Good news for those who have been missing their in-flight liquor, Southwest Airlines is bringing back alcohol on their flights.
After nearly two years, the airline has decided to bring back the service. Southwest announced that they will be brining back on-flight alcoholic service on all flights starting February 16.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline suspended the service last year beginning March 20th, as with many airlines in the U.S. American Airlines is currently the only one of the four largest U.S. carries that is yet to resume alcohol sales.
For Southwest flights with 176 miles or more, customers can expect to see the pre-pandemic alcoholic menu, including a selection of beer (Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Lagunitas) wine (chardonnay, sparkling wine, cabernet sauvignon) or liquor (tequila, vodka, Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey and Bacardi) for $6 or $7; in addition to the complimentary juices, sodas, coffee and tea provided by the airline.
The airline will also be expanding its non-alcoholic beverage service to include options such as tonic water, Coke Zero and hot chocolate.
“Customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options, so we’re delighted to restore additional on-board offerings as a part of the Southwest hospitality that our customers know and love,” shared Tony Roach, a Southwest vice president, in a statement.
In the last two years, airlines have seen an uptick in unruly, alcohol-induced violent behaviour. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 5,981 incidents of unruly behaviour in 2021, a shocking industry statistic.
The union representing Southwest Airlines flight attendants deems the sales of hard liquor on Southwest flights “unsafe and irresponsible” given the trend in alcohol-induced passenger incidents.
In response to this growing concern in the aviation industry at large, Montgomery added “We have adamantly and unequivocally informed management that resuming sales of alcohol while the mask mandate is in place has the great potential to increase customer non-compliance and misconduct issues,”.
