Is It Worth Going Out Of Your Way To Drink The World’s Most Expensive Airline Champagne?

I was just writing a post about how I’m flying Korean Air A380 first class later this week in my quest to try all A380 first class products. I was writing about how one of the things I was most looking forward to about Korean Air first class is that they serve 1998 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rose, which I believe is the most expensive champagne served by any airline (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

Then I reviewed a Korean Air first class menu and realized that they only serve it on their routes from Seoul Incheon to New York and Paris. On their other routes to the US they serve Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, the same “delicate” champagne that Stuart generously served me on my BA A380 flight from London to Los Angeles in December.

To put this into perspective slightly, here’s what I’d be drinking on Seoul Incheon to New York:

Korean-Air-Champagne-2

While here’s what I’d be drinking on Seoul Incheon to Los Angeles:

Korean-Air-Champagne-1

Multiply it by four bottles or so, and we’re talking quite a difference in “value” at retail. 😉

Perhaps the most first world question I’ll ever ask on this blog, but would you route the “long way” for better champagne? I can make the change, but need to do so by tonight. It would translate into a longer positioning flight home, but if it’s worth it it’s worth it. Not only is the 1998 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rose expensive, but it’s apparently quite tough to find as well.

Thoughts? 😀

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HTaufReisen Guest

Lucky, Here is your To-Do-List for 2014/15: With top-end travel an increasingly competitive business, airlines around the world spend millions of dollars each year polishing their wine lists in the hope of attracting more passengers. Their efforts are noted at the annual Cellars in the Sky awards, organized by U.K.-based Business Traveller magazine. At this year's awards ceremony, Qantas once again topped the medal table, winning Best Overall Wine Cellar, Best First Class Cellar, and Best Business Class Cellar. In addition, the airline – nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo" – was judged to serve the best sparkling and white wines in first class. Two airlines won double awards: Emirates snatched the gold medals for best red wine in first class and best fortified/dessert wine in business class, while Taiwan-based Eva Air was honored for having the best business class white and sparkling wines. The full list of winners is as follows: Best Overall Wine Cellar 1. Qantas 2. Emirates 3. (JOINT) El-Al, Cathay Pacific FIRST CLASS Best First Class Red 1. Emirates – 2005 Clarendon Hills Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia 2. British Airways – 2007 Napanook, Napa Valley, California 3. Emirates – 2000 Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France Best First Class White 1. Qantas – 2009 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia 2. TAM Airlines – 2009 Dr Bürklin-Wolf Pechstein Grand Cru, Pfalz, Germany 3. (JOINT) El-Al – 2012 Yarden Viognier, Galilee, Golan Heights, Israel; Malaysia Airlines – 2011 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Mosel, Germany Best First Class Sparkling 1. Qantas – 2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, France 2. (JOINT) Korean Air – 1998 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé, Champagne, France; Singapore Airlines – 2004 Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France 3. American Airlines – Gosset Grande Réserve NV, Champagne, France Best First Class Fortified/Dessert 1. El-Al – 2011 Yarden Heights Gewurztraminer Late Harvest, Golan Heights, Galilee, Israel 2. Qantas – Seppeltsfield Paramount Rare Tokay NV, Australia 3. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways – W.& J. Graham’s 30 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal; TAM Airlines – 2005 Croft Late Bottled Vintage Port, Portugal Best First Class Cellar 1. Qantas 2. All Nippon Airways 3. British Airways Best-Presented First Class Wine List 1. Qatar Airways 2. Qantas 3. Singapore Airlines BUSINESS CLASS Best Business Class Red 1. Cathay Pacific – 2008 Murray Street White Label Barossa Shiraz, Australia 2. Qantas – 2011 Best’s Great Western Bin One Shiraz, Victoria, Australia 3. (JOINT) Etihad Airways – 2010 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz, Clare Valley, Australia; Finnair – 2012 Atteca Vieilles Vignes, Calatayud, Spain Best Business Class White 1. Eva Air – 2010 Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, France 2. Cathay Pacific – 2009 Taylors Chardonnay, Clare Valley, Australia 3. Air Canada – 2013 Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand Best Business Class Sparkling 1. Eva Air – 2004 Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France 2. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines – NV Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Champagne, France; Emirates – 2004 Veuve Clicquot, Champagne, France 3. American Airlines – 2008 Moutard, Champagne, France Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert 1. Emirates – Graham's 20 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal 2. Qantas – 2008 Lillypilly Noble Blend Family Reserve, New South Wales, Australia 3. Austrian Airlines – 2010 Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese, Neusiedlersee, Austria Best Business Class Cellar 1. Qantas 2. Etihad Airways 3. Cathay Pacific Best-Presented Business Class Wine List 1. Air New Zealand 2. Qatar Airways 3. Finnair Best Airline Alliance For Wine Oneworld

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Ron Mexico Guest

ummm--no. Get a job--or switch to writing for one of the airline "in seat" rags which is where your heading---alert--alert--(dream job)..lol

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AAExPlat Guest

To expand a little on what marcus and others have said...price has very little to do with how good champagne can be. If you judge Champagne by its price only you are officially clueless. If you want to try some amazing Blanc de Blanc Champagnes that don't cost a fortune, why not try Launois Champagnes? They are from Grand Cru vineyards in Le Mesnil (same as Salon) and have cult status in France, in part because the French (unlike us Americans) have zero desire to massively overpay for Champagne. Alternatively, Pierre Peters and Pierre Moncuit make outstanding grand Cru BdB champagnes. Or if that doesn't float your boat, how about some Lallement, which typically compares favorably to Krug due to the Pinot Noir content and the intense toasted hazelnut notes? Or if you want rose, why not give Marguet, Arnould, or Billecart Salmon a shot? All of these are way less expensive than the LP Alexandra. But I suspect that for you, the fun is not in drinking the wine, but in bragging how much it costs, right?

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Bill Guest

Definitely make the change!!

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John Guest

four bottles? you're going to get a headache but maybe a $1300 headache doesn't hurt as much as a $600 headache

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