Alcohol on flights

4 weeks tomorrow I will be jetting off to the US for the first time in 6 or 7 years. 

Just had a quick question... I remember that drinks, including beer, wine, etc used to be free of charge on transatlantic flights.

Is that still the case?

It depends on the airline - who are you flying with?

Many airlines charge between $5 and $7 for an alcoholic drink these days... and on some flights they won't accept cash, they only take credit cards!

I've flown on quite a few transatlantic flights in the last few years (with various airlines) and all of them except for the one flight I took with British Airways charged for alcoholic drinks.

Thanks Ksand...

I'll be on United, but it sounds like my chances are virtually nil of getting free alcohol.  I suppose I could bring my own... a couple of wee miniatures or something? 
Really it's just to relax me enough so that I can sleep.  I totally hate flying and just want to go to sleep when I board, and wake up when I arrive! 

Hm, where can I get hold of a diazepam?! 

Every transatlantic flight I have been on in the last year or two has had free wine during meal times.. However, I do believe they charge for alcoholic beverages during non-meal times.

Yeah, unfortunately you have to pay for alcohol on United flights unless you are in the Premium cabin: http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/inflight/dining/beverages/default.aspx

It does say in the link that only alcoholic beverages that have been served by a flight attendant can be consumed on board, so I think you might have some trouble bringing your own (not to mention that they will have to be under 100 mls each and will have to be taken out of your bag and placed in a see-through plastic bag along with any other liquids you have when going through security).

I have a friend who hates flying too and when I've flown with her before, she's just had a couple of drinks in the airport before boarding .

Every transatlantic flight I have been on in the last year or two has had free wine during meal times.. However, I do believe they charge for alcoholic beverages during non-meal times.

Really? I've flown on 8 transatlantic flights in the last 2 years and only one of them offered free beverages at any time during the flight (BA - it was a very pleasant surprise). If drinks were free during meal times on the other flights, they didn't tell us! The only thing the attendants said was that alcoholic drinks were X dollars and that they only took debit/credit cards.

Thanks Ksand...

I'll be on United, but it sounds like my chances are virtually nil of getting free alcohol.  I suppose I could bring my own... a couple of wee miniatures or something? 
Really it's just to relax me enough so that I can sleep.  I totally hate flying and just want to go to sleep when I board, and wake up when I arrive! 

Hm, where can I get hold of a diazepam?! 

I'm no help when it comes to the alcoholic drinks, but I know all about hating to fly. Can you talk to your doctor about prescribing you something to get you through the flight? My PCP gave me a prescription for Xanax (which is why I didn't drink at all, so don't know about what's served at what charge...), and it worked wonders, even during the worst turbulence and, later, the worst landing I've ever experienced. It did its anti-anxiety thing, but more importantly, I slept almost the entire way.

I've only been on one airline (BMI which I believe has been bought out now) since 2004 that served free alcoholic beverages at mealtime. Everyone else charges, averaging $7 a can for beer, and I think more for other drinks.

I'd go with the suggestion of having a couple at the airport. I know they are expensive there, but you will already be relaxing before takeoff if you have a couple then.

Really? I've flown on 8 transatlantic flights in the last 2 years and only one of them offered free beverages at any time during the flight (BA - it was a very pleasant surprise). If drinks were free during meal times on the other flights, they didn't tell us! The only thing the attendants said was that alcoholic drinks were X dollars and that they only took debit/credit cards.

This surprises me! I have always asked for red or white wine during meal times on the flights.. never have I been charged for it. Thankfully so.. the wine does wonders for calming my nerves during flights! Don't do so well with the whole flying thing... 

I can totally understand the desire for something to knock you out during a flight, believe me. Not to be a puritan but I understand that alcohol consumption while flying has the effect of making dehydration worse. Some claim that you can get drunk faster when flying but I don't know about that.
I'd go with the diazepam! 

I always took Benadryl!

I always took Benadryl!

Good idea - easier to get hold of than something on prescription like diazepam (which I doubt a UK GP would prescribe for flying anyway... it's one of the controlled drugs they keep locked up in a special cabinet in the pharmacy and only certain people are allowed to access it) .

Just be aware that UK Benedryl is non-drowsy (contains acrivastine instead of diphenhydramine), so if you buy it over here, it's not going to work . If you want to buy the equivalent of US Benedryl in the UK, you need to get Nytol (or generic version) instead.

I bought minis in the liquor store in the airport before my United flight. I am a terrible, terrible flyer. I bought rum, and mixed it with Coke on the plane. (I just mixed it on the sly, nobody was paying attention). I made about 3-4 fairly strong drinks from 2 minis, if I recall correctly. I also took Valium. I was still wide awake during the flight (and I rarely drank alcohol prior to that). LOL

Just be aware that UK Benedryl is non-drowsy

Was just going to reply to Balmerhon and comment that Benadryl has never made me drowsy!  (only ever had the UK kind).  But there's always original formula Benylin!

Mentioning diazepam was a bit of a joke, cos I know my GP well enough to know that he would never give it to me.    Guess I'll just have a couple of wee voddies in the airport and pop a couple of Syndol when I get on the plane.

I was just curious if the situation re free booze on transatlantic flights had changed since my last journey, and it appears it has, so thanks for the info, everyone.  (Just remembering my first ever transatlantic flight in 1984, when the stewardess held out 2 hands-ful of miniature Smirnoff bottles and told me to take as many as I wanted!)

I bought minis in the liquor store in the airport before my United flight. I am a terrible, terrible flyer. I bought rum, and mixed it with Coke on the plane. (I just mixed it on the sly, nobody was paying attention). I made about 3-4 fairly strong drinks from 2 minis, if I recall correctly. I also took Valium. I was still wide awake during the flight (and I rarely drank alcohol prior to that). LOL

1 mini is only 1 measure, so your drinks couldn't have been very strong at all.
But the diazepam (valium) should have done the business!   

That may be true, but I hardly drank back then, so they seemed strong to me! (Or maybe I had 3-4 minis and made 2 drinks. I can't remember! ha!)

And...... the Valium was only 5mg. I had *three*. Nothing! (I am a bit of a bigger gal though, size 20, so perhaps it wasn't enough to knock me out?)  Not knowing much about either (alcohol or prescription drugs), I thought I'd be knocked out, but I was barely sleepy. Too stressed/anxious/claustrophobic I guess.