Why sell alcohol in air lines?Just curious

Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drink alcohol. People can
survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.

arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu writes:

> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drink alcohol. People can
> survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
> during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
> selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.

Money talks, and making money is more important than comfort and safety.
Selling drugs is immensely profitable, as it caters to addicts who cannot
survive for long without the drugs.

I feel the same way you do, but in societies where alcohol is the standard
drug of choice for substance abuse, things aren't likely to change at any
point in the foreseeable future.

--
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On Apr 9, 5:46 pm, "aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu"
<aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote:

> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling thealcoholin plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drinkalcohol. People can
> survive withoutalcoholfor few hours as they survive without smoking
> during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
> selling alcoholin plane? With thanks.

Many airlines wil even serve it free of charge.

I think it dates back to the times when air travel was a luxury, and
having a drink and a cigarette (or, even better, a cigar or pipe) was
a symbol of status. See numerous Hollywood movies.

The cigarettes are done with, but the drinks remain, either free, or
for a nominal charge. Myself, I like to have a drink or two when on
board; it makes it easier to fall asleep and endure long flights.
However, given the number of incidents with drunk passangers, I
incline to support a total ban. I've already had to do with drunk
passengers, although none of them turned violent, thankfully.

jrk

In message <1176155209.235331.106120@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>
"arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu" <arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote:

>Greetings!

Howdy!

>There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
>drunk passengers.

Infotainment!

>Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
>breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
>board the plane.

I don't even mind people having some alcohol, if you can walk and talk,
I'm pretty much fine with that.

>I am not for prohibition.

Amen

>I drink alcohol.

Never touch the stuff myself.

>People can
>survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
>during the flight.

You'd think.

>Just curious. How much money airlines make by
>selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.

Probably a fairly substantial amount. More then the drunken air rage
incidents cost them, anyway.
--
Insert something clever here.

<arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote in message
news:1176155209.235331.106120@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drink alcohol. People can
> survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
> during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
> selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.
>
Because passengers want it. Back in the early 1960's, W.A. Patterson, the
then-president of United, said he didn't want his flight attendants (then
"Stewardesses") to be bar tenders. Everybody else served booze so now
United does too.

On Apr 10, 4:46 am, "aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu"
<aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote:
> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drink alcohol. People can
> survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
> during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
> selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.

Exactly. Yes, the make money. But there is a cost involved in dealing
with angry passengers, sick passengers, etc. Seems to me like one
flight that is forced to land because of problems on board kind of
wipes out their profit.

On Apr 9, 4:46 pm, "aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu"
<aro...@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote:
> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. <snip>

Next, pass out the plastic cups and do an on the spot urinanalysis in
the boarding area to check for other substances.

<arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote in message
news:1176155209.235331.106120@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Greetings! There are so many stories in the newspapers and TV about
> drunk passengers. Why not stop selling the alcohol in plane and have a
> breath analyzer test for suspected passengers before these passengers
> board the plane. I am not for prohibition. I drink alcohol. People can
> survive without alcohol for few hours as they survive without smoking
> during the flight. Just curious. How much money airlines make by
> selling alcohol in plane? With thanks.

1. Most flights I go on dish the stuff out for nothing

2. Who the hell are you to say I can't have drink if I want one?

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

William Black writes:

> 1. Most flights I go on dish the stuff out for nothing
>
> 2. Who the hell are you to say I can't have drink if I want one?

People misbehave when they take mood-altering drugs. That can be dangerous on
an aircraft.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Apr 10, 5:15 am, "William Black" <william.bl...@hotmail.co.uk>
wrote:
>
> 2. Who the hell are you to say I can't have drink if I want one?
>

The same guy who tells you not to smoke even if you want to.

jrk

> --
> William Black

<jrk011@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1176216172.466641.52760@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> On Apr 10, 5:15 am, "William Black" <william.bl...@hotmail.co.uk>
> wrote:
>>
>> 2. Who the hell are you to say I can't have drink if I want one?
>>
>
> The same guy who tells you not to smoke even if you want to.
>

Now that's an excellent point.

Especially as, on international flights, they sell tobacco products...

But I suppose they could claim that someone smoking tobacco causes distress
and possible medical harm to everyone on the aircraft.

The chance of people becoming dangerous from booze is very small and, for a
number of people, it's a necessity.

I remember once on a flight of a Fokker 50 out of Teesside International
Airport a lady in front of me downing three miniatures before takeoff (no
the crew didn't give her it, she brought her own)

But, to be honest, the Fokker 50 isn't the most confidence inspiring
aircraft in the world...

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

William Black writes:

> The chance of people becoming dangerous from booze is very small and, for a
> number of people, it's a necessity.

Actually, alcohol is the number-one cause of problems with passengers aboard
aircraft, from what crew members have told me.

And if someone is addicted to alcohol, he should stay away from situations in
which he won't be able to feed his addiction.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

In message <ubjn13lskbdqcv6r84942t62bfcc93bvf2@4ax.com> Mxsmanic
<mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote:

>William Black writes:
>
>> The chance of people becoming dangerous from booze is very small and, for a
>> number of people, it's a necessity.
>
>Actually, alcohol is the number-one cause of problems with passengers aboard
>aircraft, from what crew members have told me.

It's hard to peg down numbers though. Coming up with "Alcohol related
incidents" is easy, but coming up with "Incidents that would have
occurred without alcohol being involved" is tough (except for cases
where the incident was over the amount, frequency, quality or type of
alcohol -- But you cannot prove someone wouldn't have become violent
anyway)

>And if someone is addicted to alcohol, he should stay away from situations in
>which he won't be able to feed his addiction.

Indeed.
--
Insert something clever here.

"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ubjn13lskbdqcv6r84942t62bfcc93bvf2@4ax.com...
> William Black writes:
>
>> The chance of people becoming dangerous from booze is very small and,
>> for a
>> number of people, it's a necessity.
>
> Actually, alcohol is the number-one cause of problems with passengers
> aboard
> aircraft, from what crew members have told me.
>
> And if someone is addicted to alcohol, he should stay away from situations
> in
> which he won't be able to feed his addiction.

Very true.

What do you suggest as a relaxant/sedative for someone who is terrified of
flying?

Alcohol will give you a headache, it's free and available and you don't need
to produce an expensive doctor's letter to get it onto the aircraft...


--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

In message <evgkgr$qoq$1@news.freedom2surf.net> "William Black"
<william.black@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:ubjn13lskbdqcv6r84942t62bfcc93bvf2@4ax.com...
>> William Black writes:
>>
>>> The chance of people becoming dangerous from booze is very small and,
>>> for a
>>> number of people, it's a necessity.
>>
>> Actually, alcohol is the number-one cause of problems with passengers
>> aboard
>> aircraft, from what crew members have told me.
>>
>> And if someone is addicted to alcohol, he should stay away from situations
>> in
>> which he won't be able to feed his addiction.
>
>Very true.
>
>What do you suggest as a relaxant/sedative for someone who is terrified of
>flying?
>
>Alcohol will give you a headache, it's free and available and you don't need
>to produce an expensive doctor's letter to get it onto the aircraft...

Diphenhydramine isn't bad. Methocarbamol works on most people,
Dimenhydrinate works on most too...

Consult your doctor.
--
Insert something clever here.