[tweetiepooh]

Wasn't there some article a while back looking at why people get drunk on planes more easily due to the cabin air pressure being higher keeping alcohol in the blood more? Then once back on land it releases faster. I didn't look deeply enough into it and whether C2H5OH lost in breath contributes enough to sobriety.

But I like a little tipple in the airport and maybe onboard, I get fed up of soft drinks and don't drink much coffee. But airports aren't like stations, planes normally only have one or two entrances and board much less frequently than trains over a whole journey. It would not be too much bother to have a couple of authorised heavies at the gates to filter off the drunks. Many flights like you in a boarding area first, that could allow said heavies plenty of time to observe and warn before getting to the actual boarding.

If someone on board causes a nuisance then they don't get another flight, that could leave them "stranded" on a foreign shore unless they pay some sort of deposit for their return. If you make the penalties strong enough it will deter many. Fines/costs need to be in the thousands maybe with some of that going to the worst affected.