Drinking and traveling go together like gin and tonic (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
No matter how abstemious Americans may be at home, the prospect of going on a trip seems to loosen their inhibitions a bit – or a lot – when it comes to drinking. That’s according to a new survey from Cheapflights.com that asked 1,000 respondents about their drinking practices at airports and on the plane.
As you might expect, the survey found that a traveler’s inclination to imbibe depends in part on where she’s from. According to the poll, 53 percent of those from western states and 51 percent from the east coast said they drink when they travel. By contrast, only 43 percent of Midwesterners said the same. TAKE OUR POLL BELOW!
How do travelers spend time at the airport when they’re faced with a long layover? Just over one-third of the respondents said that situation will send them to the airport bar.
The proportion of drinkers bumps up to 37 percent on their flights – although the survey found that one-fifth of its respondents only do so when the drinks are free. (Speaking of spending money on drinks, seven percent of the respondents admitted that when they go on vacation, they spend more on alcohol than on food.)
Related: Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water
Drinking on trips varies by area of residence. (Image: Cheapflights.com)
And what do Americans drink when they travel? Forty-eight percent of men said they prefer beer, while women were divided between cocktails (28 percent) and wine (26 percent).
The survey didn’t ask subjects exactly how much they pour back on their trips, but we’ve seen plenty of evidence from the evening news that overindulgence can be a big contributor to air rage, in-cabin misbehavior and even diverted flights. One in five of the men surveyed said that they had been intoxicated at the airport or on a plane, while 11 percent of women admitted the same.
And it could be a hair of the dog situation 🙂 , but six percent of the respondents conceded that they have had their first drink before 8 a.m. during a trip (11 percent of men and 2 percent of women). I’m always surprised to see folks kicking back the vodkas on those early flights… but who am I to judge?
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What about you? Do you tend to drink more, less or about the same amount, or not at all? Please take our poll!
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