Narrative:

During boarding of the aircraft, I was positioned at the first class closet (first class/main cabin divider area). A wedding party of about 10-12 young adults accompanied, by 1 older man (about 50) boarded the aircraft. Some of them were loud and were drinking alcohol from cups. I asked them to dispose of their drinks. They did get rid of them, but were not very happy about it. I don't think they were intoxicated at this point, but it was obvious that they had been drinking. I informed the #1 flight attendant about the situation. During the first beverage service and follow-up meal/beverage service, this group was drinking heavily, each time ordering doubles for each person. It was obvious that at this rate they would soon become intoxicated. Several of them might have been so already. During tray pick-up, they asked me for another round of drinks. I told them I couldn't get to the liquor cart just yet and kept going. When I got to the rear main class galley, I told the other flight attendants that we should cut them off. Just then, the #1 flight attendant called on the interphone and told us to no longer serve this group, as one of them had stumbled into first class, asking for drinks and caused a scene. This group was right on the edge of being abusive. I feel there is a reluctance to deal with drinking passenger by agents and flight attendants in the boarding area. More stress needs to be done about what we as employees should do. These sits need to be clarified. Exactly when should an airline representative be called? When should boarding be denied? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he didn't know if a flight attendant was taking tickets in the boarding area, but the wedding party people did pass 2 flight attendants working in first class, but they said they were too busy to notice that these people had boarded with cocktails in their hands. After they had their liquor cut off, they made nasty comments about the flight attendants under their breath, but didn't become overly belligerent and did generally comply with seatbelts, etc. The reporter can't believe that the gate agents would have let these people board with open drink containers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, MIA-SFO, WEDDING GROUP OF 12 BOARDED WITH OPEN LIQUOR IN HANDS. AGENTS, FIRST CLASS CABIN, DIDN'T STOP THEM, HVY DRINKERS, FORCED TO STOP MID FLT.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING OF THE ACFT, I WAS POSITIONED AT THE FIRST CLASS CLOSET (FIRST CLASS/MAIN CABIN DIVIDER AREA). A WEDDING PARTY OF ABOUT 10-12 YOUNG ADULTS ACCOMPANIED, BY 1 OLDER MAN (ABOUT 50) BOARDED THE ACFT. SOME OF THEM WERE LOUD AND WERE DRINKING ALCOHOL FROM CUPS. I ASKED THEM TO DISPOSE OF THEIR DRINKS. THEY DID GET RID OF THEM, BUT WERE NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT. I DON'T THINK THEY WERE INTOXICATED AT THIS POINT, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THEY HAD BEEN DRINKING. I INFORMED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT THE SIT. DURING THE FIRST BEVERAGE SVC AND FOLLOW-UP MEAL/BEVERAGE SVC, THIS GROUP WAS DRINKING HEAVILY, EACH TIME ORDERING DOUBLES FOR EACH PERSON. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT AT THIS RATE THEY WOULD SOON BECOME INTOXICATED. SEVERAL OF THEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN SO ALREADY. DURING TRAY PICK-UP, THEY ASKED ME FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF DRINKS. I TOLD THEM I COULDN'T GET TO THE LIQUOR CART JUST YET AND KEPT GOING. WHEN I GOT TO THE REAR MAIN CLASS GALLEY, I TOLD THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE SHOULD CUT THEM OFF. JUST THEN, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD US TO NO LONGER SERVE THIS GROUP, AS ONE OF THEM HAD STUMBLED INTO FIRST CLASS, ASKING FOR DRINKS AND CAUSED A SCENE. THIS GROUP WAS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF BEING ABUSIVE. I FEEL THERE IS A RELUCTANCE TO DEAL WITH DRINKING PAX BY AGENTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BOARDING AREA. MORE STRESS NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT WHAT WE AS EMPLOYEES SHOULD DO. THESE SITS NEED TO BE CLARIFIED. EXACTLY WHEN SHOULD AN AIRLINE REPRESENTATIVE BE CALLED? WHEN SHOULD BOARDING BE DENIED? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW IF A FLT ATTENDANT WAS TAKING TICKETS IN THE BOARDING AREA, BUT THE WEDDING PARTY PEOPLE DID PASS 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WORKING IN FIRST CLASS, BUT THEY SAID THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO NOTICE THAT THESE PEOPLE HAD BOARDED WITH COCKTAILS IN THEIR HANDS. AFTER THEY HAD THEIR LIQUOR CUT OFF, THEY MADE NASTY COMMENTS ABOUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS UNDER THEIR BREATH, BUT DIDN'T BECOME OVERLY BELLIGERENT AND DID GENERALLY COMPLY WITH SEATBELTS, ETC. THE RPTR CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE GATE AGENTS WOULD HAVE LET THESE PEOPLE BOARD WITH OPEN DRINK CONTAINERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.