Vegas-bound flights the tipsiest in the nation

We know Las Vegas is always down for a good time, but people headed here are starting the party a little early.

That’s according to GuestLogix, the firm behind the in-flight payment systems used by 90 percent of the airlines in North America.

Unsurprisingly, GuestLogix found that plane passengers make the most onboard drink purchases when they’re headed to Las Vegas. Flights headed to Sin City from anywhere in North America averaged $93.16 in drink sales between Nov. 2013 and February of this year, and 99 percent of that was alcohol. Total beverage sales on Las Vegas-bound flights totaled $2.69 million.

Seattle- and San Francisco-bound flights took silver and bronze in the drink category, with $79.23 and $65.58 spent on drinks, respectively.

Las Vegas’ numbers are down overall, though: Last summer, passengers were spending $116 on in-flight beverages, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.

We’re still nowhere near as low as the least-buzzed skies in the nation. Flights headed to Scranton, Penn., sold an average of $23 in booze. Elmira, New York was a close second ($28).

In-flight purchases overall are on the rise, with 12 percent of passengers buying something during their flight, compared to 7 percent four years ago. Of all in-flight sales, beverages were the most popular purchase, making up 58 percent of total sales, followed by food at 38 percent.

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @stephgrimes