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Southwest raises drink prices ahead of busy holiday travel season

All in-flight liquor has increased from $7 to $9. Meanwhile, beer options have risen from $6 to $7 per can, and wine now costs $8 instead of $6.
Stock image of two glasses of wine on an airplane.
Posted at 2:40 PM, Nov 15, 2023

Southwest Airlines is raising the prices of its on-board alcoholic beverages ahead of Thanksgiving and the busy holiday travel season.

The Dallas-based carrier confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that fliers would see a "modest change" to the pricing for beer, wine and liquor starting Wednesday.  

According tothe Southwest website, all liquor prices have increased from $7 to $9. Meanwhile, beer options like Miller Lite, Lagunitas IPA and Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale increased from $6 to $7 per can, and selections of wine such as Carmenet Cabernet Sauvignon and Mossel Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay now cost $8 instead of $6.

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First graders on a Southwest airplane in their Dallas hangar.

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The company also gifted all of the first-grade teachers and the school principal with round-trip tickets to use anywhere that the airline flies to.

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The airline says it will continue to offer free non-alcoholic beverages such as water, coffee and soda on all flights traveling more than 175 miles. But flights shorter than that will only serve water. 

Southwest halted its drink menu in March 2020 to initially keep passengers from removing their face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed sales early last year after experiencing widespread flight disruptions involving unruly passengers. 

In 2021, there were nearly 6,000 reports of unruly passengers. Many of those stemmed from a pandemic-era rule that required masks to be worn on planes, but the rule was eventually revoked after a judge struck it down in April 2022.