This Kind Of Holiday Traveler Frustrates Flight Attendants The Most
Airports and the holiday travel season — you either love them or you hate them. Bouncing back and forth between terminals filled with Christmas cheer and cramped waiting rooms, giddy travelers and hour-long security lines, even festive luggage and getting hassled by the TSA over your cranberry sauce (remember: liquids and gels are a no-go, but solid foods are fine), airports become a sort of twilight zone where social cues are quickly forgotten and travelers often let a little too loose.
Pair that feeling of "I'm on holiday!" with an airport bar — where 7 a.m. beers and whiskeys pair perfectly with your breakfast sandwich — and it's a recipe for airborne disaster. Especially for the airline employees who have to interact with these obnoxious drunk passengers once they board the plane.
In fact, according to flight attendants, there's nothing worse during the holidays than dealing with booze-thirsty passengers who have already had one too many and are asking for more aboard the flight. After all, the combination of holiday joy (or stress), overindulgence, and a break from routine can lead to these passengers forgetting basic decorum: Being loud, inconsiderate to others, flat-out rude, and in some cases, even violent. All of which puts extra pressure on flight attendants who are already managing the busiest travel season of the year.
Always drink responsibly
Sure, airports feel like a different dimension, but they're still public spaces — and that means you should always act accordingly. That said, if you are planning on hitting up the bar or paying for the airport lounge, make sure you drink in moderation and remain aware of your surroundings. Never overindulge to the point of impairment. You wouldn't want to sit next to another passenger smelling like the bottom of a wine barrel, right? So don't be that person.
What happens if you do get a little carried away with the drinks before you board your flight? While getting a little tipsy at the airport isn't a crime per se, this doesn't absolve you from responsibility for your actions. On most occasions, a flight attendant will simply address you with a warning and cut you off for the remainder of the flight so you can sober up.
However, if you continue to be a nuisance to the crew and the passengers around you, you're in for a much tougher response — including the possibility of a 20-year federal prison sentence and up to $35,000 in fines. All of which goes to say: go easy on the drinks, and the crew won't need to treat you like a misbehaving toddler.