Airlines have found a way to take the edge off the stress of flying and make a few extra bucks along the way: fancy new cocktails, craft beers and elegant wines. The drinks advertised in the back of in-flight magazines–or on sleek seatback touchscreens–are starting to resemble those at the hottest nightclubs.
For instance, Delta offers the Sky Breeze cocktail–vodka, Fresca and a splash of cranberry-apple juice over ice–for $7. The airline also sells small-batch bourbon for $7.
Virgin America has specialty cocktails as well, plus its beer selection includes San Francisco-based 21st Amendment and Black Star from Whitefish, MT; each sells for $7, while Bud Light is $6. And US Airways has partnered with mixer company Stirrings to sell mojitos and cosmos for $8 each.
Other airlines create drinks to get travelers into the mind set of their destination, such as United’s Trader Vic’s mai tai for $9 on flights to and from Hawaii. The specialty drinks are part of a larger push to get passengers to pay for a little in-flight luxury, and the airlines are clearly doing everything they can to drive liquor sales.
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