What happens if you drink too much at the airport?
A passenger was arrested and escorted by police from an EasyJet flight early Sunday morning. It is believed the female, who has not yet been named, was drunk and assaulted a member of the cabin crew. The woman’s husband was also removed by police.
Cabin crew were forced to restrain the woman during the flight and the plane landed safely at Southend Airport where police were able to assist.
This is not the first instance where passengers have been arrested after landing due to drunk and disorderly behaviour. In fact, the number of passengers having one too many in the departure lounge has significantly increased in the last few years. According to an investigation by ITV* 245 people were arrested at UK airports on suspicion of being drunk between 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2019. 103 of those arrests were made at London’s Heathrow, the UKs busiest airport.
So, what happens if passengers drink too much at the airport?
Anti-social behaviour, whether it’s intoxication, disobeying instructions, threatening behaviour or endangering the safety of the flight, staff and passengers, can have serious repercussions.
Airlines’ train their staff to deal with all forms of disruptive behaviour, and staff on the ground have the right to refuse boarding to anyone behaving in such a manner. Cabin crew will also refuse to serve alcohol to anyone who appears to be intoxicated during the flight.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority the punishment for drunken behaviour on board a flight is a fine of up to £5,000 and two years in prison. Depending on the severity of the incident passengers that endanger the safety of the aircraft could face up to five years in prison.
If the flight is diverted, the passenger may have to repay the airline the cost of the diversion. These costs range from £10,000 to £80,000 – a high price to pay for a couple of drinks at the airport.
Can passengers claim for the holiday cost if they are refused boarding?
No, and they have no one to blame but themselves. It may seem unfair, but potentially endangering the safety of an aircraft is a serious matter.
If passengers are refused boarding, it may be possible for them to fly at a later date once they have sobered up, but this decision will be solely down to the airline.
Those looking to submit a claim on their travel insurance should be aware that a policy will not cover any costs associated with the passengers being refused boarding due to their behaviour. This includes the cost to return home if they are diverted during a flight and land in another country.
What can passengers do to prevent this happening to them?
It really is as simple as making sure they do not drink excessively or take drugs before boarding their flight. Everyone has a different tolerance when it comes to alcohol, but during a flight the pressure in the cabin causes lower oxygen levels and passengers may feel the effects of alcohol quicker – even after one or two drinks.
If passengers find themselves next to someone who appears intoxicated, discretely report them to a member of airline staff. Occasionally intoxicated people slip past the gate staff and are allowed to board the plane. Reporting the passenger before take-off can prevent a lot of aggravation during the flight.
Unfortunately, until a regulation is put in place to restrict the amount of alcohol a passenger can consume before a flight – or a ban is put in place, these incidences are likely to continue and become more frequent. Just make sure it doesn’t happen to you. More on alcohol abroad can be found here.
Everything you need to know about drinking on a plane
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One might argue that alcohol is the key to keeping one’s head on a flight. That the warm fuzz of a pre-take-off champagne (or a 6.30am pint in the airport Wetherspoons) is vital for enduring the inevitable delays, boredom and general indignities that air travel inflicts.
But while there’s no legal limit on the amount of alcohol that flyers can consume, being drunk on a plane is actually illegal – and alcohol-related incidents are on the rise, say airlines.
In March, a Wizz Air passenger was fined £15,000 after her boozy conduct was so disruptive that her flight from Gatwick to Egypt was diverted to Athens – and there have been similar incidents on easyJet and United Airlines in recent months. Indeed, almost one in five holidaymakers have had flights disrupted by drunk passengers, says GoCompare.
So before you reach for that pre-flight bracer, here’s everything you need to know.
Is it illegal to be drunk on a plane?
Yes. According to The Air Navigation Order 2016, the regulations set out by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): “A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft.” So, if that second G&T tips you over the edge, you’re actually breaking the law. But what actually constitutes “drunk”?
“There is no statutory definition,” says Craig Phillips, principal partner at Express Solicitors. “The Court of Appeal [in R v Tagg, 2001] determined that the everyday meaning of ‘drunk’ should be used. ‘Drunkenness’ was described by the judge as: ‘Affected by alcohol in the body to such an extent that one is without full or proper control of one’s faculties or behaviour.’” So it’s down to your conduct, not the quantity you’ve consumed.
And the penalties are steep. “If found guilty, passengers can face up to a £5,000 fine and a maximum of two years’s imprisonment,” explains Phillips. “Plus they could be pursued for costs incurred by the airline if the aircraft is diverted, and potentially a lifetime ban.” Diversion costs “range from £10,000 to £80,000”, the CAA advises.
Can you be denied boarding if you’re drunk in the airport?
Absolutely. If staff think you’re intoxicated, they can deny boarding or remove you from a flight before take-off – and your insurer won’t cover any disruption to your trip.
After a spate of alcohol-related incidents on Ryanair flights, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary called for a two-drink per passenger limit in August 2024. Instances of in-flight violence were occurring on a weekly basis, O’Leary said.
What happens to drunk and disorderly passengers on planes?
It’s at the captain’s discretion. Crew will stop serving them and attempt to “diffuse” the situation, but if they’re deemed a danger to those on-board (and themselves), the plane may be diverted and police involved.
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“We have a zero-tolerance approach to verbal and physical disorderly behaviour,” says Valeriu Ciocan-Boicea, senior cabin attendant at Wizz Air. “Depending on the severity of the situation, the captain may decide to divert to ensure the safety of everyone onboard. In these cases, Wizz Air will take legal action against the passenger, charging the cost of the disruption caused to the airline and its customers.”
Behaviour-related diversions are more common than you might think. In March 2025, an easyJet Glasgow–Hurghada flight reportedly diverted into Puglia, Italy, because of two intoxicated passengers. Also on easyJet that month, a Manchester–Tunisia flight diverted to Sardinia to eject a disruptive man into police custody.
How many drinks can you order on a plane?
There is no official limit – as long as you can handle them. If the crew think you’ve had enough to drink, they will stop serving you.
Can you bring alcohol on a plane – and how much?
Yes, but only booze that you’ve purchased from Duty Free before or during the flight: you’re not allowed to bring your own alcohol (i.e. miniature spirits from home).
There are rumours that EgyptAir, Kuwait Airways and Royal Brunei Airlines permit passengers to consume their own alcohol on board, but these are false. Attempting to do this is a serious offence.
How much Duty Free alcohol can you take on board?
It depends on the rules of your destination. For example, the wine allowance for entering the EU is four litres, whereas the US permits 2.25 litres and South Africa permits two litres. Some countries forbid travellers from importing any booze, such as The Maldives and Qatar.
If travelling on a domestic UK flight, you can purchase duty paid alcohol “at prices comparable with the UK average high street price,” advises World Duty Free. But still, you will be unable to drink it on board.
What’s the minimum age for drinking on flights?
There isn’t a single legal age enforced across all flights; carriers usually abide by the laws of the nation where they’re registered, for example it’s over-21 in the US. While the plane is on the ground, local rules also usually apply, so if you’re flying from Riyadh to Heathrow with a European airline, for example, no alcohol will be served until you’re airborne.
Do airlines serve free alcohol?
Free alcohol is offered on most long-haul flights, but some airlines are booze-free no matter the length of the flight – such as Royal Brunei, Saudia, Air Arabia and EgyptAir.
Short-haul and “budget” airlines (such as Wizz Air, Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair) serve alcohol on-board, but it’s chargeable. British Airways offers free drinks on long-haul routes, but if you’re travelling in economy on a BA Euroflyer flight, drinks aren’t included.
How do cabin crew judge intoxication levels?
“Our cabin crew are well-trained to identify intoxicated passengers before boarding,” says Ciocan-Boicea. “They look out for the usual signs: slurring and stumbling. They would be a red flag before or during boarding, and would prompt the crew to check whether you’re fit to fly.”
Does altitude make you more drunk?
Several factors cause alcohol to feel stronger and faster-acting when flying, says Dr Enam Abood, head doctor at Harley Street Health Centre. “Some are related to the plane’s environment, such as the different air pressure and lower oxygen levels. But factors that have the most impact are related to things we have control over, such as lacking our usual sleep, drinking less water and drinking earlier in the day than usual, and on less food.”
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Top 8 fun and easy road trip games to keep everyone entertained on long drives
Beat road trip boredom with these 8 fun games for kids, couples, and friends — from classics like Mad Libs to new favorites. Stay entertained mile after mile!
Roadtrips are an enjoyable way to see changing scenery, a chance to stay overnight in retro roadside motels, and an excuse to pull over to see the quirky roadside attractions you’ll only find in small-town America. (If you need some inspiration, here are ten bucket list road trips to take in your lifetime).
Quick Overview
TableTopics – The Original Conversation Starter Cards
Goofy Mad Libs: World’s Greatest Word Game
Would You Rather? Family Card Game:
Road Trip Games: 50 Fun Games to Play in the Car
But road trips also mean long stretches of flat highway where the oohs and ahhs slow down, the snacks run out, and you need a break from the podcast you’ve been streaming.
Enter road trip games. They’ll help you pass the time between stops and hopefully squash any questions like “Are we there, yet?”
From games that can be played among a group of friends or couples to road trip games to entertain kids, these games will help keep you entertained on the road.
Top 8 road trip games to play
1. TableTopics
TableTopics
TableTopics – The Original Conversation Starter Cards
Stir some great car convos with TableTopics, which has 135 cards thought-provoking cards.
TableTopics is a deck full of fun conversation-starter cards. The game is recommended for ages 12 and up, and the cards can spur conversation between a couple or a group. The deck has 135 cards and questions range from: “Is it more important to be book smart or street smart?” and “If you could have front-row seats to any concert who would you like to see?”
2. Mad Libs
Penguin
Goofy Mad Libs: World’s Greatest Word Game
Create super silly stories by filling in the blanks on Mad Libs with verbs, nouns and adjectives.
The scribe in charge of the Mad Libs tablet will be prompted to ask participants for verbs, adjectives, nouns, and so on, which will then be put into a short narrative. The catch: No one knows the context in which the words they toss out will be put, so the story ends up being a goofy one. This is a great game for kids in elementary school who are starting to learn the ins and outs of nouns, adjectives and the like.
3. “Would You Rather?”
Amazon
Would You Rather? Family Card Game:
Spark some fun conversations with the “Would You Rather” card game. This edition has families in mind.
You could devise your own scenarios for a game of “Would You Rather,” where you pit two outrageous scenarios against one another. But the “Would You Rather” deck of cards is loaded with pre-set predicaments: “Would you rather own a machine that makes any food you want or prints $50 per week?” The family edition of “Would You Rather” has 200 cards that were made with multi-generation road trips in mind.
4. License plate game
A road trip classic, and a fun one to play with kids, the license plate game challenges everyone in the car to collectively spot license plates from all 50 states. Pro tip: Print out a map of the United States to keep track of all the states you’ve collected.
5. License plate word scramble
When you’ve already done your Wordle for the day, you can engage your fellow passengers with a game of word scramble. Just look at a plate in a nearby lane and extract the letters — then challenge everyone to come up with a word with the letters in the plate. For example, if the license plate has the letters NKE in it, the word could be “Banker.”
6. Song trivia
Every great road trip has a good playlist. But turn your tunes into a game by seeing who can name the singer, song title and, for a bonus round, the year the song came out. You can set up a playlist in advance for this game or just scroll through the stations.
7. The geography game
If you loved social studies as a kid, this game is for you. One person starts the game by throwing out a geographic location (i.e., city, state, mountain region, river, etc.). Let’s say the starting word is California. The next person then comes with a location that starts with the last letter of the previous name, so, in this case, the letter “A,” which could be Alaska, Appalachians, Atlanta, and so on. You could mix up the themes, too, or narrow the categories, too. Other categories could be types of food, animals, countries, or band names.
8. A roadtrip-ready deck of game cards
Smith Street Books
Road Trip Games: 50 Fun Games to Play in the Car
Keep this deck of 50 cards in your console and pull it out on road trips. The Road Trip Games pack is family-friendly.
Need enough fun to power you through the plains? Or, if your family or friend group takes frequent road trips, you may be looking for a new game to bust some boredom. Road Trip Games: 50 Fun Games to Play in the Car will stir up some ideas. The portable deck of cards has game ideas that are perfect for kids and adults, and includes some of the classics like License Plate Bingo and I Spy, as well as fun new games like “Guess the Song.”
