Drinking...would you pass up an opportunity?

I was lucky enough to win a short flight on Concorde once. We were fifty prizewinners plus partners and were only on it about an hour and a half as I recall. In that time I managed a three course silver service meal, a trip to the cockpit and as much free champagne as I could get hold of. We'd had a champagne and canapes reception before we boarded. I wasn't the only one that needed a steady arm to hold as we descended the steps.

I suppose I should add a , but I'm a bit shameless too.

Could be just to calm their nerves about flying.

My step father was a pilot on private planes. When we were going anywhere where he wasn't at the wheel, so to speak,we had a ritual in the departure lounge of coffee with a measure of brandy in it, no matter what time of day!

You are a girl after my own heart Maggie We always have a drink at the airport before we board and another on the flight. We have never been even slightly tiddly when we have reached our destination. It's all part of the holiday.

vodka and coke is sacrilege{grin}

At the risk of repeating myself, this certainly wasn't a holiday flight and the people had just 35 minutes to consume their booze before landing at sunny.....Newcastle upon Tyne, not most people's idea of a holiday destination, I'm sure (and it was raining ?)

You are quite right lizzy any excuse will do for some young people.

Do we really need an excuse, I mean, at our age, I know at least one that doesn't.

I don't start until 11.30.

I'm not against anyone having a drink, in an airport on a plane or anywhere else, what I object to is when they get drunk and start causing problems for those around them. If it is in a bar or restaurant you can get up and walk away, when you are in a metal tube 30,000 feet in the air it is worrying and even dangerous in the event of an emergency. I was once on a plane and a drunk passenger started kicking off, I found the experience very frightening and the children on board were crying and scared.

My father brought me up on the premiss that if you drank alcohol (apart from champagne) before 11.00 am you were an alcoholic. After that it was permissible. He was often looking at his watch mid-morning. At 11.00 he had a pre-lunch whisky and continued steadily throughout the day. Never really drunk though.

That is exactly the problem sunseeker I have no problem with people drinking alcohol provided its a reasonable amount at the right place and time.

It's just weird that people will order vodka and coke at 9.15am on a plane when they (hopefully, surely) wouldn't pour themselves a 'stiffener' at home or at work at 9.15am!

Some people are just like that on journeys. I remember being shocked while on a visit to a care service in another city. We were on a minibus and several of the nurses including senior ones seemed to think it was fine to bring along and consume a 'carry out' of vodka and wine. This was during the day. They saw it as a nice work outing so entirely appropriate behaviour. I was absolutely furious with them and they really didn't understand why. Some people just have a funny attitude to alcohol.

Well, I like a drink but I don't get drunk. Having a drink - even before lunchtime - is all part of the holiday experience as far as I'm concerned, though my husband rarely drinks and that's fine too.

lizzy you were right to be blinkin shocked! this is the reason that being on a flight these days can include drunks, you should not be able to order alcohol at all on a plane and that is because some people now do not know when enough is enough and they need protecting from themselves and others need to be protected from drunk people on planes.

Well, I have just come back from Canada, and had two mini bottles of red wine and a Bailey's on a 9 hour flight - and why not?

I'm completely shameless, as of course I also have an airport ritual of a vodka and orange juice before we fly! It's just my 'touch wood' drink for a safe flight.

I've had an experience of being on a "girls" holiday with around 15 middle aged "girls", who started drinking at around 5am before our flight. Suffice to say, I never went again!

Three of my sisters got jobs as cabin crew for British Airways in the 80's and initially loved the work. Nowadays they have to put up with increasingly awful, and sometimes dangerous, behaviour from drunk passengers on a daily basis. One of them has finally had enough and has just retired.
A few years ago, when I was recovering from an illness, I took a (solo) coach holiday to the Dolomites and I would guess the average age of the other travellers was about 80 years. There were drinks and snacks available on board and I was genuinely shocked at the amount of alcohol that was consumed - morning, noon and night. During the day almost every hot drink (including soup) was requested to be served with a shot of booze and most frequently they were doubles, then at the evening meal in the hotel huge amounts of alcohol were consumed. So, not particularly age related then.

We were on the 6.30 am flight to Ibiza and the young couple next to me ordered 2 Bacardi and Cokes and asked for the half bottle of champagne they had pre-ordered to be served with orange juice! This to accompany the chips complete with vinegar!! Lovely!!!

My late husband worked in the Middle East and we did a lot of flying back and forth and he would justify having a drink early in the morning be saying that his body clock was still 4 hours ahead and therefore the bar was open!

I pass up most opportunities to have an alcoholic drink. It's just never interested me much.

Exactly the same for me. I'm glad, when I see how it affects some. Last drink I had was in about 2013, I think!