Can someone explain 5am airport drinking?

Im a 5am airport drinker for multiple reasons firstly im terrified of flying so need some courage, secondly its the start of the holiday and thirdly I live nowhere near an airport so likely will have been up for several hours by that point so its basically lunch time to my body

Once I’m all checked in then I’m on holiday mode. I don’t drink much even on holiday , some nights I had no alcohol other nights I had 1 or 2. One night had had 5 and that was the most I had all holiday.

we do always have 2 drinks at the airport, no matter the time, I’m not a fan of taking off so it just helps me relax a little.

If set on having a drink, at least pair it with something small — even toast, crackers, or fruit — and drink water alongside.

I was flying long haul last week, three flights from Ireland to Oz. It was bloody hard to work out what time it was supposed to be, at one point I was having a mango pudding and a G & T and worked out that in my normal time zone it was 6AM, So maybe they are just bewildered, I know I was!

i am a really nervous flyer and the first thing I do is get a large glass of wine to help with nerves - whatever the time! I have taken medication too but I just don’t always have time to go to a doctor. I know it’s not a good look at 5am but it really helps me 😬

I don't mind people drinking that early at airports, why shouldn't they? They've worked hard all year and are now on holiday.

By the time you get up, have checked packing and documents, travelled, gone through airport checks, often 5 hours or so have passed so it's basically lunchtime for your body. Time for a celebration drink!

5.00 a.m. in an airport when you've been up for 3-4 hrs is just the same as a lunchtime drink on a normal day, which isn't that unheard of when you on hols.

😂😂 Nailed it!

The only time I had pints before a flight (not in the morning though) I slept really soundly throughout the flight. I’m not afraid of flying, but based on this I might be tempted to drink early if I definitely wanted to sleep. Also, agree with the other comments that it might be just a way to start off the holiday.

Just as long as these 5am drinkers are not getting drunk or tipsy and trying to talk to me if they’re sitting next to me on the flight.

I used to do it when younger, I don't really bother now. The last time I did, was Xmas eve and we were going abroad for Xmas. Had a wine in the airport and helped me crash out and sleep the whole flight and woke up to landing and enjoyed the rest of the day in the sun after being up since 1am. Had I not had one, I wouldn't of slept and whole first day would have been ruined.

All of those reasons for me!

It’s one of only two times acceptable to drink in the morning. At the airport heading on holiday, and Xmas Day 🥂☺️

I’ve never been able to stomach it either. For some it’s a way to start the holiday but alcohol isn’t a big part of my holiday anyway.

oh that is so off putting

I definitely couldn’t stomach anything other than a coffee before about 11am but everyone’s different. My guess is that people are in holiday mode or they’re trying to squash their nerves about flying.

We went for a cooked breakfast at a pub recently and people were having pints with their fry up. That feels all ‘wrong’ in my head but each to their own.

This-and the sheer buzz of going on holiday makes the time irrelevant.

For some ( not all) it’s alcoholism. It’s socially acceptable to drink at that time and not be judged. Same with the people who drink before 12 at the all inclusive on holiday. For others it’s just the start of their hols. The Facebook posts of ‘ obligatory pint’ photographs in an airport bar have made it seem like something that HAS to be done.

We had to be at Heathrow about 7, but in order to arrive at that time we would been negotiating the M25 at a busy time, so we decided to get there very early and avoid the possibility of getting stuck in traffic, with an ASD child getting worked up about the time and adding to the general levels of stress.

We got there about 5 a m. and to be honest I would have liked a large glass of wine with my full English as it was still dark outside and felt more like a continuation of the previous night than the start of a new day. Plus I had been up since 1 a.m. with a hyper child, so I felt I was in a different time zone!

I couldn’t drink anything other than a cup of tea at that time, bleugh. Having just got home from holiday myself I was also surprised at how many people were straight onto the Prosecco/beer/cocktails the second the pool bar opened at 10am 😳

I wouldn’t be able to stomach it. I would probably need a nap.
5am is still coffee time.

If they’re at the airport at 5am, they might not have been to bed yet, or they’ve been up for hours, so it feels more like lunchtime or evening to them. Others will just be in holiday mode and doing something different because of that.

Some will just be functioning alcoholics though. A relative and his wife drink whenever they get chance, if they’re not at work they drink all day and they drink a lot, including as soon as they get up.

I’m not getting on a plane straight.

Valium does sod all for me, beta blockers just make me feel ill. Ive tried all the drugs for flying. I’ve had hypnotherapy, I even did a fear of flying course at the airport.

If I have an early flight, the chances of me sleeping the night before and zero anyway, so I haven’t just woken up.

A few pints of Stella and I’m good to go.

I just think i would heave at 5 am "pints" I mean let them crack on but it isnt for me 🤢