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After a hiatus of more than two years, you can once again order your sparkling wine or Jack and Coke while at cruising altitude on a Southwest flight. The airline was the first to suspend beverage service completely in March 2020 to reduce interactions between passengers and flight attendants during the pandemic.
Beverage service – including alcohol – was set to return in June of 2021, but in response to a spike in incidents involving unruly passengers on flights (including one aboard a Southwest flight which sent a flight attendant to the hospital), Southwest called it quits on that plan. Nearly 4,000 incidents were reported aboard flights across multiple airlines last year, most involving intoxicated passengers taking issue with the federal mask mandate. Southwest, realizing that we can’t have nice things, put the safety of its employees and passengers above others’ taste for tipple and continued to fly without alcohol – until now.
Hoping that we’ve learned our lesson, the airline will resume serving beer, wine and spirits on February 16, to the delight of travelers eager to unwind with a cocktail as they fly from one place to another. A lengthier menu of other beverage options like tonic water, juice, sodas, hot tea and hot chocolate will also be available again on flights of 176 miles or more. This is welcome news for passengers who enjoy more choices for pairing a drink than a bag of tiny pretzels.
For Southwest regulars with drink coupons for alcoholic beverages that expired in 2020 or 2021, the airline will honor them through December 31, 2022.
Southwest joins other airlines like JetBlue, Delta, and United Airlines in again offering alcohol on board. American Airlines has not yet resumed serving alcoholic drinks in its main cabin, but does offer alcohol in its premium economy, business class and first class cabins.
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