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A Delta Air Lines passenger says one of the airline’s flight attendants denied their request to purchase an alcoholic beverage — because they were assigned to an emergency exit row.
No Booze for You!
Reddit member “Technical-Weird-4859” posed this remark:
The (flight attendant) told me he couldn’t serve me wine because I was sitting in the exit row. Is that a new Delta policy?
After a fellow Redditor asked if the passenger might’ve appeared intoxicated, s/he responded:
I hadn’t had anything to drink so I was stone cold sober. And it was a half empty flight so the irony is I could have just moved back a seat. It felt like he was lazy and didn’t want to get his (point of sale) device.
To the best of my knowledge, Delta (or any other U.S.-based airline I’ve flown) does not have formal rules prohibiting exit row seat passengers from consuming alcohol. That assumes said passengers appear sober.
Assuming this story is true, is this another instance of Delta “shena”? Was the flight attendant making up their rules? Did the FA perceive something “off” about the passenger who insists they were sober?
Unless the passenger was seated in Comfort+ (where alcoholic beverages are complimentary), I can’t imagine the Delta bean counters would be thrilled about a flight attendant refusing to serve a glass of wine marked up several hundred percent.
On the same token, maybe the flight attendant was being overly cautious. Is there such a thing as being “too safe”? (Share your thoughts in the Comments section!)
Should Alcohol Be Allowed for Exit Row Passengers?
Is it a safety risk for exit row passengers to consume alcohol? After all, you don’t want drunk people serving — as a colleague of mine phrases it — “as de facto safety officers” if something serious happens.
There are those of us who, when seated in an exit row, enjoy a cocktail during a short hop. Maybe two if it’s a more extended flight and there are two beverage services. There’s nothing wrong with that. If people can handle their alcohol and not get hammered on a plane — especially if they’re in an exit row — that’s fine.
But let’s say an airline (or the government) makes a formal rule that alcohol can’t be served to exit row passengers. Here’s what I foresee happening: some of those travelers getting liquored up in bars and club lounges before their flights, then trying to hide their intoxication. (Some people are very good at that. An acquaintance once admitted to me before they received treatment that I rarely saw them sober. I was stunned.)
Binge drinking can really lead to problems. It’s something I’ve seen at college sports events where alcohol is prohibited. The fans get more fueled than a widebody plane (I’m being facetious, calm down, everyone) and then enter the stadium. Some pass out. Some vomit all over the place. Some get belligerent. (Or there’s a combination of two or three of those effects.)
Final Approach
A Delta passenger says they were denied alcohol because they were sitting in an exit row — despite the airline having no formal policy prohibiting such customers from consuming booze. What are your thoughts on this?
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Currently sitting in 27A (exit row port side on the 757) on DL2270 to PHL drinking a double bourbon rocks (I have 8 or so unused vouchers) as I type this. Booked this flight late so no business or C+ available. FA didn’t look twice when I requested a double. Yes, passengers sitting in an exit row should enjoy the same amenities as the rest of the class they are sitting in. We are asked to assist not be the lead in an emergency situation. Also, there are anywhere from 4-10 people sitting in exit rows on Delta configured flights. Hopefully, not all of us are drunk.
Made up rule if the story is even true.
That passenger lied for likes.
This doesn’t surprise me. I think some flight attendants just make things up. I was on a Delta flight a few years ago heading to Atlanta from SLC and seated in the middle seat on an exit row. It was a later flight and I was trying to get some rest. Suddenly, the flight attendant woke me u, and in a loud angry voice said “you can’t sleep in the exit row”. When I challenged her to cite the regulation or policy she just repeated herself and walked off.
The question is, what is the proper manner to deal with an airline employee that you believe maybe telling you something that is not true? My experience is that there is no limit to the lies and an airline employee will tell you and it makes no difference what your status is.
That’s a interesting story as on American Airlines all Exit Row passengers are entitled to alcoholic beverages free of charge (except some American Eagle flights). It is an announced perk as those seats are sold at higher prices. As a Gold Elite, I can reserve a exit row seat at no charge 24 hours before flight time, if there is a vacant seat when I register for check-in. Last month I was on an aisle exit row seat on a day flight and after I was served a Diet Coke, I asked for a Baileys. Shortly after, the Flight Attendant put 2 bottles on my tray without comment or complaint. Kudos to that AA Flight Attendant for great service representing and promoting the airline!