Should You Drink Alcohol on an Airplane?

Older travelers may be at greater risk 

All participants in the study were between the ages of 18 and 40 and deemed healthy. Had the study included an older demographic, researchers say the effects may have been even more pronounced. 

“Seniors are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, and so when you fly, it’s very important to be cautious and not drink alcohol,” says Monica Aggarwal, M.D., an adjunct professor of medicine in the University of Florida’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the chair of the American College of Cardiology nutrition and lifestyle work group. According to data published in 2021 from the American Heart Association, about 20 percent of males and roughly 13 percent of females ages 60 to 79 have heart disease. The percentages climb even higher as people get older. 

Individuals with other underlying cardiovascular conditions, like high blood pressure, should also be more cautious, says Aggarwal, as should people with lung conditions, like emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can already cause lower blood oxygen levels .

How often alcohol causes in-flight cardiovascular emergencies isn’t clear, but researchers noted in the study that cardiac arrest — when the heart suddenly stops pumping — causes 58 percent of aircraft diversions.

When a heart attack or other heart event occurs, Damluji says, older adults are often more vulnerable than younger individuals to long-term complications, making it more important to weigh the risks of consuming in-flight alcohol.

“[Older adults] have less ability to go back to normal after a major stressor,” Damluji says. 

Advice for your next flight 

Does this mean you should avoid alcohol altogether when flying? That would be Aggarwal’s recommendation, particularly for older adults. This includes avoiding drinking alcohol at the airport while you wait to board, since it can remain in your system as you take flight.

“Why would you put your heart under the unnecessary stress?” Aggarwal says. “In general, we should avoid drinking while we fly, and just drink lots and lots of water to hydrate our bodies.”

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes your body to expel water. This can increase dehydration, especially in the low-humidity environment of an airplane cabin. 

“Some older adults are already on diuretics, and they’re already on medications that exacerbate dehydration,” Damluji says.

If spirited beverages are part of your in-flight relaxation routine, try to find alternative ways to unwind, like listening to your favorite music playlist or podcast. The good news is that if you end up nodding off, you’re likely to have a better sleep if you refrain from alcohol, especially on longer flights. 

“It’ll actually make you fall asleep faster for the first three or four hours when you have the alcohol on board,” says Subhajit Chakravorty, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. “But as the alcohol level goes down, sleep becomes more fragmented.”  

Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle even under normal, sea-level conditions, Chakravorty explains. Add in a low-pressure environment, and the consequences are magnified. Study participants who drank alcohol in airplane-like conditions spent more time awake and had less time in the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep, which plays an important role in learning, memory and concentration, as well as in regulating emotions. 

While the study gives good reason to reconsider your next in-flight cocktail, it doesn’t mean you need to cancel those upcoming airline tickets or start driving to all of your vacations. 

“We’re not suggesting that seniors shouldn’t fly, or that people shouldn’t fly,” Aggarwal says. “The key is to not add on these extra factors.”