Can passengers drink their own alcohol on flights? Yes – but you can only do it this way
DRINKING on a flight is one of the ways to make it go a lot faster– but booze can be pricey when you’re in the air.
Unfortunately, you’re not legally allowed to serve your own drinks on a flight - plenty of passengers have been booted off planes for trying.
So how can you have a drink when flying without shelling out an arm and a leg? Blogger Gilbert Ott reveals on his blog that there actually is a way.
Cabin crew can actually serve you drinks that you’ve brought on board with you – as long as you ask discreetly.
Ott said: "You CANNOT serve yourself on the plane. Any plane. No. You can’t.
"You CAN however politely ask a member of the cabin crew if they wouldn’t’ mind serving you the liquor you brought on board."
He continued: "JetBlue famously made light of this policy last year — and we know many have successfully done this on other airlines around the world.
“There are no guarantees a crew will say YES — but this is real — and this happens."
Ott also gives some pointers when it comes to bringing alcohol onto the flight.
If you’re savvy, buy some miniature bottles of spirits before you get to the airport.
You have to follow the 100ml rules when it comes to individual bottles of liquid, but miniatures will be fine to take through security.
Just put them into the plastic bag along with any other liquids you’re bringing on board.
You can also buy alcohol in duty free before you get on the flight – but beware of opening up a huge bottle you can’t finish.
Flight crew are obliged to dispose of open and unfinished bottles at the end of the flight.
So your best bet might be on the miniatures – and saving duty free buys until you get home.
It also pays not to go too mad on the booze – as staff still have the final say on if you’re drinking too much.
Ott says: "If they decide you look far too ready for midnight karaoke — they have [the] full right to cut you off.
How much alcohol can you take on a plane?
You can bring 16 litres of beer into the UK while on a plane, or 4 litres of wine, not sparkling.
For other types of alcohol, flyers can only bring 1 litre of spirits and other liquors over 22 per cent.
Two litres of fortified wines, like port and sherry, with alcohol content of up to 22 per cent, can be brought in.
Is it illegal to be drunk on a flight?
Yes, it is a criminal offence to be drunk on an aircraft.
Flight attendants have the right to refuse alcohol to anyone they believe has drunk too much.
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But if things get out of hand, offenders can receive a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment according to the Civil Aviation Authority,
The UK aviation industry brought in a voluntary code a year ago, recommending that airports and airlines should work together to limit disruptive behaviour and sell alcohol responsibly, which most of the big names have signed up to.
Airlines can also refuse to allow passengers on board if they believe they pose a risk to the plane, with that including being drunk.