Passengers on Alaska Airlines can no longer raise a glass to their impending journey, albeit temporarily.
The airline has eliminated pre-flight drinks for its first-class travellers, USA Today reports.
The policy change comes as a result of Alaska’s merger with Virgin America: Virgin served pre-flight drinks, while Alaska did not.
Airline officials said the decision to eliminate drinks on all flights unifies policies across all flights now operating under the Alaska brand.
However, premium passengers will only have to make do without pre-flight beverages for a short period. The airline also announced that, beginning November 1, it will begin serving sparkling wine to all first class passengers prior to flights, along with water or orange juice.
“So for two-thirds of passengers, they are actually gaining access to sparkling wine at predeparture,” said Alaska Airlines spokesperson Ann Johnson.
No cocktails will be served before flights take off, however.
Pre-flight drinks are a perk still enjoyed by premium class travellers on other major airlines, such as American, Delta, and United.
