How to Get Free Drinks on the Plane
Air travel is stressful, and one of the easiest ways to relieve stress is to relax slightly . Airplane drinks are a bit overpriced, though, so we don’t mind suggesting some tricky ways to get free libations in flight.
First, appeal to the humanity of the flight attendants. Former life hacker Patrick Allan once told me that if the attendant knows you are a “nervous flyer” and “really appreciate all their help,” he will gently let them know that you are looking for a little liquid therapy to calm your nerves, and usually as a result you get a free beer or a tiny bottle. (You can even add a little “I’ll be okay when I get drunk hahaha,” but only do this if you can feel natural about it.)
If that doesn’t work, aim for a free second round by effectively timing your top-up request. Ask for another round after the beverage dispensing is over and the cart and card reader are removed – nine times out of ten they will toss you an extra bottle of booze instead of pulling out the card reader to charge you. (If you’re using a mixer, try to save some of the first round so that the flight attendant only has one item; the easier it is for them, the more likely you’ll get a free drink.)
If you want to do without human interaction altogether, use BYOB and buy some airplane-sized small bottles for cheap at your local liquor store. Technically, this is illegal – according to the FAA , “no one can drink alcoholic beverages on board an aircraft unless the owner of the aircraft’s certification has served them the drink,” so do this step at your own risk. You will have no problem getting them past the TSA, but you have to be a little trickier when you board the plane because you are technically committing a crime. To sound less suspicious, look ahead of time which bottles the airline is serving and then buy that brand (or brands) of booze. Order a mixer and once the bar cart is past and everyone is enjoying their drinks, quietly pull out your little bottle and prepare (and enjoy) your drink.
Finally, be polite, know that great flight attendants don’t owe you anything, and thank them for serving you drinks, free or not. ( It’s okay to be a little angry , but don’t be a jerk.)