Study: 1 In 5 Americans Have Been Drunk During Vacation Flight

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The holiday reveling starts at the airport bar.

A new study from travel price comparison Jetcost has found that the majority of Americans travelling by plane on vacation begin drinking alcohol at the airport (28 percent) and during their flight (25 percent), getting through on average eight drinks before arriving at their holiday destination.

According to the poll, 21 percent of respondents said they were drunk during their flight -- 12 percent said they had vomited from being drunk, 16 percent said they had fallen asleep due to being drunk and six percent confessed that they'd been asked to control themselves by cabin crew due to being drunk, loud and distracting to fellow passengers.

"It's one thing to eat, drink and be merry whilst on vacation, but it's another to be drunk on a flight," said a Jetcost spokesperson. "Firstly you're in a confined space with lots of people you don't know – many of whom won't appreciate drunken antics – but it's also believed that alcohol at 30,000 feet can affect you differently than it does down here on the ground. Have one or two, by all means, but leave the drinking in excess until you arrive at your destination; alcohol affects everyone differently and being a nuisance on flight can land you in hot water."

The survey included 5,618 participants age 18 and over who said they had flown on vacation at least once in the past year.