Southwest Airlines asks passengers to stop drinking their own booze during flights
Southwest has reportedly seen an uptick in people drinking their own booze on board
Attention, passengers – the friendly skies are not BYOB.
Southwest Airlines has reportedly seen an uptick in passengers drinking their own booze on board as the coronavirus pandemic continues, prompting the carrier to denounce the practice during in-flight announcements.
Last week, Southwest flight attendants reportedly received a memo from Kari Kriesel, manager of inflight safety, standards and regulatory compliance, explaining that a mention of the matter will be added to the airline’s in-flight safety announcements.
If passengers are caught red-handed with liquor carried onto the flight, the memo instructed flight attendants to "use their hospitality'' when asking the individual to stop drinking. (iStock)
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Following reminders that smoking and electronic cigarettes are banned on board, cabin crew members will also inform passengers that “it is also prohibited to consume alcohol that you've brought,” per USA Today.
According to the outlet, the memo ascribed the uptick in illicit boozing to a lack of in-flight alcohol options across both commercial flights and airports amid the pandemic. At present, Southwest is simply serving water and snack mix on flights over 250 miles, per the carrier’s website.
If passengers are caught red-handed with liquor carried onto the flight, the memo instructed flight attendants to "use their hospitality'' when asking the individual to stop drinking.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 27.24 | -0.86 | -3.06% |
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"Refrain from confiscating sealed containers, and allow customers to stow those for the remainder of the flight,'' it advised.
Kriesel reportedly added that competitor carriers are also “noticing the same challenges” during this time.
When reached for comment on Tuesday morning, a Southwest spokesperson told Fox Business that the information reported by USA Today was “accurate.”