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AA Prohibits Alcohol in Coach

Passengers “behind the curtain” won’t be allowed to purchase liquor on American Airlines flights until at least Jan. 18, 2022.  While alcohol will be available to passengers in first class seats, those in coach seats will be prohibited from ordering anything other than soft drinks or water.

The January date matches the new end date for the mask mandate that was extended for airlines by the Transportation Security Administration.  The mandate was supposed to end next month, but an increase in COVID-19 infections and an explosion in Delta variant cases necessitated an extension to January.

Resistance to wearing masks on flights and in airports along with an over-indulgence in alcohol have been linked to nearly 4,000 cases of passenger misbehavior since the pandemic began in early 2020.  Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration sent a letter to leaders of commercial airports encouraging them to cease liquor sales inside the terminal buildings.

The FAA has proposed approximately $1 million in fines against passengers who are considered the most serious offenders of the “zero tolerance” policy.