Should Airports And Airlines Do More To Restrict Alcohol Sales Woman Fined

[gordiescotland1]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-49017838
I totally accept that everyone must take responsibility for their actions however surely airlines should not allow people who are intoxicated to excess to fly. Also there is a lot of alcohol availabity at airports. Should the airports and airlines do more to prevent this.

[237SJ]

There is no specific limit though. Someone can drink a couple of pints and be perfectly fine and others can have a couple and be *** - especially if they have taken other medication such as sleeping pills. People drink their own duty free, drink in lounges etc. The limit is when they appear drunk which is illegal on an aircraft (Air Navigation Order)so it is down to human interaction to deny boarding. Not everyone who kicks off on an aircraft has been drinking, either

[ummmm]

Some are just very scared of flying and freak out. Add a few drinks to the mix....

[naomi24]

And some are just obnoxious people ...

[EDDIE51]

Yes, it is already the case that people who are 'Obviously intoxicaterd' are banned from even bording an aircraft !

[Cloverjo]

If my husband wouldn’t look at me disparagingly, I’d happily join the 6 am drinkers. I have managed a sneaky Bloody Mary when he’s not looking.

[New Judge]

Just as a point of pedantry, she hasn't been fined, gordie. Jet2 has sent her a bill for £85k to reimburse the costs they incurred in having the flight returned to Stansted. She has still to face three criminal charges in court (assault, criminal damage and endangering an aircraft). I don't know if the RAF will bill her for the two Typhoons which were scrambled to escort the aircraft back to the ground. The RAF itself faces claims from homeowners for broken windows caused by the Typhoons' sonic booms.

Yesterday there was a programme on TV - a documentary about Leeds/Bradford airport. It showed a flight to Ibiza which was delayed by seven hours. Many of the passengers were absolutely ratted by the time they boarded and were disruptive in the airport lounge and as they queued to board. They had been given "final warnings" about their behaviour and were given "final, final warnings" as they boarded. But still they were permitted to board, clearly a threat to other passengers and the crew. Some of them were almost unable to stand or string a few words together and would almost certainly have been drunk enough to deny their boarding even if the flight had left on time.

It's not entirely clear whether alcohol was the main cause of this woman's behaviour but I have read she has convictions for disorderly behaviour and drink-driving. Ground staff have the powers to deny disruptive passengers boarding. A few examples where they are denied boarding and miss their flight would help concentrate the minds of those who see becoming paralytic as a requirement before boarding an aircraft.

[ludwig]

Other passengers had to hold her down. An air marshal with a taser would have been more efficient and less disruptive.

[Peter Pedant]

// And some are just obnoxious people ...//
we are not talking about the average ABer but the average air traveller - ter daah !

no - yes the point I wanted to make is NJs
it is a bill for the cost of the delay - payable to the loser ( no, not the traveller ter daah again !) and NOT a fine which is not damages, not paid to the loser and not related to the amount lost

I imagine she will go bankrupt ....

[retrocop]

I recall seeing somed female sot crying her eyes out at Pearson airport Canada.She was escorted back to the Departure lounge by the Mounties. Obviously denied access to her flight but hopefully the expense was her problem and the rest of the crew and passengers could carry on without further delay. I assume there would be a delay in anycase because her luggage would not be allowed to continue in the hold without her on board. Oiking that off because off her state would seriously pee off the rest of the travellers. :-(

[david small]

Make all airports and aircraft alcohol free zones as they do for smoking. I believe one day that will happen. Common sense really.

[andy-hughes]

If you think about it dispassionately, you have to wonder how we have evolved a culture where people think drinking and air travel are somehow inherently connected.

I do of course completely understand the business-based logic behind airport operators installing bars in airports - if people are bored, they will drink alcohol - ker-ching - all well and fine.


This concept is based entirely on the notion of making passengers hang around for a minimum of three hours - more with delays - between check-in and boarding, so it's an obvious money-maker.

But that does not make it a right or sensible thing to do.

Yes, the age-old argument is that lost people are able to be 'sensible' and enjoy a drink, and the 'few' spoil it for everyone else - but you are argue that about drinking and driving as well, but no-one does.

The fact is, the results of the 'few' being unable to be sensible can be deeply unpleasant for the rest of the passengers, and crew, and potentially catastrophic for the safety of air aircraft.

The simple fact is, no-one really needs to drink alcohol while they wait for a plane, it's a profit-driven scheme which now sees the concept of profit seriously undermined by anti-social and potentially dangerous behaviour.

So why not simply stop having bars in airports - that will cut down the culture of associating flying with drinking.

The next step is to stringently ban any passenger who appears even slightly intoxicated - oh, and ban the sale of alcohol on places as well. Long distances coaches don't have staff selling alcohol, why does an airplane need to have one?

The simple answer is, they don't. No-one will die if they have to keep their duty free until they get home to drink it - after all, they can't smoke their duty free ciggies, and no-one seems to complain about that any more.

If anyone asks why they can't drink their duty free in the airport, or on the plane, the answer is simple - Boots sell condoms ….

[andy-hughes]

For 'lost people' - please read 'lots of people.

Thanks.

[ummmm]

Andy - can't remember the last time I waited around for check in. You can usually do it online.

[Prudie]

I beg to differ. Although I have improved I often really needed to have a drink to get on a plane.

[jno]

andy, I think the loss of revenue - these days when airports are primarily supermarkets - would far outweigh the inconvenience caused by the occasional drunks on planes. This case appears to have been exceptional in terms of stupidity; mostly drunks just annoy fellow passengers, and crew are trained to shut them up (hopefully).

But crew on planes could certainly refuse to sell more alcohol to anyone even the slightest bit noisy. Whetehr they already do, I don't know.

[jno]

ummmm, I occasionally have to queue at check-in if I'm on a package tour; some airlines (I think BA may be one) don't seem to recognise me as an individual passenger when I do that.

[ummmm]

You're right but when we went package we certainly didn't do it 3 hours before.

[jno]

no way .... partly because the holidays I mostly go on are short haul, so they only ever required 2 hours, but partly I think because so many other people are checking in online you don't get anything like the queues airports used to have. But often when we return, everyone on the tour is delivered early and the airports abroad don't do online checking in.

A few years ago now, I found I couldn't check in at Washington DC, even when I was travelling alone; I had to turn up 3 hours early and get assigned a rubbish seat for an overnight flight. That was BA. Maybe it's changed now.

[Milo2]

I was on a flight recently when a young man was told to leave the plane after we had all boarded. He was obviously drunk and ignored the advice of his friends to sit down and be quiet so some airline staff do make decisions before it becomes a problem during the flight.

[237SJ]

If you are on a group booking with a scheduled airline you will be assigned a group booking ref which is why you can't choose your seat etc. You should be able to approach your tour company and retrieve your individual PNR which will exist and then you can have some control over seating etc (my sister does this on her walking holiday package trips)