It’s hardly a secret that Australians are partial to a drink (or five). But even by our standards the latest research commissioned by Cheapflights.com.au is somewhat disturbing.
Just the other night I was talking to some friends about our respective flights back home to Australia for Christmas. The common theme? That we would be enjoying as many pre-flight and mile high red wines as possible to ensure that we could sleep soundly as we wing our way home. And it turns out that we are not alone in our thinking.
According to the first #AirportLife study recently released, 60 per cent of Aussies waste no time downing a pre-holiday drink, consuming on average two drinks before take off. This statistic equates to almost a quarter of a billion dollars each year spent entirely on alcohol, with the average pre-flight booze bill coming in at $21.70 each visit.
The research also uncovered that almost half of respondents admitted to having their first pre-flight drink before midday, with 21 per cent downing one before 9am. Quite worryingly, one in three said that they often have one too drinks many prior to getting on a plane and, even worse, 20 per cent of respondents said that either themselves, or someone they were travelling with, had been prevented from boarding a flight due to being ‘alcoholically impaired’.
39 per cent of respondents were also unaware that altitude can increase the effect of alcohol on the body – surely a fact that you only have to have a few drinks while flying to realise?
Nathan Graham, the Regional Sales Manager at Cheapflights ANZ, commented: “It’s astounding to see the number of people who opt for a drink as soon as they arrive at the airport, no matter the time of day. It seems the airport is a place where the normal rules of life are suspended.”
Adding, “the reasons we’re choosing to have a tipple are less surprising however. After the stress of packing, getting to the airport and queuing through security, half of respondents said it was a way to celebrate and kick off the holiday, while 60 per cent said they have a bevvy to simply kill time before boarding.”
Read more at Cheapflights.
Do these statistics surprise you? What is the first thing you do when you get through airport security before a flight?
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