Wednesday, January 18, 2006
By Avery Johnson, The Wall Street Journal

One of the most cherished traditions of international air travel -- free in-flight cocktails -- is coming to an end.

Starting Feb. 1, Northwest Airlines -- the last remaining U.S. carrier to give out free booze in international coach class -- will phase in a $5-per-drink fee on Asian-Pacific flights. (Drinks will still be complimentary on flights to Europe and other international routes.)

Last year, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines started charging $5 per alcoholic beverage in international economy and Delta Air Lines raised its fee from $4 to $5. United also began instructing flight attendants not to give complimentary beer, wine or champagne to passengers celebrating birthdays, anniversaries or honeymoons.

At the same time, many airlines are reducing the supplies of alcohol they carry on board. And at the airport, airline clubs are curtailing free drinks as well.

In first and business classes, where drinks are still free, the quality and quantity is dropping aboard some carriers: Starting this past June, US Airways stopped serving Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which costs about $70, to its international business class passengers.

Now, its classiest red-wine option is a Wente Syrah, which retails for about $13. (US Airways says the Caymus was left over from the days when it had a first-class cabin overseas. The airline went to business and economy classes only on international after Sept. 11, 2001.)

The changes are coming after legal and lobbying pressure on airlines to cut down on "air rage" -- in-flight misbehavior most frequently attributed to drunkenness. The cuts are also happening against a backdrop of difficult economic times for U.S. carriers. High fuel costs and increased competition from discounters have pushed fares to record lows and have helped force many airlines into bankruptcy protection. Airlines have already sliced many in-flight amenities including magazines, free meals and pillows.
Airlines have been charging for booze for years on domestic flights in coach. Still, some passengers who have gotten used to free drinks when flying internationally aren't happy about the latest moves.

"It feels like the airlines are nickel and diming their best customers by offering less and less for the cost of the ticket," says Joseph Gordon, a 27-year-old consultant from Iowa City, Iowa, who flies mostly on American. "I'm just resigned to the fact that in economy class you have to pay for almost everything now."

It is in stark contrast to the kind of service you get on international carriers, where even short hops in-country come with a complimentary nip of something or other. British Airways serves quality drinks free in all cabins, with special beers selected depending on where you are going (Guinness on trips to Ireland, for example). Lufthansa serves free alcohol even on trips within Germany.

In the U.S., the cash-bar movement is hitting airline clubs, too. In the past, many clubs served free drinks to those with a premium-class international ticket, or as a perk of a yearly membership. But frequent fliers are finding that spigot is drying up, too.

America West, as part of its merger with US Airways, has notified members that free drinks in its airport lounges will be disappearing soon. At American Airlines' Admirals Clubs, there used to be two free-drink coupons (for passengers flying on international business or first class), but now the agents at the door give out only one. (A tip: They will give you another one if you ask.)

Some of these changes are a welcome antidote to a disruptive drunk in the middle seat. In 2000, after a series of particularly bad alcohol-related incidents, the Association of Flight Attendants started pushing hard to get airlines to tighten alcohol rules and punish unruly passengers.

The pressure has led to some action. The Federal Aviation Administration's fine for interfering with a flight attendant's duties is now $25,000 per incident. That is up from a mere $1,100 before a change went through in 2000. Also, the FAA has seen the number of reported air-rage civil actions fall over the past year, to 167 as of Dec. 19 for 2005, down from 303 in 2004.

Airlines do give flight attendants the right to cut off, or pare, drinks service to intoxicated passengers. They can also deny boarding to the obviously drunk.

Some airlines say they are starting to carry less liquor than in the past. Billy Sanez, a spokesman for American, says his airline has cut back as part of an effort to reduce the weight of cargo because of high fuel prices. Less liquor onboard can translate into fewer choices for customers: US Airways, for instance, has discontinued serving speciality drinks like Kahlua, and now serves only one brand of scotch, down from two or three.

Also, some frequent travelers say they have noticed that the drink cart rolls through less often, and the pours are less generous, even on flights and parts of the plane where drinks are still free. "They generally wait for you to ring if you want a refill, even after a meal when you're in business class," says David Balcon, a 55-year-old documentary filmmaker from Toronto.

Passengers who like to drink have some recourse. JetBlue Airways lets you bring wine onboard as long as a flight attendant serves it. The flight attendant will open and pour only wine, beer and champagne -- no hard alcohol is allowed.

While most airlines forbid this bring-your-own arrangement, some passengers say you can get away with it if you're discreet. Richard Brklacich, a 35-year-old public-relations specialist from Orange County, Calif., brings his own half-liter bottle of vodka onto flights in his briefcase because he doesn't always like the airlines' selections. He pours the liquor while the flight attendants aren't watching, and sometimes shares with his seatmates. "I haven't had any trouble with flight attendants," he says. "I keep to myself and they don't bother me."

There are still pockets of freebies, even on airlines that are trimming back. United, for instance, still serves free drinks in coach on its flights to and within Asia. Southwest Airlines uses alcohol coupons as a perk for frequent fliers.

Travelers can also use the miles they accrue on a U.S. carrier to fly on one of the foreign airlines that has a more generous alcohol policy. For example, customers of the Star Alliance, which includes United and US Airways, can use their miles on Singapore Airlines, which has its own wine cellar. And on every flight, all the drinks are free.