Southwest Airlines to resume selling alcohol on flights
DALLAS - After a two-year pause, Southwest Airlines will resume the sale of alcohol on flights.
The airline and many others stopped serving alcohol in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns. They continued throughout 2021 because of an increase in unruly passengers.
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Southwest said in-flight alcohol sales will finally return on Feb. 16.
"Customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options," said Tony Roach, who is in charge of customer relations for Southwest.
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It will honor free drink coupons that expired over the past two years until the end of this year.
The union that represents Southwest flight attendants called the move "unsafe and irresponsible" while mask mandates are still in place.
American Airlines currently only sells alcohol to business and first-class passengers. It hasn’t yet set a date for the return of alcohol sales in its economy cabins.