I think the standard is the stewardesses can’t drink within 24 hours of a flight (like the pilots). I friend of mine who used to fly cargo jets with me in the Air Force flew for one of the majors and married a flight attendant.
Now, most flight attendants out there are professional, and it is a difficult job no matter what people think about it being "glamorous."
I met his wife once, and she was a hoot. She was smart and pretty. She also used to like to tell "Flight Attendant" jokes.
Here are two of them:
Q: What is the mating call of a Delta Flight Attendant?
A: "Oooh ya'll, I'm so drunk!"
Q: Why do Delta Flight Attendants have padded shoulder pads on their uniform?
A:(moves head from shoulder to shoulder and answers in a high pitched dippy voice) "I dunno?"
The standard for Drinking and flying is 8 hours by law. It is Title 14 of CFR Far 91.17(a)
At my airline it is 8 hours also but some carriers have 12 hour limits. Having a beer or two the night before is pretty common but NEVER within 8 hours.
Here it is.
§ 91.17 Alcohol or drugs.
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(a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft—
(1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;
(2) While under the influence of alcohol;
(3) While using any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety; or
(4) While having an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater in a blood or breath specimen. Alcohol concentration means grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.
(b) Except in an emergency, no pilot of a civil aircraft may allow a person who appears to be intoxicated or who demonstrates by manner or physical indications that the individual is under the influence of drugs (except a medical patient under proper care) to be carried in that aircraft.
(c) A crewmember shall do the following:
(1) On request of a law enforcement officer, submit to a test to indicate the alcohol concentration in the blood or breath, when—
(i) The law enforcement officer is authorized under State or local law to conduct the test or to have the test conducted; and
(ii) The law enforcement officer is requesting submission to the test to investigate a suspected violation of State or local law governing the same or substantially similar conduct prohibited by paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(4) of this section.
(2) Whenever the FAA has a reasonable basis to believe that a person may have violated paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(4) of this section, on request of the FAA, that person must furnish to the FAA the results, or authorize any clinic, hospital, or doctor, or other person to release to the FAA, the results of each test taken within 4 hours after acting or attempting to act as a crewmember that indicates an alcohol concentration in the blood or breath specimen.
(d) Whenever the Administrator has a reasonable basis to believe that a person may have violated paragraph (a)(3) of this section, that person shall, upon request by the Administrator, furnish the Administrator, or authorize any clinic, hospital, doctor, or other person to release to the Administrator, the results of each test taken within 4 hours after acting or attempting to act as a crewmember that indicates the presence of any drugs in the body.
(e) Any test information obtained by the Administrator under paragraph (c) or (d) of this section may be evaluated in determining a person’s qualifications for any airman certificate or possible violations of this chapter and may be used as evidence in any legal proceeding under section 602, 609, or 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.
[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34292, Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt. 91–291, June 21, 2006]