Going on holiday is always cause for celebration. It’s a marker of freedom, a period of time where there’s no work, no admin or responsibilities – a necessary break from your everyday life. But often, the pure joy associated with boarding a plane to start your trip is also accompanied by a certain level of expectation – an unspoken rule that you should be having a good time as early as possible. “Start as you mean to go on” is the classic Brit abroad war cry; “when in Rome” is accompanied by a wink and a nudge as the drinks trolley clatters along the aisle.
Throughout the Fifties and Sixties, the exclusive nature of commercial flights lent itself to celebratory affairs – those who could afford to do so would book flights to far-flung destinations, popping open bottles of Champagne to begin their holiday as early as possible.
“When flying was first available to the general public, it was only available to the wealthy, so the whole idea was glamorised,” explains Joy Skipper, nutritionist and food writer. “At the same time, smoking and drinking were also viewed with a touch of glamour.”
Gradually, as budget airlines were established and flying became more of a standard form of travel, aviation began to lose its gilded allure. But, the association of flying and drinking remained – a hangover of the Golden Age. “Drinking is often seen as part of the ‘treat’ of being on a plane,” Joy explains. “Especially if the drink is free!”
However, recently, there seems to have been a distinct change in attitudes towards drinking on planes. When I asked a group of travel editors whether they like to drink on planes, the answer was a resounding “no.”
“I love the idea of ordering a drink on a plane – in my head, I’m in Mad Men, sipping a Manhattan from a cut-crystal tumbler while I soar above the clouds,” says Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveller’s deputy digital editor. “But I’ve learnt that the reality of drinking is more often a splash of cheap wine in a plastic cup that I inevitably end up spilling on myself – and will leave me dehydrated and swollen. There’s no glamour in it – so I often avoid it completely.”
The rise of our collective ‘wellness eras’ has some part to play in this change in attitude. People are paying more attention to looking after themselves and their bodies. “I’ve definitely noticed a trend away from drinking alcohol in my patients, both on and off the plane,” Dr Thivi Maruthappu, nutritionist and consultant dermatologist, tells us. “We are much more mindful of how we feel after alcohol as well as the negative effects on our skin and mental wellbeing.”
Since the campaign for Dry January was first introduced in 2013, there’s been a distinct shift in how people engage with alcohol, Joy tells us. “The campaign enabled people to think about how much they drink and the impact of that on their health,” she says. “Since then, there has been a 7 per cent increase in the number of no-low alcohol drinks available. According to John Lewis, 47 per cent of UK adults are switching between alcohol and low- or alcohol-free drinks on the same occasion.”
The act of flying takes a distinct toll on the body in itself. The skin on our faces, ankles and hands gets puffy, we tend to feel more bloated in the air, and we even tend to feel more emotional and cry more easily on planes. As research and understanding of the impact of flying on our bodies increase, so does the desire to combat and prevent these effects.
“We are increasingly aware of the dehydrating effects of flying. It’s important to remain hydrated due to the parched cabin air; we can do this through our inflight beauty routine and by drinking plenty of water,” Dr Thivi says. “As a result, the desire for alcohol during a flight has diminished. It is dehydrating, and the effects of a hangover can be more apparent after flying. Alcohol stresses the skin leading to redness, dryness and even breakouts, so it’s a no-no from my perspective.”
Joy agrees. “As the wellness industry grows, knowledge around the detrimental effects of alcohol become more widely known and therefore allow people to make more informed choices about what and how much they consume.”
“Metabolising alcohol in the body prevents the body from properly absorbing, digesting and using nutrients, so deficiencies can be experienced, leading to other health concerns,” she continues. Alcohol is broken down in the liver, and this generates toxins that can interfere with the normal metabolism of other nutrients and contribute to liver cell damage.”
“When flying at altitude, the air pressure in the cabin is likely to be lower than normal, reducing the amount of oxygen in your blood and brain. Therefore, the effects of the alcohol may be felt more intensely than normal.”
As well as increased awareness of the effects of alcohol on our bodies, the development of new smart technology is also impacting travellers’ decisions. “Wearable smart technology shows us the impact of alcohol on our sleep,” Dr Thivi says. “I know from my Oura ring that my sleep scores won’t be optimal if I’ve enjoyed a tipple or two.” There is something about being able to see the effects of alcohol that makes people less likely to drink more than necessary – it’s harder to ignore the impact it can have when you can witness it happening to your body in real-time.
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Age also has the potential to change our views on drinking on planes. Naturally, the less able our bodies become at bouncing back after heavy drinking will make us less likely to engage in the activity – lessons learned the hard way after getting over-excited on the plane and arriving at the destination feeling somewhat worse for wear.
For women, this is particularly significant as we get older. “During the perimenopause, many women can notice that they handle alcohol less effectively than before,” Dr Thivi explains. “As such, they often reduce their intake in response.”
There is potentially also a link between the change in attitudes towards in-flight alcohol consumption and the increased reporting of drunk and disorderly behaviour on planes. “According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), there was a 100 per cent increase from 2015 to 2016 involving disruptive passengers, with 418 flights affected,” Joy tells us. “Alcohol is the most common cause of in-flight disruption. For some people, arriving at the airport is the time to start their holiday, but these disruptions may have made others think about the necessity of drinking while flying.”
Obviously, there are still times that call for a celebratory drink in the air – there is still something quite surreal about clinking glasses at 38,000 feet, and the joys of birthday cheers or a toast to new adventures as you cruise through the clouds are unmatched. Plus, an exception can always be made if you happen to get bumped up to business class – few can resist a free glass of Champagne. But there is a clear shift in the way in which travellers view drinking on planes – it’s just no longer as cool as it once was.