The question over whether pre-flight drinks may be facing last orders has been recirculating as restrictions become discussed more readily by airlines facing disruptions. But the airport ritual doesn’t have to disappear completely, says one drinks expert. db finds out more.
With airlines now calling for tighter restrictions around alcohol sales inside airport locations including a suggested ban for early morning drinkers raises the question: is the “airport pint” culture becoming outdated?
Speaking about the conundrum, wine expert and German fizz company Schloss Wachenheim managing director Dan Harwood told db: “For millions of Brits, the holiday starts at the airport bar. Whether it’s a pint before dawn or a glass of prosecco before boarding, the pre-flight drink has become part of the modern travel experience – a small signal that normal rules are temporarily on hold.”
Traditions face turbulence
Harwood explained that the “tradition is now facing turbulence” because “Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2 are among the airlines calling for tighter restrictions on airport alcohol sales, including a ban on early morning drinking, following a rise in disruptive passenger behaviour onboard”.
This has also been seen on other flights such as British Airways, but incidents are often due to individual cases.
According to Harwood, the airlines “have a point” and pointed out that it is clear that “airline staff are increasingly dealing with drunken incidents mid-air, while flight diversions caused by disruptive passengers are costly, stressful, and potentially dangerous”.
For instance, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary recently revealed the airline is now forced to divert almost one flight a day because of disruptive behaviour – a sharp increase compared with a decade ago, when diversions were far less common.
Harwood observed that “public opinion also appears to be shifting” since “research from YouGov suggests almost half of Brits would support restrictions on early morning airport drinking, reflecting growing frustration around alcohol-fuelled disruption during travel”.
He noted that this sentiment is reflected in a wider sense too, with a recent Censuswide study indicating that 65% of UK Millennials and 63% of Gen Z plan to reduce their alcohol consumption by 2026.
The reason behind the ritual
To get to grips with how this should be tackled, Harwood suggested that we should look into the reason behind the ritual and highlighted how an outright ban might be a misjudged attempt to curb an issue without the measured response it requires and the understanding behind why the ritual exists in the first place.
He explained: “While the problem is real, banning the pre-flight drink altogether risks missing the bigger picture”. This is because “for most passengers, the airport drink isn’t really about alcohol itself. It’s about switching into holiday mode. Airports are unusual spaces – people are between routines, between places, and sometimes between versions of themselves. The drink becomes part of that transition.”
Harwood insisted that, in reality, “most travellers aren’t causing problems, and few people would welcome airports turning into sobriety checkpoints because of the behaviour of a minority”.
In this instance, he said that “the challenge, then, is finding a way to preserve the sense of occasion without contributing to the chaos that can sometimes follow onboard” and suggested that this is “where alcohol-free alternatives could play a much bigger role”.
Replacement over reduction
The rise of alcohol-free beer, wine and cocktails has already shown how consumers are adapting and changing how they think about drinking and, increasingly, “people want moderation without feeling excluded socially,” he observed and told db: “They still want the experience of celebrating, relaxing, or toasting the start of a holiday – just without the downsides that can come with excessive drinking before a flight.”
Harwood lamented that “across airports, that shift is already becoming visible” and said that “more bars and lounges are expanding their alcohol-free options, recognising that passengers still want something that feels indulgent or celebratory, even if it contains no alcohol”.
He noted that “the quality of those alternatives has changed dramatically in recent years. A good alcohol-free sparkling wine can still feel festive. A well-made alcohol-free cocktail can still feel like a treat. The social moment remains intact – but passengers arrive clearer-headed, calmer, and far less likely to contribute to the kind of disruption airlines are trying to prevent”.
A natural evolution
Plus, he suggested that this also “doesn’t mean alcohol should disappear from airports altogether. For many people, having a drink before a flight will remain part of the excitement of going away, and there is understandable resistance to restrictions that penalise the majority for the actions of a few. But if airports and airlines genuinely want to reduce disruptive incidents without damaging the customer experience, making alcohol-free options more visible, aspirational and accessible could be part of the answer”.
According to Harwood there will, possibly, be a natural evolution for the ritual and he added: “the airport drink probably isn’t going anywhere just yet. But its future may look slightly different – less about drinking heavily before sunrise, and more about keeping the excitement of the occasion without the consequences that can follow once the cabin doors close”.
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