According to USA Today, it is now easier than ever to get a drink not only on a plane, but in the airport you’re flying out of or flying into as well. And while most airports already have bars where people can relax before their flight boards, these bars are now stepping up their liquor game, offering round the clock drink service, liquor stores in the terminal, and wine tastings.
Some new options for buying or drinking liquor during your travels are:
-Bars at O’Hare and Midway airports serve customers around the clock
-Portland International’s venues and shops sell cocktails and bottled alcohol starting as early as 5:00 a.m.
-Las Vegas’ McCarran International will have a liquor store in the baggage claim area, expected to open in spring of 2011.
-American Airlines offers an in-flight happy hour on certain flights for the month of December. Passengers can purchase wine, beer, and cocktails for $5 on flights that take off between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
While these airports see this increase in alcohol sales as a way to bring in more revenue, there are several critics who see this as dangerous; raising the risk of more drunken and possibly unruly travelers.
Richard Leck, a frequent flier from Bedford, New Hampshire, said that access to alcohol “is a convenience that should not be taken away for those with delays…but with that comes the need for airlines to strictly police who they are letting on flights. I have been on flights with intoxicated passengers. At that point, it turns from convenience into a nightmare.”
