal. However, it would be almost impossible to get intoxicated on beverages served in coach as the service is & most always has been slim to none, even with purchasing said cocktails. How does someone get over-served in coach when service is nearly non-existant? Yet FC gets served unlimited & that is to remain the same. The problem is not the alcohol being served on board…jmo.
Dear US Carriers
You can ban alcohol as long as you fancy, the fact airport concessions are serving alcohol, people taking their own minis onboard
Which one is worst? Sell alcohol and make yourself a little profit?
The one and only thing you have to do is not selling $29 fare and wondering why you have so many low end clienteles beating up your staff
Ban alcohol and on flts . Pax today aren’t very responsible with their onboard behavior. More profit and safe travels for all concerned. Any deviation from this policy, allows that pax to be banned for 1 yr travel on that airline. Airlines for years have enabled bad behavior from pax. Fly the safe skies.
@Greg
I’ve always said we should make airplanes and airports more like jails.
/s