During the covid pandemic, airlines stopped serving alcohol for a variety of reasons.
First, it was a tense time, as flight attendants needed to enforce mask mandates that some passengers thought were unnecessary.
Alcohol, of course, might have calmed those passengers. Or, more likely, a drink or two would have emboldened them to be even more abusive.
An already difficult situation became harder because some passengers chose to take out their anger and frustrations on the airline staffers, who were just trying to do their jobs.
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In addition, when the airlines were asking people to follow a new set of rules that were unfamiliar and uncomfortable, adding in alcohol would have complicated things.
It was hard enough to get people not to take off their masks to order beverages and then have them move it to the side to take a sip. If the carriers had added in beer, wine and liquor to that mix, well, things might have gone even worse than they did.
Once the mask rules were dropped, airlines slowly brought back alcohol. But while passengers were likely happy about that change, flight attendants likely had mixed feelings.
Some airlines waited longer than others to make this return, and now JetBlue (JBLU) has made a move that sort of splits things down the middle.
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JetBlue Implements a First for a U.S. Airline
Airlines sell alcohol because it makes them good money. The profit margins on beer, wine, and liquor are very wide -- wide enough to deal with the occasional belligerent drunk. If airlines could make up that profit while cutting down on intoxication, they almost certainly would.
That's why a number of airlines have been experimenting with nonalcoholic specialty beverages for which they can charge extra.
Southwest Airlines (LUV), for example, recently began selling cans of cold-brew coffee on its flights. That enables the airline to offer something customers like that will also add to its bottom line.
Now, JetBlue has decided to do something similar. Beginning in May the airline will offer Athletic Brewing’s nonalcoholic Upside Dawn Golden beer on all domestic flights.
“We’re excited to take flight with JetBlue and allow flyers to relax at 35,000 feet with a great-tasting alternative to full-strength brews,” said Bill Shufelt, chief executive of the Milford, Conn., brewer. “This is a huge milestone for Athletic and a key partnership for us in the travel industry.”
JetBlue Makes a Trendy Move
While it's hard to know what's media hype and what is actually happening, alcohol-free drinks are having a bit of a moment.
Booze-free cocktails have become a growing trend/fad, and at least some Americans have been looking to have an alcohol-like experience without the actual alcohol.
That has led to a 34.2% industrywide increase in sales of nonalcoholic beer, according to Athletic Brewing. The company, which is the second-largest nonalcoholic-beer brand in the U.S., saw it grow by 94.3% year-to-date.
Bringing nonalcoholic beer to planes is both on trend and logical.
“In our continued effort to provide customers with an onboard experience customized to their needs and preferences, JetBlue is proud to be the first major U.S. airline to serve nonalcoholic beer,” said JetBlue's director of product development, Mariya Stoyanova.
“We’re thrilled to partner with industry leader Athletic Brewing to offer our customers the refreshing, balanced taste of a classic craft Golden without the alcohol.”
Upside Dawn is a "bright and light-bodied brew that has been crafted to remove gluten. Crisp with floral and earthy notes, it is made with premium Vienna malt and a combination of English and American hops. Upside Dawn contains just 45 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates," according to the brewer.
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