A seemingly light-hearted social media post by a JetBlue passenger has sparked warnings from travelers and even flight attendants over a video that she claimed was for “entertainment purposes only.”
The video posted on Facebook showed a woman consuming a beverage she brought aboard a JetBlue plane, a violation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule that only alcoholic drinks served by the airline’s crew members are allowed to be consumed. The passenger, however, said there was no proof it was alcohol and claimed it was “just water.”
JetBlue Passenger Films Herself Drinking Alcohol She Brings On Board
For the JetBlue passenger, the post may just be for “content,” as her Facebook page shows she’s a content creator, but the video went viral, sparking attention from aviation professionals and fellow travelers.
This happened after JetBlue canceled the most flights among all airlines worldwide, alongside Delta, as the FAA grounded flights for two days in a row at multiple airports, including JFK and Boston Logan airports.
The Facebook video showed the passenger drinking alcohol she’d brought on board herself, and captioned the clip with text that reads, “When the airline steward says you are not allowed to consume your outside alcohol on the plane.”
The video shows the passenger carrying two large frozen drinks through the airport terminal and onto the aircraft. As she sat down, she smiled at the camera, repeatedly gestured for silence, and poured the contents of a small, clear bottle into a plastic cup filled with ice on her tray table.
Federal Aviation Administration’s Alcoholic Beverages Regulations
It is against federal regulation to open a bottle of alcohol on a flight or to consume it that was not directly served to the passengers by a flight attendant.
As explicitly stated on its website, the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules on alcoholic beverages say that “FAA regulations prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on board the aircraft unless it is served by the air carrier.”
Passengers, however, can bring unopened bottles of alcoholic drinks onboard “containing more than 24%, but not more than 70% alcohol by volume (up to 140 proof).”
Quantity limits are five liters (1.3 gallons) per packaging and five liters total per passenger carried in carry-on or checked baggage.
The same rules apply to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) alcoholic beverage regulations and JetBlue passengers. The carrier’s website also states that passengers may “bring wine, champagne or beer on a flight as long as it is in an unopened container, but they are not allowed to consume their own alcohol while on board.”
TheTravel reached out to JetBlue for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Public Reactions To JetBlue Passenger’s Alcoholic Beverage Video
While the JetBlue passenger insisted the video was “bait” and there was no proof it was alcohol, the Facebook post quickly drew attention from other travelers and self-identified flight attendants, warning her of a possible FAA liability.
Others urged the passenger to remove the video before it attracted unwanted scrutiny from the FAA. One individual who claimed to be a flight attendant said, “You probably should delete this, sis. This is a federal offense! I am a flight attendant. Please, I’m telling you…trying to protect you,” to which the passenger replied, “Thank you, but it’s a joke. There is no proof. All my posts are for entertainment purposes only.“
“Who said I was breaking the law? It’s a joke, boo. Please carry on! But thanks for contributing to my coins on getting of this bait post,” reads the passenger’s reply to one of the comments.
Another individual commented, “Why can’t you just follow the rules,” and the JetBlue passenger replied, “Because rules are meant to be broken. Now carry on.”
Others in the comments, though, agreed with the JetBlue passenger and said it’s just social media and should not be taken seriously.
Some individuals even tagged JetBlue’s and the FAA’s Facebook pages in the comments.
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“Breaking the law, and being loud about it. I guess that’s a choice.” |
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“It’s the FAA that y’all should be concerned about.” |
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“It’s literally against the law, and you’re posting a video doing it.” |
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“Now she would look crazy if she ended up on a no-fly list. You don’t think BlueWatch couldn’t figure out which flight she was on?” |
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“Literally posting a video of you breaking federal law is crazy work.” |
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“Yep. Let’s record ourselves committing felonies!” |
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“You just can’t follow the law. Then you scream racism when you get busted.” |
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“Won’t be so funny when you get met at the gate by supervisors and get put on that no-fly list.” |
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“I wouldn’t post it online, though. Because when you become a target, the fine is not worth it.” |
Under a strict zero-tolerance policy enforced by the FAA, passengers who violate federal law regulating alcoholic beverages on board any U.S. aircraft may face heavy civil fines, criminal charges with jail time, and airline bans. Depending on the severity of the case, the FAA can issue passenger civil penalties exceeding $44,000 per violation.
The law aims to curb intoxication on board that results in heated altercations with fellow passengers and crew members. According to the FAA, the boarding of a passenger who appears to be intoxicated is a violation of Section 121.575 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).
