I just flew Japan Airlines’ 777 first class across the Pacific, and I ended up making a duty free purchase, which I very rarely do. I can’t decide if that was the right move and an easy opportunity to make a quick buck, or if I just fell for marketing around exclusivity…
Japan Airlines selling Hibiki 100th anniversary whisky
At the moment, both All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are selling Hibiki 100th anniversary whisky via their onboard duty free. This is a rare whisky, so they’re making this very exclusive — only first class passengers can purchase it, and each first class passenger is limited to a single bottle.
What’s interesting here is that this 100th anniversary whisky is so rare that it’s not for sale in many other places. The few retailers that I see selling the whisky are charging well over $1,000 for the bottle, and in many cases, close to $2,000. Now, given the very limited production and supply, it’s hard to tell whether it’s actually selling at that price, or if that’s simply what companies are hoping for, and the inventory is just sitting.
Still, I find this to be an interesting opportunity, since it seems to me like you could potentially sell this bottle at a healthy profit.
I decided to buy a bottle of whisky via duty free
I had known about this opportunity prior to my flight. When I boarded, I wasn’t planning on buying a bottle, mainly because I didn’t want to lug it around while in Japan. It’s nice that the airline also currently serves this onboard, so you can enjoy as much as you’d like during the flight.
In the first class menu binder, I noticed a little card specifically promoting the unique opportunity to buy this whisky.
Still, I wasn’t planning on doing it. However, shortly before landing, the lovely duty free flight attendant was walking through first class with a “final call” for any purchases. As she stopped by my seat, she specifically pointed out the opportunity to purchase the whisky, and reminded me what a good deal and rare opportunity this is. For whatever reason, at that moment, I figured I should buy it.
The cost was 60,000 JPY, or around 400 USD. Obviously that’s a lot of money, but it’s also a lot less than it’s being sold for elsewhere. I’ve gotta say, the presentation was super nice. It came in a special Hibiki bag, and then was presented in a wooden box.
It even came with furoshiki, commemorating Japan Airlines’ 70th anniversary of international service.
I made the purchase, but within hours, I entered the “now what?” phase of processing my decision. Do I take this home, and serve it to guests who are big whisky enthusiasts over the coming years? Do I try to resell it? Do I… do something else?
I think the value side of my brain struggled with turning down something that seemed like an easy opportunity to turn a profit. But I’m not sure how I’d go about selling this, so maybe I’m the sucker here!
Bottom line
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are currently giving first class passengers the opportunity to purchase Hibiki 100th anniversary whisky, which can otherwise be hard to find. I’ve been intrigued by this opportunity, and ultimately decided to make a purchase on my flight, since it seems like this sells for way more in public.
But now that I’ve purchased the whisky, I’m faced with the reality that I’m not in the alcohol resale business, and I don’t actually know what to do with this bottle. Did I just get a great deal on an exclusive bottle of alcohol that I don’t want and don’t know what to do with, or…?
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