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American Airlines and others are banning alcohol on flights

And no, you can't BYOB instead

Written by
Sarah Medina
Travel Editor, North America
Drink service, airplane
Photograph: Shutterstock
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 From wearing masks to blocking certain seats, almost all aspects of getting on a plane have changed in the last few months. But the one thing we hoped would stay the same forever—enjoying a tiny bottle of alcohol while 30,000 feet above earth—has now been banned by some airlines. 

On Tuesday, American Airlines and Delta Air announced that they will stop selling alcoholic beverages on flights. The announcement comes as airlines scramble to minimize interactions between crew and passengers and revise their food and drink service as a whole. European airlines Easyjet and KLM and Virgin Australia also announced that they were suspending drink service. 

UPDATE (7/1): After a lot of backlash, Delta has decided to resume serving alcohol on certain flights. Complimentary beer and wine will be served to all domestic first class and comfort+ customers on flights over 500 miles starting July 2.

Delta Airlines won't serve alcohol on domestic flights or within the Americas, but beer, wine and spirits can be found on all other international flights. On American Airlines, food and drink service in the main cabin will be limited according to flight length and destination, and alcohol will only be offered on long international flights or to first class passengers on any flight. 

Banning alcohol isn't the only change, many airlines are limiting drink options to water only and only offering pre-sealed snacks on flights. Honestly, this might be another reason to wait to book that vacation we're all itching to go on. 

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