Responsible Service of Alcohol Laws and Qantas Lounges

[I_fly_everywhere]

I am really curious about how Qantas gets around the responsible service of alcohol laws, which apply to all venues serving alcohol around Australia. Although they vary slightly from state to state, every state and territory has them.

In the past two weeks I have been in the ADL, PER, MEL and DRW lounges, and have simply been stunned by the amount of alcohol consumption I have seen.

Now don't get me worng, I always enjoy a couple of drinks if I have time in the lounges before a flight, but some things I have seen:

ADL - a full on party of a group of men yelling and screaming, generally disturbing the rest of the lounge, all of them had two or three drinks each in front them... and had quite obviously had a few before that.
PER - last week there was a man with a group from a mine site that was so drunk his (almost as drunk) friends couldn't wake him for his flight.
DRW - like a free-for all at the bar, more like a pub than a business lounge.
MEL - equally had many drunk people at 4:30 pm on a weekday!

Now with my understanding of the law and CASA regulations:

It is illegal to serve an intoxicated person more alcohol and;
It is illegal to enter an aircraft whilst intoxicated.

So how does Qantas get around these laws, why don't they provide responsible service of alcohol? For the past few months I have travelled around Australia for work, and have been astounded by the lack of responsible service of alcohol being displayed at Qantas lounges.

The Virgin Lounge seems to get it, I have twice seen people denied any more drinks, as well as one bloke told he will not be able to travel that evening because he had consumed too much alcohol.

Any thoughts?

 

[pat25d]

Considering the amount of drunk idiots in every nightlife area in Australia, I'd say Qantas are par for course.

 

[simongr]

I haven't seen that sort of behaviour myself. You must have been quite unlucky!

 

[The Rok]

How do you know that this group in PER we're mine site employees? Were they in uniform? If they were in civvies then that is a massive assumption to make.

If they were in mining attire however then they would of had their company name or logo on it. If so, write a letter to that mining company outlining what you saw. If you do that then I will bet a month of my ridiculous mining salary that said company will action that behaviour instantly.

 

[elbarto]

You could make a complaint to the local liquor licensing body in those states. A wrap across the knuckles might be what Qantas or whoever ultimately holds the licence needs. Though I can see someone being denied a beer making the front page of news.com.au and Ben Sandilands bashing Qantas for denying someone the 'Right to a beer as an Australian'

 

[ckck]

FWIW, I was in the J lounge waiting for my drink and the guy beside me was told that the were not serving him any more alcohol. As he started to complain I was served my drink and I quickly disappeared so I don't know what happened after that.

 

[samh004]

I've been party to a bit too many drinks in ADL before, and certainly used to drink my QP fee when I first joined, but haven't seen anything as bad as that recently. I'd say I've seen RSA in action more often internationally (F lounge) than domestically though.

As for Virgin seeming more responsible, not that I'd consider it a problem, but have been talked into a beer more often in the Virgin lounges, and had it brought to me so I didn't have to get up, than ever in the QP (other than F... but they didn't talk me into the drink). So, guess we have differing views.

Would be a sad day when any clubs, bars, lounges etc starting following RSA.

 

[moa999]

sounds tame compared to what goes on in most city bars.

 

[simongr]

Would be a sad day when any clubs, bars, lounges etc starting following RSA.

I am sure all the QP's and other lounges in OZ have RSA signs up.

 

[yohy?!]

it's much better in the F lounge - you just need to stay conscious whilst they bring the grog to you lol

seriously though, i have never seen this level of consumption any the times i have been in QPs/J lounges domestically

 

[mannej]

So you are going by anecdotal evidence in PER considering you never saw them getting served.

I have seen that many a person knocked back in PER asking or doubles or rounds of drinks it isn't funny.

 

[tyrolean]

I do not see your problem:
If a group wants to party and get drunk, they will do it - either in a bar, buy their stuff beforehand or in the lounge.

Living in a country where it is much easier and cheaper to get drunk, we have no problems with that.
- Our legal drinking age is 16
- Alcohol is available in all Airline Lounges all day round. If you want your Gin-Tonic for breakfast - go for it. Do not bother. They may just live in a different timezone, depart for a long flight or just want to have it.
- No "big Parties" because Alcohol is freely available.

If people disturb, it is because they are there in a group. Do not blame the "free Alcohol" for that. Believe me, if a group wants to get drunk, they will succeed.

I have never had problems with drunk people in the lounge or on the plane. I had very rarely groups that were very drunk on board. They were funny but not disturbing.

 

[UP4014]

Although I'm sure it happens, as it does even in other premises, I too have never seen any one I thought was drunk in a lounge. Except me maybe self serving a few G&T's while waiting in TBIT before a transpacific flight.

But, as I didn't have a calibrated test machine on me they might have been diabetic and just needed a civil helping hand.

matt

 

[Archphoto]

I seem to remember (perhaps incorrectly) that ADL doesn't serve alcohol before 12 midday. Am I mistaken, or has that changed?

Not that I want a beer at 6:30am, but it struck me as odd, as I am pretty sure I grabbed a beer from the fridge in the SYD lounge (10:00AM) before boarding the connecting flight to Tokyo.

 

[Blinky]

RSA laws are pretty much honoured in the breach in my experience. I've never seen it invoked in the Virgin Lounge in all my time there. They do stop someone buying more than one drink at a time when in the air though.

 

[Blinky]

I seem to remember (perhaps incorrectly) that ADL doesn't serve alcohol before 12 midday. Am I mistaken, or has that changed?

Not that I want a beer at 6:30am, but it struck me as odd, as I am pretty sure I grabbed a beer from the fridge in the SYD lounge (10:00AM) before boarding the connecting flight to Tokyo.

I spoke to a FA once on a morning flight when I saw a pax having a beer. Her response "it's amazing how many shift workers just off a shift you see....." with a smile.

 

[RWJ777]

RSA laws are pretty much honoured in the breach in my experience. I've never seen it invoked in the Virgin Lounge in all my time there. They do stop someone buying more than one drink at a time when in the air though.

I was on a DJ flight to DPS once -- oh my Lord what an experience, but I digress -- and the bimbo and much suffering boyfriend behind me bought 2 lemon stoli's and 2 beers, seemingly for the two of them, in one transaction.

There were two problems with this:

First, she was already intoxicated -- and noticeably so and yet they were sold booze; and

Second, she drank all four drinks.

This had the effect that she screeched for an hour before, thank goodness, passing out.

She then woke up and kept on trying to rise from her seat (while seatbelt sign was on) to use the bathroom, which caused the crew no end of difficulty. You reap what you sew.

This was a particularly appalling example of the responsible service of alcohol.

 

[Blinky]

I was on a DJ flight to DPS once -- oh my Lord what an experience, but I digress -- and the bimbo and much suffering boyfriend behind me bought 2 lemon stoli's and 2 beers, seemingly for the two of them, in one transaction.

There were two problems with this:

First, she was already intoxicated -- and noticeably so and yet they were sold booze; and

Second, she drank all four drinks.

This had the effect that she screeched for an hour before, thank goodness, passing out.

She then woke up and kept on trying to rise from her seat (while seatbelt sign was on) to use the bathroom, which caused the crew no end of difficulty. You reap what you sew.

This was a particularly appalling example of the responsible service of alcohol.

I would have complained about this without hesitation. There's been so much alcohol caused bad behaviour recently that I fear that those who enjoy a relaxing drink on a flight will be denied along with all the tools.

 

[RooFlyer]

This reminds me of this thread:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-reply-disrespectful-manner-qantas-46261.html

QF lounge operation again the (negative) topic, with a first-time poster.

 

[kevrosmith]

ADL - a full on party of a group of men yelling and screaming, generally disturbing the rest of the lounge, all of them had two or three drinks each in front them... and had quite obviously had a few before that.

Are you sure it wasn't an AFF gathering??