For most people, the idea of a pint with breakfast is pretty grim. But at the Wetherspoon's in Stansted's departure lounge on Thursday morning, it appeared to be the beverage of choice among early travelers heading off on holiday.
Passengers Defend Pre-Flight Drinks
Dee Wood, 60, a waste policy officer, was enjoying a pint while waiting to board her Alicante-bound morning flight. "It's a holiday ritual," she said. Her friend Rachel Almond, 59, a community planner, was treating herself to a lager. "We don't get drunk, we just have a pint, say cheers and off we go," Almond explained.
Michelle Webb opted for a glass of wine instead. For the trio heading to Spain, starting their day with an alcoholic brew was not normal procedure. "We're not nervous flyers or anything," said Wood. "You wouldn't be drinking a pint at home at this time of day but it's just nice to do something different."
O'Leary's Proposal Sparks Debate
However, if Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary gets his way, early morning pints could become a thing of the past. He has called for airports to ban alcohol sales before early flights to reduce disruptive passengers. O'Leary told the Times that Ryanair is now diverting nearly one flight a day due to bad behavior, up from one a week a decade ago.
The trio acknowledged that alcohol can occasionally lead to problems on flights. "If you were working on the plane and you've got people who have had a few drinks, it can be a bit threatening, I guess, so I completely understand," said Wood. "But for us, it's just a drink before boarding to say our holiday starts here."
A Party Atmosphere
Wood recalled one trip where a bit of alcohol made for a better flying experience, turning the plane into a "party bus." She described a hilarious flight a couple of years back with a party atmosphere, including a stag party wearing face masks of King Charles. "Nobody was disrespectful to anybody, nobody was out of order or especially drunk," she said. "It's unusual to say the plane ride is the best part of the holiday because you just want to get there, but for me it really was. It was amazing."
Cerys Parnell, 24, an accountant, was enjoying a pint of Corona while waiting for her flight to San Sebastián. She said her pre-flight beverage marked a "sense of freedom and venturing out of your normal routine," calling it a "symbol of unwinding and relaxation. It's probably the only socially acceptable time you can have a pint before 10am."
Doubt Over Ban's Seriousness
Parnell doubts O'Leary's call for a ban is serious: "I don't see any harm in having a single pint and I don't think he would either." She also fails to see why the time of day would be relevant. "If it was seven at night and someone was antisocial I would also say they shouldn't be drinking either – even though that is a socially acceptable time to be drinking. It's not really timing, it's more the amount."
She is far from the only person opposing O'Leary's proposal. The boss of JD Wetherspoon's, Tim Martin, told the Times a ban was an "overreaction" that would be "extraordinarily difficult to implement."
Non-Drinkers Weigh In
Some holidaymakers opted for non-alcoholic options. Alisha Philip, 34, a team leader, had just finished her cup of breakfast tea before heading to the south of France with her partner, Sean Ryan, who also chose a non-alcoholic drink. The 44-year-old football coach said the pair had "no problem" with others enjoying a morning pint. "For me, it's just part of the culture in England, especially when they're going on holiday," he said.
Philip agreed: "It's just the norm. People come and have a pre-drink before their holiday but it's personal preference and we're not really drinkers." The couple also doubt the urgent need for a ban. "I've never personally seen anybody with an issue with alcohol on a flight," said Ryan.
