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Can someone explain 5am airport drinking?

409 replies

Prenoden · 04/09/2025 06:52

I'm not asking this as a kill joy or teetotaler, I enjoy a drink on holiday as much as anyone but how are people able to stomach pints at 5am?

Been on holiday recently and could barely eat before flight yet everyone else had pints/ g&t etc. It wasn't even mid morning it was 5am

OP posts:
NewWin · 04/09/2025 08:34

BitOutOfPractice · 04/09/2025 07:04

Because normal time has no meaning in an airport.

Hard to believe not everyone is like you isn’t it?

Why so rude? It was a reasonable question and your response is rude

VanessaSanessa · 04/09/2025 08:34

Wow, I never realised how many people are judging.

Live and let live as long as you aren't a nuisance on the plane.

I love the airport drink and one on the plane, signifies the start of the holiday, it's shifting in to a more relaxed mode, where time isn't as important as usual. Once it's 12pm on holidays, I'd also have a drink, just because I can and it's out of the ordinary.

ConnieHeart · 04/09/2025 08:31

AMillionTomorrows · 04/09/2025 07:52

Alcoholism.
Same on a train journey longer than 20 mins, there’s always someone cracking open those wee cans of g&t.

Might be the case for a minority. For others it's a thing called holiday

Jenkibuble · 04/09/2025 08:27

Prenoden · 04/09/2025 06:52

I'm not asking this as a kill joy or teetotaler, I enjoy a drink on holiday as much as anyone but how are people able to stomach pints at 5am?

Been on holiday recently and could barely eat before flight yet everyone else had pints/ g&t etc. It wasn't even mid morning it was 5am

I used to work at an airport and it never ceased to amaze me too !

The prices more than anything would put me off even if I had the stomach for it !

Bjorkdidit · 04/09/2025 08:26

BCBird · 04/09/2025 07:18

For some people they see it as signifying the start of their holiday. Not for me, a Boots Meal Deal or a spritz of new perfume is my indicator😂

Edited

Same here. I don't ever wear perfume, but I always try on a selection when going through Duty Free. Pretty much the only time I buy a ready made sandwich either because I don't really like them. But I still look forwards to a Boots Meal Deal for the plane, for some reason.

For me, the holiday starts when I get through security because that's when I stop stressing about sleeping in (nearly all the flights we take at at 6-8 am so necessitate a 3/4 am start), crashing, flat tyre or motorway delay on the way to the airport, or hour long security queues and early arrival at the airport because nothing has gone wrong means that we have a good hour to wait to board.

I rarely drink at the airport on the way out but understand why people do, a lot of the time it signifies the start of their holiday.

On a regular trip we do, we always have brunch at Giraffe with a pint at Malaga airport at about 10/11 am on the way back and on our holidays in the Med, 11 am is 'beer o clock' and while we'll have a beer then, a couple with lunch, another one on the beach mid afternoon, a beer or G&T before we go out to dinner, one or two with dinner and then a night cap, we're never drunk, even though we've had a few drinks across the day because they're all small and well spaced.

But of course, on MN that would make us raging alcoholics for drinking more than a thimble full of sherry at Christmas.

Chompingatthebeat · 04/09/2025 08:26

Becsuse they're inferior to you op

notacooldad · 04/09/2025 08:26

Are they coming from a different time zone? I think tne op is on about people flying out not coming back.
You see it all the time with people flying out from their local airport. Its usually groups of friends who have got their holiday vibe on
They are a pain in the arse if you are on the same flight as them!!!!

ConnieHeart · 04/09/2025 08:23

Definitely not everyone

But it's all part of the holiday I suppose. I don't tend to ever drink at the airport (unless i get a free pass for the lounge!) but on the plane I always have a prosecco, no matter what time of day

Swg · 04/09/2025 08:23

Prenoden · 04/09/2025 06:52

I'm not asking this as a kill joy or teetotaler, I enjoy a drink on holiday as much as anyone but how are people able to stomach pints at 5am?

Been on holiday recently and could barely eat before flight yet everyone else had pints/ g&t etc. It wasn't even mid morning it was 5am

I don’t drink but as a really very much not early morning person it would be far easier for me to stay up for a five am flight than get up early. By the time they hit the bar they’ve travelled in, checked in done baggage so they must have started at at least 3 and I would not bother going to bed to get up at 3am. At that point my brain wouldn’t say early morning, too early to drink but very very late night.

Sowingbees · 04/09/2025 08:22

@XDownwiththissortofthingX that made me really laugh.

notimagain · 04/09/2025 08:21

Remaker · 04/09/2025 08:05

I think it’s a bit of a British thing. DH and I always laugh when we see the FB photos of his cousin and her DH drinking pints at the crack of dawn - they’re off on holiday again! Not shift workers or nervous flyers. Not generally long haul flights either. Just people for whom the drinking starts as early as possible on holiday. It’s not really a thing in Australia- I’ve never seen anyone here posting about early morning beers at the airport.

It's not just the Brits...Go through most Heathrow terminals airside early O'clock, certainly from 6'ish and you'll see quite a few transit passengers from parts of the world various having a drink with lunch/dinner/supper (delete as applicable).

Also given MN often has multiple threads asking "how can I get prescribed x,y or z because I'm a nervous flyer" it should be no surprise some instead opt for liquid OTC medication..

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 04/09/2025 08:19

Sowingbees · 04/09/2025 07:11

I find it weird that people can't eat or drink normally at 5am.

I could wake up and eat and drink anything - I don't understand how time affects what you eat.

With you on this, with the exception of grown adults who eat bowls of sugary breakfast cereal at 9pm.

They are going off to the camps once I'm in charge. Oh yes they are.

Kubricklayer · 04/09/2025 08:18

It's no different to bride/bridesmaids having a 7am glass of bubbly whilst they're getting their hair and makeup done on the wedding day.

It's a toast to mark the start of the holiday.

We went to Tenerife last month and had a 5am pint/glasss of wine. Had one more drink on the plane and the next wasn't until 2pm.

SomethingFun · 04/09/2025 08:17

After having a hangover hit whilst circling over Hong Kong I learned the hard way that it’s just not worth it 😁 that was the first time I flew long haul. Before then I think I drank in the airport as that is what everyone else did I was with.

2chocolateoranges · 04/09/2025 08:16

Wow lots of judgemental people on here this morning, I hope it doesn’t hurt when you fall off your pedestals!

ThePoshUns · 04/09/2025 08:16

I like
a drink preflight to get in the holiday mood but not that early! I can just about stomach a coffee. I had a nice 3 pm flight for my holiday so kicked off with a nice glass of wine.

Mirandawrongs · 04/09/2025 08:12

Because I paid for the lounge and I’m making sure I get my moneys worth.

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 04/09/2025 08:11

It’s not for me, personally, but if others like it then I say let them crack on. As long as they aren’t being objectionable on the flight I couldn’t care less.

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 04/09/2025 08:10

“People are different and can enjoy/tolerate different things” shocker.

Fanxjanx · 04/09/2025 08:10

Every person I’ve ever travelled with has had an alcoholic drink at the airport 😁 I have never travelled for work though… I hate flying so I have a couple of glasses of wine to calm my nerves. I don’t really drink at home!

BettysRoasties · 04/09/2025 08:08

Because the airport has no time. It’s the start of the holiday. Oh shit I’m getting on a flying sardine can.

Because fuck it why not. I more wonder who’s buying Rolex watches and such at airports in some places.

florizel13 · 04/09/2025 08:08

sorrynotathome · 04/09/2025 06:56

You might be surprised how many of them are scared of flying and use alcohol to cope.

This is certainly part of the reason for my 5 a.m. glass of Prosecco. But it's also just that holiday feeling...for me it's part of it! I can't usually drink anything alcoholic in the morning, not even Christmas Day but for some reason early morning airport drinks are different!

zaazaazoom · 04/09/2025 08:06

BitOutOfPractice · 04/09/2025 07:04

Because normal time has no meaning in an airport.

Hard to believe not everyone is like you isn’t it?

I've worked in an airport 80% of the early drinkers are on a short haul package holiday who will be pissed for most of their holiday.
Those flying long haul are much less likely to be hitting the pints before sunrise as they know they have a 8 hour stopover in Dubai and don't need to be hungover for that.

mydogisthebest · 04/09/2025 08:05

Because they are sad people

Remaker · 04/09/2025 08:05

I think it’s a bit of a British thing. DH and I always laugh when we see the FB photos of his cousin and her DH drinking pints at the crack of dawn - they’re off on holiday again! Not shift workers or nervous flyers. Not generally long haul flights either. Just people for whom the drinking starts as early as possible on holiday. It’s not really a thing in Australia- I’ve never seen anyone here posting about early morning beers at the airport.

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