Drunk people on planes.

I remember flying backwards and forwards from Zambia to the UK when I was a teenager in the 80's, on flights full of kids going to/from school at the beginning and end of term.
They didn't call those flights the booze cruises for nothing.
There was an "art" to alleviating the trolley bar of miniatures while the cabin crew were serving another row.
Bottles of duty free were opened with dinner and then finished with breakfast.
On more than one occasion, my hand luggage, shoved on the floor at my feet, was - er - "decorated" by a fellow passenger.
And on one flight, the cabin crew had to ask around for some spray deodorant or aftershave to cover up the smell of regurgitated booze in the aft lavs. :$
I cannot deny having a few drinks but I definitely didn't indulge to the same extent as others.
I think the most memorable point was when a condom was inflated, the end of it tied up, and then the entire rear cabin of a DC10 playing "volleyball" with it -including the adults! Until someone popped it, and was then taken aside upon arrival at LHR and given a strict talking to - for "causing an explosion on board an aircraft" or somesuch.
Ahh, those were the days.
(But humble apologies to any ex-Zambia Airways staff, who are probably still having sleepless nights over how bloody awful we were to have to deal with...)

Maybe they need to increase the price of tickets, make seats have more legroom and get back to proper flying days then perhaps we would not see reports like http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002118/Mass-brawl-30-000-feet-British-holidaymakers-30-minute-fight-Virgin-flight-Barbados.html this anymore

[Darren Wheeler]

Or limit their intake and show some self-control

I know that it's dangerous to extrapolate a single example, but I have to say that the BGI flight appears to have been getting a bit more *ahem* chavvy, over the 10 years or so I've been making these trips. and there I was naively thinking it was a classy destination.

I'm bracing myself for the next few years when the kids start demanding to go to disney, based on comments I've heard about the MCO run!

[Neil]

Or limit their intake and show some self-control

y)

I'm bracing myself for the next few years when the kids start demanding to go to disney, based on comments I've heard about the MCO run!

?|

Having travelled to MCO numerous times in the last few years, and in every class, we haven't had any bad experiences with the other pax, so you have no worries there at all.

Yep, everyone will have different experiences I guess, and I'm just going on what I read here... pretty academic really given the prices are around £1000 each in Y for next Easter - I cannot on principle pay that for an economy ticket (although it might help my ongoing marital negotiations to move up to PE!).

I should also confess that I did manage to polish off their stock of white wine on my last trip to St Lucia...

Good job I'm not a lightweight, in any possible sense of the word...

Or limit their intake and show some self-control

Indeed.

Maybe airlines need to consider splitting large groups up rather than keeping them all together.

And insisting on no 'fancy dress' either (which is my reading of the group being 'dressed up')

I have to report, sadly, that flying MCO to LGW I was kept awake by the increasing drunken ramblings of a fellow passenger in UC. On boarding he looked the most well dressed, repectable and polite passenger... it was made worse by the fact that he would go quiet and I would relax and almost fall asleep only for him to start up again. About 45mins out of LGW he actually went sound asleep !!! ):

Or limit their intake and show some self-control

y)

I'm bracing myself for the next few years when the kids start demanding to go to disney, based on comments I've heard about the MCO run!

?|

Having travelled to MCO numerous times in the last few years, and in every class, we haven't had any bad experiences with the other pax, so you have no worries there at all.

Maybe most of the ahem.."Chavs"... go the cheaper charter route to to the mouse via Sanford on a packge trip and the MCO run is for the more "reserved" pax that don't drink the bar dry ?|

Nothing wrong with drinking the bar dry... provided you remember how to behave afterwards!

But yes, I forgot about Sanford... although from what I can tell, the really 'smart' passengers go via JFK/MIA and then use Jet Blue to connect to MCO. And can't say I've ever heard a squeak out of anyone on the JFK route...

There's less drink drunk on flights to MCO as the kids are on soft drinks whilst the parents can't always drink due to having a drive a hire car when they get there!

Ah.... very interesting perspective there.

Although unless the hire car situation has improved since I was last at MCO with my parents (2.5 hour queue at Alamo, admittedly this was a few years back!), then that's another reason I may want to steer the kids towards Dubai again next year!

The problems that these idiots cause unfortunately ruin the enjoyment for those of us who act responsibly.
I am a bit of a nervous flyer so always have a couple of brandies with a coffee before boarding which helps relax me.
Most of us who are off on holiday enjoy a drink or three before and indeed during the flight, l think it's all part of the experience.
I would hate to think that a few dipsticks who simply can't control themselves would spoil the enjoyment for the majority of us good folk who know how to behave.

Nothing wrong with drinking the bar dry... provided you remember how to behave afterwards!

I quite agree:

- do not insult
- do not aggravate cc
- do not drive
- sleep like a baby ... and
- entertain!

Nothing wrong with drinking the bar dry... provided you remember how to behave afterwards!

I quite agree:

- do not insult
- do not aggravate cc
- do not drive
- sleep like a baby ... and
- entertain!

You mean you wet yourself and wake up every 2 hours crying?

From what I have heard, one of the cabins is more problematic than the others.

It's not Y and it's not J I'm told.

We have been told differently at work - I wont divulge private company info, but the above is not correct.

From what I have heard, one of the cabins is more problematic than the others.

It's not Y and it's not J I'm told.

We have been told differently at work - I wont divulge private company info, but the above is not correct.

y) I am not asking you to divulge or give away any company information but my friends that work for Virgin Atlantic(and other airline companys including British Air) all say that the further near the front you work the better the environment so in that respect I would expect uc to be far from the most problematic and on the fights we have taken that has always been the case.

[Darren Wheeler]

If you read Nick's original post, it hints very strongly that the problem is in J. Hence why the Clubhouses are being asked to be vigilant.

If you read Nick's original post, it hints very strongly that the problem is in J. Hence why the Clubhouses are being asked to be vigilant.

I'm not sure it hints at J, Nick's post states "aimed not just at passengers down the back" which applies that perhaps it is the assumption that it would be down the back but not necessarily always the case.

Certainly my observation is it is generally down the back in Y where the issues occur most frequently. However, when you compare volume of passengers vs. % of issues, the law of averages would suggest that the issues are more likely to occur in Y considering a much higher concentration of people vs. J or W.

If my experience in the Servisair lounge (where the booze is on tap) is anything to go by, it is not so much VS that is causing the issue but other lounges.

If you read Nick's original post, it hints very strongly that the problem is in J. Hence why the Clubhouses are being asked to be vigilant.

I'm not sure it hints at J, Nick's post states "aimed not just at passengers down the back" which applies that perhaps it is the assumption that it would be down the back but not necessarily always the case.

Certainly my observation is it is generally down the back in Y where the issues occur most frequently. However, when you compare volume of passengers vs. % of issues, the law of averages would suggest that the issues are more likely to occur in Y considering a much higher concentration of people vs. J or W.

If my experience in the Servisair lounge (where the booze is on tap) is anything to go by, it is not so much VS that is causing the issue but other lounges.

Exactly |:)

In my experience it seems to be those that get in for a fee or as a guest that seem to think "lets get our monies worth" and guzzle in the clubhouse as when the flight it called they stagger to the gate but I dont see them on the flight in uc so yes the CH should look out for that type of activity but as Luke says it is not uc passengers (from what I have seen and heard) y)

Two things to remember - its not just alcohol & the Media report this much more now than in the past.

We still vividly remember one flight back from the US (and not a b&s flight)

Somewhere south of Iceland one pax went berserk. Ended up with 2 other pax & 2 crew with blood over their shirts from head wounds - luckily looked much worse than they actually were.

The cause of all this ended up in a straight-jacket in the doorway but spent most of the time screaming. At least back then it was not an automatic diversion. We had a very fast approach to LHR and all remained seated for almost 20 minutes while armed police dealt with the still screaming idiot and identifying who they needed for statements.

Interestingly the media did not even report it!
About 18yrs ago, SFO-LHR flight.

Not a new problem as mentioned earlier. There are always people who will drink too much before they even board the plane, some just not keen on flying, and then a few drinks on the plane. Some PAX get loud and upset people and others just fall asleep. The point about Y, passenger density etc. is probably right and when people are packed in like sardines its very easy to annoy people, drunk or not. Adding drink to this situation is a problem but not fair to penalise everyone because of a few, so up to VS via the CC to try limit drinks where appropriate.

Not sure about UC drunk people but never had a problem in 10 years worth of PE. Many years in Y, drunk, ill, angry, hyper and manic (not me) we have seen them all.

Once in PE upstairs in bubble there was a man who kept ordering drinks whilst his children ran about. Eventually he decided to go to sleep by lying down in the aisle ( he was near the front )and to my amazement he was allowed to do so !!! v(

[mitchja]

I just wonder if the same rules apply to cabin crew as to bar staff?

Bar staff who knowingly serve alcohol to anyone who are intoxicated are now liable and can be fined upto £1000.

I know when I used to work behind a bar, it was drummed into us that no matter how abusive someone might get, we should not serve them if they appeared intoxicated.

Obviously bars/clubs are a different environment as there's often the back-up of security/doormen etc and I appreciate that this back-up is not available onboard aircraft though.

Having worked behind bars for 5 years+ I know exactly what it's like and it is not easy to say no to someone who is demanding alcohol off you. It's often seems easier just to serve them and hope they will go away.

It's never an easy situation to deal with and I suspect it's even harder in the enclosed space of an aircraft.