While I yearn for the days where I was young enough for this to be relevant to me, I figure it’s still a topic worth addressing, for any younger OMAAT readers. What’s the minimum age to drink onboard a flight? Well, it’s not always that straightforward…
In this post:
The legal minimum drinking age on planes
Let me start with the legal answer, which is actually not that relevant. The legal minimum drinking age on a flight is determined by the law of the country where the airline you’re flying is based. Now, as I’ll explain below, many airlines have additional restrictions beyond that.
As you can tell, this creates an interesting situation. For example, on a flight between Atlanta and Frankfurt, the minimum drinking age is different on Delta than on Lufthansa.
Now, there are a few more points to make:
- There are some dry airlines that choose not to serve alcohol, even if they’re from a country that doesn’t ban alcohol completely
- Some countries have restrictions that they apply to foreign airlines; for example, Saudi Arabia doesn’t allow airlines to serve alcohol when flying to & from Saudi Arabia, while over Saudi Arabian airspace; meanwhile if you’re just overflying Saudi Arabia between two other countries, airlines can serve alcohol
- Different laws can often apply to pre-departure beverages, since those are served on the ground, so they’re viewed differently than alcohol served inflight; as a result, local laws apply, airlines have to pay taxes on that alcohol, etc.
Airline policies determine drinking age on planes
While laws set the absolute minimum standard for the age at which you can drink onboard a flight, the reality is that airlines each have their own policies, and those take priority over the laws (since they’re always at least as strict as the law). Just to give some examples:
- On all US-based airlines, the minimum drinking age is 21, even if you’re flying internationally, and/or are originating in a foreign country
- On foreign airlines, the most common minimum drinking age is 18, even if you’re flying to the United States; this includes everything from Aeromexico, to British Airways, to Qantas
- Some foreign airlines might even have different drinking ages depending on the type of alcohol; for example, Lufthansa’s minimum drinking age is 18 for liquor, and 16 for beer and wine
- There are some airlines that have drinking ages between 18 and 21; for example, in Japan the minimum drinking age is 20, so that also applies on All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines
Generally the minimum drinking age applies regardless of the phase of flight. So on a US airline, you can only drink at the age of 21, even over European airspace, while on a European airline, you can drink at the age of 16-21 (it depends), even over US airspace. Keep in mind that in some cases, these airline policies are significantly more strict than laws in the countries otherwise.
On some level it’s just about how you act
Alcohol is somewhat taboo in the United States among young people, though outside the country, it’s much less of a big deal, and is normalized more (in a responsible way, with kids often learning about alcohol from their parents).
So if you look and act the part, generally you won’t be denied alcohol on an international flight on a foreign airline, even if you’re technically underage. Of course there are limits, and it all depends on how old you look.
Furthermore, in the event you’re denied, it’s no biggie. International laws are complicated, so it’s not like they’ll have the police waiting for you upon landing if you request a drink underage — you can just say “oh, I thought the drinking age was ___.”
I’m by no means encouraging people to underage drink, but am just sharing my observations and experience from back in the day, so that people can have realistic expectations.
Bottom line
The answer of the minimum drinking age on flights is kind of complicated. The absolute minimum age will reflect the drinking age in the country where the airline you’re flying is based. But even beyond that, many airlines will have stricter rules, so that they can have a streamlined policy throughout their network.
It is interesting how two planes in international airspace operating exactly the same route could have different minimum drinking ages, but that’s how it works…
What has your experience been with the minimum drinking age of flights?
Pre-Covid, I was on a Cathay Pacific flight from JFK-HKG in PE. Several boarding school kids were traveling and drinking heavily. The crew was very happy to supply them with endless alcohol...
As others observe, American attitudes towards alcohol are a bit backwards and puritanical (like a lot of American attitudes, tbh). It feeds into the people who don't know how to drink (and act out when they do)...
It may be the taboo of it in he US of being 21 onward. People are curious, if you cannot have something, you're more likely to want it. In Europe, children can have alcohol with parental supervision, not in the US. How often do you see 'parties gone arise or destructive' in Europe? Its because they learned from an early age vs in the US, you want to explore and that exploration leads to over...
It may be the taboo of it in he US of being 21 onward. People are curious, if you cannot have something, you're more likely to want it. In Europe, children can have alcohol with parental supervision, not in the US. How often do you see 'parties gone arise or destructive' in Europe? Its because they learned from an early age vs in the US, you want to explore and that exploration leads to over drinking. Honestly, the US needs to lower than age or even allow it with supervision.
Saudi Arabia today is not what it was when I came to know it three decades ago, especially since the ascendence of MBS to crown prince status and his
well publicized quarantine/ house arrest of the Saudi movers and shakers in Ritz Carlton hotel in order to solidify his power. To the celebration in the west, SA no longer upholds the stature required as the custodian of Islam's two holiest mosques. It has been...
Saudi Arabia today is not what it was when I came to know it three decades ago, especially since the ascendence of MBS to crown prince status and his
well publicized quarantine/ house arrest of the Saudi movers and shakers in Ritz Carlton hotel in order to solidify his power. To the celebration in the west, SA no longer upholds the stature required as the custodian of Islam's two holiest mosques. It has been slowly accepts the influence and assimilation of "western decadence", namely alcohol and underground prostitution. In public, it is the leader to protect and preserve Muslim interests in the Arab world. Behind the scene, its actions demonstrate otherwise and we all agree "action speaks louder than words".
Or the drinking age is 14 if you let that way-too-early beard cover your baby face and wear your older cousins slightly worn in grad school specific fleece. That could be a very very specific situation tho
You’d have to drink to make Lufthansa first class tolerable.
Dasha, according to many who post herein, your statement also applies to all of the U.S. airlines, yes?
Always amazed how people never call out age discrimination.
The brainwashing propaganda works.
If you need to be 21 to be responsible enough to drink. Why does anyone think 18 is old enough to decide who can play with nuclear weapons. The largest stockpile in the world.
ID Checks are quite rare
"On all US-based airlines, the minimum drinking age is 21, even if you’re flying internationally, and/or are originating in a foreign country"
This is NOT true. The drinking age in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is 18.
What airlines are based in those territories?
I was always of the understanding that International law applies onboard airplanes. And international law doesn't include anything about minimum ages surrounding alcohol consumption.
Hell, I was denied coffee on Northwest as a kid!
He'll, U would have informed the flight attendant who pays her paycheque! Customer first!
I was denied coffee on USAir as a kid... until the lady next to me screamed at the flight attendant. "I KNOW YOU HEARD HIM ASK YOU FOR A COFFEE!!!"
If you could handle coffee as a kid, props to you. I remember having a tall white chocolate mocha from Starbucks when I was 14, and I felt so sick the rest of the day. Got heart palpitations, nausea, and felt genuinely horrible the rest of the day.
I guess one of the reasons I enjoyed coffee as a kid was the smell. Since I was a kid, I liked everything coffee. Coffee ice cream, coffee cake, pretty much everything coffee related. I was even having mocha frappes from Starbucks in my teenage years :D
That's just the 'Starbucks effect'.
Did the FA warn you that the coffee was total crap and you shouldn't have it?
Ben, regarding Finnair: In Finland, you can buy beer & wine at stores at 18 but hard liquor at 20. However, at bars and restaurants, the age limit is 18 for all drinks. Thus, on Finnair, the limit is also 18 for all alcoholic drinks. (And a limit of 21 does not exist at all.)
The US is obsessed with alcohol and restricts the drinking age to 21. It even applies to liquor chocolates. Yet here are are.
“for example, Saudi Arabia doesn’t allow airlines to serve alcohol when flying to & from Saudi Arabia, while over Saudi Arabian airspace”
Not true.
@ Aaron -- I'm curious, what's your understanding, then? Alcohol is fully allowed on all flights to and from Saudi Arabia with no limits, or...?
There are now job advertisements hiring for bartenders and mixologists in Saudi, so have to imagine the laws are about to be relaxed in line with the UAE/Kuwait any day now.
Indeed. The only limit I experienced flying out of Saudi Arabia was that no alcohol could be served on the ground pre-departure. Once we took off alcohol was served.
@Baliken - My experience has been similar to what Ben wrote. I have flown to/from Saudi Arabia a few times, with the most recent being in March 2022. I believe the rules vary between airlines, with some airlines being stricter than the laws and not serving any alcohol on all flights to/from KSA (but they otherwise serve it on other routes). The rules may have changed though since my last trip there.