For many people, champagne and premium cabin travel go hand in hand. If you’re embarking on a celebratory holiday in style, there’s something special about hearing the cork of a bottle of champagne pop, and enjoying that first glass after boarding (or after takeoff, depending on a carrier’s policy).
Continue reading: Which Airlines Serve The Best Champagne? Here’s A Rundown…
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
EVA is currently serving Rare, Grand Siecle, or La Grande Dame, depending on the route.
Philippine Airlines serves the always excellent Louis de Sacy Grand Cru from France.
I wish airlines would pay a similar amount of attention to liquor. I'm not really a wine drinker, and even SQ Suites doesn't stock anything exciting in terms of whiskey.
Eva Air Hello Kitty flights serve Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé in business which is a nice treat!
Recently flew EK First Class and they had a good selection of cocktails and liquors. I also had the chance to try the Hennessy Paradis which retails for over $1,000. I don’t drink that much (and even when I do it’s probably not cognac) but it was lovely to try!
Ben, would you open to write up about non-alcoholic beverage options? I know you’ve written about the coffee before because you’re passionate about it 😉
But I’ve noticed the increase in mocktail/NA options across the board. Those are usually simple to make so even if there’s not a dedicated menu, you can usually ask the FA to “spritz” up anything.
I know some airlines like LO even have NA wine offered. I also recall an NA beer but I forgot which airline. And there’s airlines like CX (Cathay Delight) that has their signature drink.
Why does BA rank higher than AF for first class lounges, when you put $200/bottle for BA and $230/bottle for AF?
Or is it a typo?
EVA is also serving Piper Rare 2013 and La Grande Dame 2015 in business. Just had them both this month, would put them at #1
Just got off an EVA flight a few days ago, was La Grand Dame, which is more expensive than most of the First champagnes you listed
Just got off an EVA flight a few days ago, was La Grand Dame, which is more expensive than most of the First champagnes you listed
NH and JL has the good stuff as well. Suntory Hibiki 21 and 17 is up there among the best.
He's already done that before. In fact, this article in itself is just a recycled article from the past.
EVA serves Veuve La Grande Dame too on business (last data point 11/2025) which i think would top the list
C‘mon, JW Blue is okay to drink in First. Same goes for commonly stocked Royal Salute. If you want a real tasting experience you gotta stop at LH FCT or ZRH Sen E. The Hibikis on NH / JAL are a superb treat, and EK usually also has an okay selection. I wasn’t impressed by the Hennesy Paradis.
I want to give a shout out to China Airlines, the other airline from Taiwan, which had quietly upped their game in the champagne offering.
On my Sept 2025 trip this year, they were serving Laurent Perrier Brut Millesime 2015 on their North America routes (retail over USD 100), and Charles Gardet Millesime 2007 on their European routes (retail over USD 80). The only thing is that like most Asian airlines they are pretty stingy with their pours into tiny glasses, so you will have to ask for refills.
China Airlines really need to up their marketing game instead of just making quiet upgrades! They don't even have a presence on flyertalk!
Singapore is a fantastic experience with Cristal on board. Please note that British Airways frequently serves all of their top line champagne supply on the outbound flight, leaving more basic champagne for the inbound flight. They are also quite bad about champagne warm, I did 8 consecutive long haul segments with them and it was not impressive…
What about Singapore Airlines serving Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2018 in Business class?
What about Singapore Airlines serving Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2018 in Business class?
not trying to be argumentative but...
Champagne is possibly the piece of food or drink with the greatest difference in taste profile in the air. It is partly due to the ow humidity impacting your senses of smell and taste and partly due to the pressure in the cabin, impacting the bubbles.
I usually enjoy champagne (can't wait for Christmas day) but find that in the air it just doesn't work for me. While for some reason "sparkling wine" (the cheaper variety, and if we are being blunt - usually not much above $10 a bottle, yes Qantas - I am looking at you) is perfectly drinkable, the richer, yeastier french bottles get nowhere near their on-the-ground joy.
Funnily, red wine behaves in almost the opposite way. Anything other than absolute top drops is almost vile when drunk above the clouds. Those middle-of-the-road bottles that I would gladly enjoy any day at home, taste like paint stripper when flying, maybe with the exception of Italian wines.
any avid drinker who's also a chemist can explain?
JL uses Jacquesson as the backup is actually cost cutting? If they don’t do Salon for 1 bottle, you essentially have a sip - and then you are stuck with $85 bottles in First?!
It’s EK First Dom Pérignon. Period. There is no comparison. I’d take whoever’s serving Ruinart as a second-place, but I haven’t found that yet. Third, Qatar when they have Laurent-Piere rose. Everyone else is bubbly piss-water.
Ugh, mere $85 bottles… but, those are for the peasants. Next you’ll tell me they don’t serve Beluga caviar. Like, if it’s not from the Caspian Sea, might as well just spit it out… /s
Arguing is why there’s a comment section to begin with, sir. Business/First but not champagne? Pish posh. Sounds like ‘economy’ to me. And, if it’s that Prosecco or Cava nonsense, might as well just use it as mouth-wash and spit it out onto the floor…. /s
Warm? Ugh. Were they ignorant, lazy, cheap, or attempting a ‘warm sake’ thing? Quite the faux pas. This would never happen on Air France, I can assure you. *puh tuh* (spitting)
Thank you for mentioning China Airlines. Great SkyTeam partner, too. Very helpful for earning a lot of MQDs, when crediting to Delta. Nonstop JFK-TPE, and decent onward connections to much of Asia. Also, thank you for properly referring to it as Taiwan, a free, independent, sovereign nation, the Republic of China, the true China, thereby, a correct name for that airline. Not to be confused with the Peoples’ Republic of China, aka ‘the mainland,’ which is currently occupied by communists, and has a different airline, Air China, which is not as good as China Airlines. Thank you for your attention to this matter…
$85 NV bottles don't belong in First. Even AA serves $120+ vintage champagnes in their F.