It might seem harmless, but doing this on a plane could cost you more than $15,000 in fines.
Startups like Destinus and Hermeus have ambitions to ferry passengers hypersonically through the stratosphere at 5 times the speed of sound, allowing you to travel from Sydney to Frankfurt in 4 hours as opposed to 20. Photo illustration: George Downs/The Wall Street Journal
And news.com.au can reveal doing so in Australia could cost you more than $15,000.
Lisa Kulpa works for US budget airline JetBlue and is co-founder of the Basic Travel Couple blog, and says her love for travel began when studying abroad in Australia during university.
Speaking to The Points Guy about her top travel tips, Ms Kulpa urged passengers not to bring their own alcohol on board.
“Please, please, please do not bring personal alcohol and consume it during the flight,” she said.
“We need to know (for your safety and those around you) if you are intoxicated.
“By serving you alcohol in flight, we can monitor how much you are drinking. Alcohol affects you differently at higher altitudes, and if you are suddenly passed out or something goes wrong, we won’t know the reason.
“Also, it is a federal offence, and you can be fined thousands of dollars.”
US flight attendant and travel blogger Lisa Kulpa. Picture: Instagram / Lisa Kulpa
While it is legal in the US and Australia for flyers to bring alcohol on board (subject to liquid limits), passengers cannot serve themselves alcohol.
Under Australia’s civil aviation safety regulations, it is an offence for a passenger to consume alcohol on an aircraft if it has not been provided by a crew member.
If there is no crew member other than the pilot (like on a private flight), it is an offence to consume alcohol if the pilot in command has not permitted the passenger to do so.
A person can be fined up to $15,650 for this offence.
But in addition to this offence, a person can also be fined for not complying with airline crew directions and intoxication.
Don’t even think about pouring yourself an alcoholic beverage on board. Picture: iStock
Other items Ms Kulpa warned passengers not to bring on board included nail clippers, nail polish and nail polish remover.
“These products will make the whole plane smell, and some people get sick from it,” she said.
“Other smelly things that are not really wanted include any extremely fragrant food. Even fast food sometimes stinks up a plane.”
As for must-have carry-on items, Ms Kulpa suggests things you cannot easily replace, including car keys, medicine and electronics.
For your own and others’ sanity, headphones are recommended. A jumper or small blanket to be more comfortable on cool planes, and thongs if you don’t like wearing shoes, are also on the list.
“If you really hate wearing shoes on an airplane, bring flip-flops; please don’t go to the bathroom barefoot,” she said.