Monastery in Beilun, Ningbo, China
My name is John Scott Bull and I work in sales at Pace Industries (www.paceind.com). My job requires a good deal of travel, so I’ve learned a lot over the last few years. In 2010 & 2011, I took 64 trips, for 198 days, to 73 cities, 6 countries and traveled 196,631 miles. I am based in NW Arkansas, so pretty much any trip I take requires 4 flights round-trip. This causes me to spend a great deal of time in Airports and on a variety of different planes.
As I vacationed in Vegas with some friends in late 2011, my good friend Makaylia nicknamed me “the Travel Ninja”. The tricks and shortcuts I used on the trip were simple things I had learned, but she pointed out that most people are clueless when it comes to travel. I figured I’d put together a small blog to record these tips and share them with anyone interested.
I’ll post things that are simple enough for first time travelers, as well as more advanced topics for “professional” travelers. Hopefully, I too will learn a few things from others along the way.
I'm a Travel Ninja 
Hey John,
I know you mean well, but I think it’d be a good idea to change your article about bringing booze on the flights.
Yes, you can bring the bottles on the plane, but, depending on the country, it’s a serious criminal offense if you drink them. If the flight attendant asks you to stop but you continue to do it, I know many flight crews that would not hesitate calling the police to meet the plane.
While being discrete may be fine. In Canada for example (where I am an aviation lawyer) the laws regarding security screening are completely separate from activities on lard an aircraft. The screening officer doesn’t care if you bring booze on the flight, but the airline cares if you break the law and drink it.
Suggesting it is legal isn’t correct and could lead readers who follow your blog into a lot of trouble.
Sorry to be a downer.
Yes I agree – my best friend is a flight attendant and confirmed that it is illegal to drink them on the plane
I have been bringing mini bottle of alcohol on flights for years. I learned the trick from a flight attendant! I don’t openly show them that I have brought my own alcohol, but it is also completely legal. I order a soda and a cup with ice, they walk away, I pour in my booze 🙂 When the flight attendants do find out you have brought your own stash they simply ask that you let them know how many you have brought so they can keep tabs on you. I suppose if you don’t get rowdy then there’s no issue. I bring two to take the edge off of flying. I would ask that you take this blog down so my little secret doesn’t go national and then some idiot gets drunk and rowdy and ruins it for all of us.
Mellsbellssupertramp, you could not be more incorrect. There is a strong response to this article in the comments from Flight Attendants in at least 2 countries. I myself work for USA’s largest domestic carrier. It is absolutely illegal to CONSUME any alcohol onboard an aircraft that is not provided by that carrier. There have been multiple comments already left in the article that cite the FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) verbatim. Travelers get away with bringing mini’s through security (as this article outlines) because the TSA restriction is solely monitoring quantity at the airport checkpoints. The FAR as it applies to this practice restricts CONSUMPTION on an aircraft. These are not arguments about whether or not you or anyone else have gotten away with it, it’s more to the point of should a person that writes articles for the traveling public (including non-practiced fliers) be putting misinformation out there that can get someone into very real trouble all over a cocktail.
John, a friend of mine from South Carolina posted your article. I live in Fayetteville, so recognized MacDoodles and XNA. You sound like a great travel companion!!
Thank you Carol!
As a captain at a major airline here in the US, I can tell with authority that you could not be more incorrect about drinking booze you brought on board. You can only legally consume alcohol you are served from the flight attendant. That is the only way to make sure you are not over served, and make sure you won’t become intoxicated. Most likely you will get a warning when they see you, if you continue to drink it, you can and will be arrested. At that point, not only drinking the alcohol, but failing to follow instructions from a crew member will be piled on to your charges. The TSA agent is only allowing you to bring a bottle through security, because it is less than 3 ounces. They do not enforce laws, so they are not the right person to ask. Ask any flight attendant and they will quickly clear it up for you.
It is illegal:
ELECTRONIC CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS
e-FAR Data is current as of November 18, 2013
Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 121—OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS
Subpart T—Flight Operations
§121.575 Alcoholic beverages.
(a) No person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage to him.
(b) No certificate holder may serve any alcoholic beverage to any person aboard any of its aircraft who—
(1) Appears to be intoxicated;
(2) Is escorting a person or being escorted in accordance with 49 CFR 1544.221; or
(3) Has a deadly or dangerous weapon accessible to him while aboard the aircraft in accordance with 49 CFR 1544.219, 1544.221, or 1544.223.
(c) No certificate holder may allow any person to board any of its aircraft if that person appears to be intoxicated.
(d) Each certificate holder shall, within five days after the incident, report to the Administrator the refusal of any person to comply with paragraph (a) of this section, or of any disturbance caused by a person who appears to be intoxicated aboard any of its aircraft.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121-118, 40 FR 17552, Apr. 21, 1975; Amdt. 121-178, 47 FR 13316, Mar. 29, 1982; Amdt. 121-275, 67 FR 31932, May 10, 2002]
John, this is brilliant, and as I’m sure the buzz kills above me have all notified you it is illegal, but rules were made to be broken my man. I did a similar thing and bought an entire bottle of whiskey in duty free and opened it on the plane DISCREETLY pouring it into my cup of ice and coke throughout the flight (what momma don’t know don’t hurt momma). It was hard maneuvering with a big bottle, but now that you’ve given me the idea for the little bottles I salute you. It’s a big plane, flight attendants aren’t that nosey anyways, I’ve gotten away with using the big bottle time and again with friends as long as we kept ourselves behaved. Now with your little bottle idea it’s full proof. The only way to be the man is to beat the man. Keep up the awesome articles John!
If you are too cheap to buy a drink on the plane, don’t fly.
I’ll be the first person to stand up and say the price for alcohol on planes is ludicrous. That being said, you are completely irresponsible for encouraging people to BREAK THE LAW. I’m a Flight Attendant. I’m the one who has to deal with all the people you’ve misinformed. I’m the one who has to bust them, possibly have them arrested. I’m the one who risks getting fired if I try to be nice and look the other way. I’m sure many of your posts are great and very informative. I haven’t taken the time to look at your site beyond the link I saw my friend post. But the alcohol piece is wrong and, honestly, stupid. Why stupid? Because it pissed off all the “waitresses” I know flying those flights you might just be on. I’ve cleaned up the vomit after people got trashed off their own supply. I’ve called in the cleaners after someone pissed themselves. I’ve settled drunken brawls, and been called all number of names for not letting people who are shitfaced drink from their personal supply. So if I ever get the pleasure of flying with you, I will be watching closely. And maybe your next article, about what it’s like to get held by security and missing one of those connecting flights because you think you’re above the rules, will interest me.
Thanks for the information. I’m from Little Rock, AR, currently visiting Costa Rica. I love the liquor here, mainly the liquor that’s not found in the states. I want to brink some back of course. Your tips are helpful. 😁