Some airlines, like American Airlines and Southwest, still won’t sell alcohol on board in coach. But passengers bring it on anyway. They’re not supposed to bring it through TSA (unless it’s a mini bottle that fits in a 100ml freedom baggie). Most people bringing their own alcohol on board buy it inside the airport. Many airports have restaurants that sell it ‘to go’ which is sort of strange because the only places you’re going to bring the drink are,
- With you to the plane
- With you to the parking lot or other transportation
- To pregame at the game
American Airlines has been lobbying heavily against the practice of to go alcohol sales inside of airports. The FAA has pushed against this. But it’s a revenue source and largely continues.
Record producer Stevie J – a Grammy winner for Puff Daddy’s debut album and known for his work with Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z – was kicked off a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta over to go alcohol in the airport on Friday. He and his son were told to toss their drinks before boarding. And things escalated.
Producer and DJ Steve “Stevie J” Jordan on Friday was escorted off of a flight alongside his son, Stevie II, who allegedly attempted to board a plane with alcohol despite warnings from airline staff.
First reported by TMZ, Delta Airlines personnel escorted the father and son off of the plane prior to its departure from LAX, insisting Stevie disobeyed a staffer’s instruction to dispose of an alcoholic beverage he purchased in the terminal before boarding.
Here he is being interviewed about the incident, where he claims it’s racially motivated.
He says he was having a pre-flight cocktail and they tossed their drinks as requested. Apparently though there must have been something left in the container, and they wanted to bring the containers on board because “the gate agent was particular about wanting each container empty.” (Ya think?)
Both passengers took a later flight to Los Angeles for the producer’s daughter’s birthday.
JetBlue allows customers to drink their own alcohol IF AND ONLY IF the alcohol is served by a flight attendant. Delta has officially or unofficially allowed this, at least in business-lass.
I’ve bought a bottle of wine from duty free and had Delta flight attendant serve it for me before.
I’ve also had a Delta purser on more than one occasion give me a bottle of champagne to take with me after the flight.
Egyptair doesn’t cater alcohol but will allow customers to drink their own booze. The same for Royal Brunei Airlines.
“Here he is being interviewed about the incident, where he claims it’s racially motivated.”
Of course. When you can’t defend something go for the race card. I can’t wait for the day this lame excuse finally burns itself out.
Poor snowflake thinks the rules don’t apply to him, then he plays the race card after shot down.
Maybe this is where my white privilege come in. Because I know that if I want to sneak beers into a bar or a game I have to hide them. And I know that I can bring mini-bottles on the plane and self-serve so long as I don’t do it in front of the FAs.
Did nobody teach him this stuff or he just thinks nobody is going to call him on it?
He’s going up possibly mess around and mess up his reputation to the point where as he’ll need a 9 to 5 day job again possibly in the near future. What you think?
@ Gary — You know it was those racist cops who never had a job before. Always.
I take folks’ points about the racial bias angle being suspect. My query is a little different. What basis does an airline (I’m looking right at you here, American Airlines) which plies first class fliers with booze but refuses to either sell alcohol or permit carry-aboard alcohol for anyone flying behind the 1st-class curtain have to conclude that those in first class can hold their liquor so much better than those back in steerage ? As someone who flies first class on AA, I appreciate that I can drink as much as I can convince a (probably) surly flight attendant to bring me “for free” – but I see no principled risk factor to distinguish me from passengers flying in coach, as far as some correlation between alcohol consumption & propensity for violence or other undesirable behavior. In fact, it seems to me a good case could be made that coach passengers, who by choice or economic necessity are typically paying less for their ticket than I & the rest of the folks in first class, may also be inclined to drink less onboard – since they are paying for each drink, whereas my Titos is (theoretically, at least) pre=paid & unlimited. I suspect the honest answer to that question is that there is no principled basis to apply a different set of rules to coach and 1st or Business class passengers – but AA wants me to keep buying that 1st class ticket & there’s precious little remaining to convince me to do so – apart from the free booze – with their repeated & ill-advised steady & seemingly endless erosion of the 1st class product they offer. And speaking of surly flight attendants, my most recent encounter with one such was in 1st class last week from BWI to DFW, when I brought aboard a meal I could actually stomach instead of the truly nasty current offerings AA peddles to 1st class customers and, upon finishing my Qdoba meal and asking said flight attendant to take away my neatly packaged & tied up bag of trash, had it grabbed from my hand with a snarled “sure, I love being a garbage disposal person.” Lesigh.
If people keep listening to FAs we’re going to have problems. They need to be disciplined or terminated for this kind of aggression.
Also, Gary, in addition to the places you suggest that to-go alcohol could be destined, I imagine many folks buy “to go” alcohol to consume before boarding – at the gate, in the waiting area, from restaurants or bars that may not be immediately adjacent to the gate or even are far removed – so that they can board their flight at the designated time and with their designated group. I guess the moral of this particular story is – woe unto the poor passenger who does that, but then doesn’t pound the to-go adult beverage before he hits the jetway.
Are the rules different because he is a Grammy winning producer?
Has he cried racism yet?
The oppression delusion is real.
Your “Publicist”?
You stupid piece of trash. Take Amtrak.
Common sense please.
When people play the race card, it’s an immediate red flag. They use that to play the victim and avoid taking responsibility. You’re flying a company’s plane – either follow the company’s employee instructions, or don’t fly that company’s plane.
I will not comment on whether it was racially motivated or not because I wasn’t there…and neither were any of you!
However, I do agree that if you’re flying commercially you are required to play by the airline’s rules (or the FAA in terms of smoking, masks, etc.).
I guess my suggestion is…private jet. Problem solved (I do realize I am making the assumption he can afford it!) But, if I could…I would fly private everywhere I go.
Sick and tired of the Black Lives Matter crap and race being blamed for everything. As far as I can tell the alcohol rules apply equally to everyone. Can anyone explain why this jackwagon should be exempt?
I thought so.