United Airlines Resumes Pre-Pandemic Alcohol Policy

Several airlines severely cut back on, or eliminated, alcohol on board during the pandemic. With the federal mandate of wearing masks in place, airlines tried to cut down on the violence induced by alcohol.

At United Airlines, that is over.

You can even order a double as United has resumed full beverage service. Airlines no longer have to follow the federal mandate to wear a mask. The wearing of a mask became a political bone of contention for airlines, which have to follow federal guidelines.

It led to many onboard skirmishes, especially with flight attendants. Some even escalated from verbal to physical. Alcohol was often the fuel that lit the aggressive behavior. At one point, United totally eliminated the sales of alcohol and then brought it back slowly, cabin by cabin.

Alcohol is a big selling point for airlines and gives them quite a bit of ancillary revenue. You could order a second beverage later on in the flight, but never a double or two at one time. The gold at the time was to cut down on the removal of masks during COVID.

Now, according to an internal memo from United, the airline has reverted back to its pre-pandemic policies regarding alcohol.

In other words, it’s business as usual.

Flight attendants are able to pour a double, but certainly they will be wary of over-serving customers. In the memo to employees, United wrote: “Please follow SOPs to ensure customers don’t become intoxicated. This includes following the traffic light system, which helps to avoid safety threats and regulatory violations.”

Once again, however, it appears that flight attendants bear the brunt of the responsibility.

It is not known exactly when a return to the old policy will take effect