Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
aspidernamedfluffy · 04/09/2025 18:11

Pharazon · 04/09/2025 10:52

Because some people associate holidays with being continuously pissed. You don't see anyone in the lounge waiting for the 06.25 to Frankfurt doing it. Not too hard to understand.

Well the 6.25 to Frankfurt is a little different to the 7 am to Australia via Singapore don't you think? I could probably cope with a short trip without the need to calm my nerves, but a 23 hour long haul flight....no way.

BettysRoasties · 04/09/2025 17:56

IGaveSoManySigns · 04/09/2025 17:19

Not being funny but the alcohol will make it worse

Show quote history

I don’t know about that. On drinking sessions many moons ago you start with a vodka orange with your fry up and continue throughout the day.

The only people having to have tactical chunders swaggering around were those who only started drinking later on in the day. Those who started early seemed basically sober at 11pm despite drinking all day solid.

mamagogo1 · 04/09/2025 17:47

I was really impressed at the sheer volume being consumed at 6am when I was at Birmingham airport last (we had a 2 hour delay) I only managed green tea as too early for even coffee at first, I managed a coffee and bagel at 8am just before the delayed flight was called

cardibach · 04/09/2025 17:47

GiveDogBone · 04/09/2025 17:43

To be fair they’re probably thirsty after all the hard work they’ve done painting roundabouts and putting up flags.

I dislike the flag/roundabout brigade but it’s absolutely not just them. Why would you think it was?

GiveDogBone · 04/09/2025 17:43

To be fair they’re probably thirsty after all the hard work they’ve done painting roundabouts and putting up flags.

cardibach · 04/09/2025 17:37

IGaveSoManySigns · 04/09/2025 17:19

Not being funny but the alcohol will make it worse

Show quote history

Will it? Why?

Lanzarotelady · 04/09/2025 17:28

IGaveSoManySigns · 04/09/2025 17:19

Not being funny but the alcohol will make it worse

Show quote history

It was a tongue in cheek comment!

IGaveSoManySigns · 04/09/2025 17:19

Animatic · 04/09/2025 13:09

:)) some need to drown the sorrow of 3am wakeup in a pint before moving on to 10am cocktails

Show quote history

Not being funny but the alcohol will make it worse

ConnieHeart · 04/09/2025 17:10

BourgeoisBabe · 04/09/2025 15:19

My stomach seems to take time to wake up, don't know why

Show quote history

You might not feel like eating right after waking up because your digestive system is still "dormant" from sleep, and appetite hormones are lower in the morning. This us from Google. I knew there was a good reason but couldn't quite put it in to words

aspidernamedfluffy · 04/09/2025 17:09

My reasons (and this is the only time I do ever drink alcohol BTW),
1 - I had been up for 7 hours by then (we'd travelled from Somerset to Heathrow).
2 - I'm absolutely terrified of flying so wanted something to take the edge off

I give 0 fucks what anyone else in the departure area thought.

Mokel · 04/09/2025 16:31

I can’t sleep on planes. Combination of the vibrations and not much room to get comfy. My DM sleeps during take off which causes more problems with her hearing. We need her to stay awake for this in the future

Mokel · 04/09/2025 16:28

When travelling alone, I get lounge access. Most flights have been before 9am. I have drinks to relax and holiday mood. I don’t drink in excess that I lose balance and shout about.

My parents don’t do the preflight drinks.

cardibach · 04/09/2025 16:03

BourgeoisBabe · 04/09/2025 15:19

My stomach seems to take time to wake up, don't know why

Show quote history

But if you are in an airport and through security at 5am you got up at 3 at the latest, even if you live practically next door! It’s had a minimum of 2 hours by then.

BourgeoisBabe · 04/09/2025 15:19

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.

My stomach seems to take time to wake up, don't know why

Oneeyedonkey · 04/09/2025 15:10

AMillionTomorrows · 04/09/2025 13:46

Being dependent on alcohol to either calm yourself down or have a good time is alcoholism. If that fact annoys you, or you are feeling defensive when you read the world “alcoholism”, you might want to ask yourself why.

If you know you are having a 5am drink for other reasons then comments about alcoholism won’t bother you, as it’s irrelevant/not about you. But taking two glasses of wine and a sleeping pill to fly, followed by eight drinks a day on holiday and getting cross with anyone who points that out is dangerously unhealthy behaviour, whichever way you look at it.

(P.S. I’m great fun at parties too, as long as I’ve taken my E of course).

I don't have the wine to calm me.
I am not a nervous passenger

I don't have the wine, to be fun on the plane. I like a nice calm quiet flight like everyone.
Its a chance to get a few hours sleep in.

Having a drink every day on holiday. Then nothing until you go away is not being an alcoholic.

BettysRoasties · 04/09/2025 14:58

Remember when they used to have the smoking areas in Gatwick. Olden times.

MadisonMarieParksValetta · 04/09/2025 14:51

Time doesn't exist in airports. That's a fact.

Biker47 · 04/09/2025 14:47

If I'm at airport at 5am, chances are I haven't been to sleep, so it's not like getting up at 7am and having a pint straight away. I also drink alcohol sometimes after night shift before going to bed in the morning.

Megifer · 04/09/2025 14:40

AMillionTomorrows · 04/09/2025 14:31

https://www.ukat.co.uk/addiction/alcohol/

Good luck. There are plenty of online resources too.

Thanks hun, none of that applies tbh, nor any of the resources I looked at to check your wild claim, but ill still let the GP know someone on MN said its definitely alcoholism for a nervy flier to 'need' a few drinks before a flight once a year 👍

Thanks for the good luck too, not sure how ill manage to get through this difficult time in my alcoholism journey. Might pop along to a few AA meetings to share my experiences and get some support from other alcoholics too

Megifer · 04/09/2025 14:22

I'll book a GP appointment to discuss the fact that I am concerned i am an alcoholic because i have a few drinks to calm my nerves before a flight.

Im sure they'll take it very seriously and refer me to the relevant NHS services.

AMillionTomorrows · 04/09/2025 13:46

Being dependent on alcohol to either calm yourself down or have a good time is alcoholism. If that fact annoys you, or you are feeling defensive when you read the world “alcoholism”, you might want to ask yourself why.

If you know you are having a 5am drink for other reasons then comments about alcoholism won’t bother you, as it’s irrelevant/not about you. But taking two glasses of wine and a sleeping pill to fly, followed by eight drinks a day on holiday and getting cross with anyone who points that out is dangerously unhealthy behaviour, whichever way you look at it.

(P.S. I’m great fun at parties too, as long as I’ve taken my E of course).

LillyPJ · 04/09/2025 13:29

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 04/09/2025 12:56

Just use the fancy toilet instead... much shorter queue.

Show quote history

😆

GL50 · 04/09/2025 13:21

I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve the night before my holiday, so I don’t tend to get much sleep. I had a pint with my “breakfast” in the airport at 6am last month, but I had been awake for 8 hours by that time so it just felt like a boozy lunch!

TheLadyH · 04/09/2025 13:17

It's tradition now