The days of free martinis in coach are long gone.
In the selectively-remembered golden age of air travel, wine and spirits flowed freely throughout all cabins on flagship carriers like Pan Am and TWA. This was back when airlines were heavily regulated and competed by out-classing one another on service, at a price that kept most travelers on the road or the rails instead of in the sky.
Unfortunately, those days are gone and those airlines are out of business. Still, a few airlines offer a little complimentary tipple, under certain circumstances, to dull the pain of flying in a pressurized sardine can.
Of all the large U.S. carriers, Hawaiian Airlines is the only one to serve one select cocktail or glass of champagne for free in coach on flights to the islands, as well as free beer, wine, and liquor on international routes. Alaska Airlines serves a free mai tai in economy just prior to landing in Hawaii. Even better, its regional partners Horizon Air and SkyWest pour free wine and beer on their flights throughout the western United States and Canada.
Many airlines — American/US Airways, Delta, United, Southwest, and JetBlue — send free drink coupons to elite members of their frequent flier programs for use when they’re seated in coach. For everyone else, it’s either waiting for a temporary promotion (JetBlue is giving their airline-branded American Express cardholders a free adult beverage until the end of January), or being extra nice to the flight attendant. That means smiling, being friendly and polite, and happily following orders (like putting your phone in airplane mode without any lip). Additionally, mechanical delays, and sometimes weather-related incidents, might net you a free drink coupon or two if you ask nicely.
Internationally, however, the beer and wine flow forth with relative generosity in steerage on American Airlines (flights to Europe, Asia, and deep South America), Delta Air Lines and United Airlines (transpacific flights only), and pretty much every international carrier flying to the U.S. (but, sadly, not on Air Canada’s flights across the border).