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Southwest / Southwest Airlines / Booze Travel / Drinking Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / → All Tags

On Southwest, Drink Specials Mean It's Always Happy Hour

Southwest seems to be one of those airlines people have a lot of preconceptions about, mostly due to the fact that they don't assign seats and that they are perceived to be a "budget" airline. And that they are, in terms of price, but as we see a lot in this world, it's the ones who ask the least that give the most.

Southwest allows you two free checked bags, the flight attendants come through the cabin with a complimentary snack basket, and they don't charge change fees if you need to rebook. All are things that some other airlines in the States don't/won't/can't offer. The generosity goes a bit further as, when it comes to sky-high boozing, they aren't shy about giving you the keys to a good time.

Southwest hands out one free drink per passenger (of legal drinking age) on certain holidays, such as New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day, among others, and they also offer drink specials. Drink specials? Yes, you read that right.

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Allegiant / Allegiant Air / Airlines / Airline News / In-Flight Comfort / In-Flight Cocktails / Drinking Travel / → All Tags

Cheers! Allegiant Adds New Cocktails to Their In-Flight Menu

When it comes to Allegiant, we’re usually not cheering on their in-flight service, roomy seats, or extensive route network. We do like that they fly for Hawaii on the cheap, but after that they're kind of a low cost carrier through and through. However, we might be changing our tune sooner than later, as it sounds like they’re getting ready to throw a little bit of an in-flight party. Sure it’s going to cost you to enjoy a few in-flight cocktails, but with their new bags filled with booze it'll be worth it.

Allegiant is teaming up with the folks over at Good Time Beverages, as they’re looking to loosen you up on your way to your final destination. The cocktails have been added to Allegiant’s in-flight menu, as items like Bob and Stacy’s Premium Margarita are now available for a little bit of an in-flight toast. The cocktails are “bar quality”—their words not ours—and come in individual little pouches. Right now they’re on about six routes within Allegiant’s network, as you can find them on flights to spots like Los Angeles, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Oakland. Starting this month—it’s February now—things will become available on flights headed towards Florida as well.

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Drinking Travel / Virgin America / Booze Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / Virgin / → All Tags

DIY In-Flight Cocktails? Say No More.

In just over a month from now, the United States will experience the lovely and so very relaxing travel time surrounding Thanksgiving. Oh, did we mention it's opposite day and that we really mean that it's a hectic and expensive time to hit the skies? Add the stress of holiday travel onto the anxiety of heading home and dude—you need a drink.

While most airlines wouldn't exactly encourage their passengers to have a tipple (or two, or three), Virgin America hasn't ever been part of the "most airlines" crowd. Recently they collaborated with Buzzfeed to suggest 9 In-Flight Cocktail Hacks, fully mixable utilizing the onboard booze variety offered by Virgin America and purchased via their seatback RED entertainment system.

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Booze Travel / Airline News / Virgin Australia / Australia Travel / A330 / In-flight Cocktails / In-Flight Entertainment / Economy Class Travel / → All Tags

Fly Transcon on Virgin Australia and Get--Gasp--Free Food and Booze

Passengers flying from coast to coast Down Under can now enjoy a little more comfort when tackling the nearly 5-hour flight. With the addition of larger aircraft plus free meals and drinks, Virgin Australia is wooing passengers to fill planes from Perth to Melbourne.

Next month, the Australian airline will only fly Airbus A330s on between the two cities. These internationally configured aircraft will also be doing their thing more frequently between Perth and Sydney.

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In-Flight Cocktails / Airplane Food / In-Flight Meals / Booze Travel / Drinking Travel. British Airways / Airline News / Airlines / → All Tags

Boozin' on British Airways: A Few Fun Facts

Fun fact: Lufthansa is the world's largest purchaser of caviar, buying over 10 tons every year.

Another fun fact: British Airways was once the world's largest purchaser of champagne, with BA passengers drinking down a minimum of 90,000 cases every year.

Now that the trend is turning towards appreciation of in-flight wines and considering how much the UK loves their booze, we wondered: are there are any British Airways routes that do not serve alcohol?

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Booze Travel / Delta / Airlines / Airline News / Drinking Travel / In-Flight Meals / Food Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / Airplane Food / → All Tags

The Latest News from Delta Will Nurse That Cinco de Mayo Hangover

It’s been quite some time since we heard about Delta and their partnership with Avión Tequila, but it sounds like all must be going well as the spirit is headed toward the in-flight beverage cart.

The two companies are hooking up to offer some tasty drinks aboard plenty of Delta flights, and the new beverages made their debut over the weekend. If you flew between JFK and LAX, you may have just been part of a little Cinco de Mayo celebration as flight attendants also passed out some complimentary chips and salsa.

If you’re flying this week however, you'll miss out as it sounds like the planes won’t be loaded up with the new drinks and mixers until later this month. Delta is promising that that the tequila and margaritas will be available on plenty of flights heading around North America, the Caribbean, and Central America for the summer months. We hope they stick around into the fall as well, because we’re pretty sure margaritas are equally tasty no matter what the calendar says.

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Booze Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / In-Flight Meals / Airplane Food / Business Class Travel / Airline News / Virgin Atlantic / London Travel / JFK / LHR / Airbus / A330 / Upper Class / → All Tags

Virgin Atlantic's Revamped Upper Class Bar is Crystal-Covered and Pretty Kinky

Look at the image above. Now scroll down and look at the image at the very bottom. Now glance back and forth and we dare you to tell us that the new, improved onboard Upper Class bars on Virgin Atlantic aren't crazy awesomer. Yeah, we said "awesomer." Things like this call for words like that.

Let's handle all this goodness bit by bit: yes, Virgin Atlantic has a bar onboard each of their planes. They're only for Upper Class passengers, however, but all the drinks are complimentary and a bartender will shake that Vesper Martini no problem. Yes, the revampment of Upper Class means the bar has been overhauled and now it looks like something torn from a Starship Enterprise-themed kink club or Tron's cut scenes, and we're more than cool with that.

Oh, and there will be Swarovski crystals. *cue the Marvin Gaye*

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Drinking Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / Photo Gallery / Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse / Airline Lounges / JFK / New York City / Virgin Atlantic / Richard Branson / Virgin / First Class Travel / → All Tags

If You Only Have One Cocktail at Virgin Atlantic's JFK Clubhouse...

Without naming names, we'll just say that some airlines have taken away many of the cushy lounge benefits that come with purchasing a seat at the front of the plane. Specifically we mean free booze—it's rarer than ever in lounges at American airports, but we know a few that will keep the liquor flowing freely, for free. Here's one: the Virgin Atlantic's new Clubhouse at New York-JFK Airport.

In fact, Virgin Atlantic is well known for having quite the comprehensive complimentary bar offerings, some of which we've previously profiled—Virgin Redhead, Indian Summer, 'New' New York Sour and Virgin Kiss.

The opening of the new lounge however necessitates a fresh addition. A contest was had and two concoctions emerged victorious: the Big Virgin Apple and Virgin Rose. A quickie taste test by Sir Richard Branson put the Kiss over the Apple, and we chatted up the bartenders to get the recipe.

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Photo Gallery / Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse / Airline Lounges / JFK / New York City / Virgin Atlantic / Richard Branson / Virgin / First Class Travel / In-Flight Cocktails / Design Travel / → All Tags

Inside the Brand New Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at New York's JFK Airport

Spoiler alert! The new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at New York's JFK Airport is awesome. We've been in it, sat in its designer chairs, sipped its specialty cocktails, marveled at the tarmac views and—yes—it's passed the test of "do we want to live here?"

The 10,000-square-foot Clubhouse sprayed the champagne during a grand opening party last night, complete with words from Sir Richard Branson and three unplugged songs from KT Tunstall. Upper Class passengers flying that evening were treated to all the fanfare as well; imagine grabbing a bite and checking your email, then Branson waltzes in and shakes your hand.

Wiping the stars from our eyes, let's get down to business. The new lounge is indeed new; it's not simply a renovation, since the old lounge was before security, in a far less convenient part of JFK Terminal 4. You'll find the fresh space after security, directly upstairs from the Virgin Atlantic gates. No more rushed Virgin Redhead cocktails before making a dash for your flight. If the plane is leaving without you, you'll now be watching it do so directly below. Wave to the pilots!

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In-Flight Cocktails / SFO / Airport Museums / Aviation History / KLM / → All Tags

Our Kind of History Lesson: In-Flight Cocktails Through The Years

We're not the only ones who like to sip on in-flight cocktails. The San Francisco International Airport is also a bit of a boozehound as evidenced by this SFO Museum exhibit at Terminal 1 which centers on in-flight cocktail service during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

The small display features glassware, swizzle sticks, coasters, drink menus and even cocktail napkins served by old-timey airlines like Pacific Southwest Airlines, National Airlines and Pan American Airlines as well as from still alive airlines like United, American and KLM.

Of course, the winner of the coolest glassware in the case award belongs to KLM for their ceramic Bols gin Delftware containers which are shaped like Dutch houses and filled with Bols Jenever gin. These ones here were given to first-class passengers in the 1980s. But if you're flying World Business Class today, you can score a Delft house of your own.

The exhibition is titled "Hydration, Libation, and Lift: Airline Inflight Beverage Service" and can be found in Terminal 1 at the A3 Entrance lobby from now until July 2012.

In-Flight Cocktails / Drinking Travel / Booze Travel / Virgin Atlantic / Virgin / Airline News / In-Flight Cocktail of the Month / In-Flight Drinks / San Francisco Travel / SFO / Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse / → All Tags

In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's 'Virgin Kiss'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Up until now, Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Cocktail of the Month accolades have been the liquidy soundtrack to our past two summers. But a cocktail is for life, not just the hot months, so for December we're warming up with the SFO Clubhouse's signature cocktail: the Virgin Kiss.

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Airplane Food / In-Flight Meals / In-Flight Cocktails / Booze Travel / Drinking Travel / Airline News / Economy / Virgin Atlantic / Virgin / → All Tags

Virgin Atlantic's Complimentary Welcome Cocktails Finally Hit Economy

For a year and a half, we've featured an In-Flight Cocktail of the Month and managed to get mighty tipsy in the process. Over the course the last 18+ months, one airline has had the most stand-out cocktails worthy of the feature and that is Virgin Atlantic with their Virgin Redhead, "New" New York Sour and Indian Summer.

Free drinks on flights? Awesome, right? Well, not so awesome if you're flying economy because the free cocktails were limited to meal service. A change in the economy menu, announced this week, now brings a complimentary welcome cocktail to those in the back of the plane.

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