How do drinking laws work on international flights?

The FAA doesn't police in-flight drinking, but airlines certainly do and typically follow the laws of the country in which they're based. For travelers, that means no matter the drinking age of the country you're in or over or en route to a U.S.-based airline won't serve alcohol to any passenger under 21.



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Yes. You do get / served alcoholic drinks on international sectors. But there are some exceptions.

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If you're under 21, U.S. carriers are a no-drinking zone As a U.S.-registered carrier, the drinking age is 21, a spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed to TPG in an email. Said Delta: Delta uses the age of 21 as the threshold to serve customers alcohol on all flights.

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The law of the country whose airline you're flying applies. If you fly United Airlines to Australia, you need to be 21 to drink. If you fly Qantas, you can drink at 18. If you fly American Airlines to Mexico, you need to be 21 to drink.

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It is illegal for travelers under the age of 21 to import alcohol - even as a gift.

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There is no federal limit on the amount of alcohol a traveler may import into the United States for personal use, however, large quantities might raise the suspicion that the importation is for commercial purposes, and an U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer could require that you comply with the ...

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