It’s the end of an era at Singapore Airlines, though it’s not necessarily bad news. I first wrote about this change last week, but I wanted to update this post to reflect that we now know why this partnership has ended — it’s not necessarily the reason we had assumed.
In this post:
Singapore Airlines changes up first class champagne
While there are lots of airlines serving amazing champagne in first class, historically Singapore Airlines has been in a league of its own — the airline has offered first class passengers the choice of both Dom Perignon and Krug. Both of those are great champagnes, and I know many passengers have enjoyed a side-by-side taste test.
In 2019, Singapore Airlines added a third champagne to its first class rotation. Specifically, the airline added Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs to the first class wine selection, and most flights had two of those three options available.
As it turns out, there was some significance to a third option being added to the rotation. As of November 1, 2022, Singapore Airlines will stop serving Dom Perignon altogether. Going forward, the airline will offer the choice of Krug Grande Cuvée and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs to all passengers traveling in first class (and Suites).
The real reason Singapore Airlines dropped Dom Perignon
Dom Perignon is probably the champagne with the most name recognition (unless you’re into rap music, in which case it might be Cristal). 😉 So in that sense this is a major change.
However, the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is exceptional as well, and for that matter I prefer Krug Grande Cuvée to most vintages of Dom Perignon.
So, why would Singapore Airlines cut such an iconic champagne from its top cabin? My assumption was initially that this came down to controlling costs. Airlines generally get massive discounts on premium alcohol, given that it’s a way for brands to show off their wine to a generally affluent consumer base.
I figured that Dom Perignon was just getting progressively more expensive for Singapore Airlines, perhaps because the brand no longer thought there was much value in “showing off” the champagne in first class. Or alternatively, I had assumed that perhaps Taittinger made Singapore Airlines a deal the company couldn’t refuse.
As it turns out, that’s not the reason, as there’s a different explanation. Back in September, Emirates Airline announced it would serve 2003 Dom Perignon P2 in first class, which is an even more premium version of Dom Perignon. In the press release about that, Emirates noted the following, making a bigger picture claim about the partnership between the two companies:
“As the only airline with an exclusive agreement to offer luxury champagne brand Dom Pérignon on-board…”
Wow. So it seems like Emirates now has an exclusive agreement to be the only airline serving Dom Perignon in first class. That’s definitely a new development. Emirates invests more money in wine than any other airline, and it seems that this is a big part of that.
Also keep in mind that Emirates’ first class footprint is so much bigger than Singapore Airlines’, so it’s not surprising that Emirates would have more pull here.
As Singapore Airlines passengers we’re still spoiled here — both Krug and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne are excellent, and have different flavor profiles, so many may appreciate being able to compare the two.
Bottom line
As of November 2022, Singapore Airlines is cutting Dom Perignon from its first class champagne lineup. Going forward, the airline will serve Krug Grande Cuvée and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. There’s no denying that the new lineup doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the choice between Dom Perignon and Krug, but these are still both great options.
The reason for this change seems to be because Emirates and Dom Perignon have a new exclusive agreement, so that no other airlines can serve that champagne anymore.
What do you make of Singapore Airlines no longer serving Dom Perignon?
SQ is going downhill which is sad as it has been my first choice airline for over 20 years.
Their private lounge in Changi is now a normal “business class” look & feel lounge, lousy food, inexpensive champagne & wine .
On board the suites are bare, entertainment very dull, toiletries downgraded . Service is still great and the only reason that I am still there.
Only thing that keeps going up...
SQ is going downhill which is sad as it has been my first choice airline for over 20 years.
Their private lounge in Changi is now a normal “business class” look & feel lounge, lousy food, inexpensive champagne & wine .
On board the suites are bare, entertainment very dull, toiletries downgraded . Service is still great and the only reason that I am still there.
Only thing that keeps going up is the fare. I am happy to pay so long as SQ keeps it side of the deal.
Post Covid , it is scaling back too severely.
Wake up SQ!
The drinks are going the same way as their lounges . In April the business lounge in SIN was fuller than a MacDonalds at Friday evening. We couldn’t find a seat . When we eventually after going round 5 times found 2 seats they where very uncomfortable and the food was real rubbish. Any stalls in SIN would have beaten this food .So the airline is just going the same way as the champagne . Downhill all the way.
Who cares. Nobody chooses the airline because of the brands they serve. Any drinkable sparkling wine is fine.
When you travel long distance( over 8 hours ) every month you do care about food, drink, service and ambiance on board.
since I’ll be enjoying it on next month’s SYD SIN FRA JFK Suites
I wanted to learn how to pronounce it and found this site.
https://wine365.com/pronunciation-guide-champagne-taittinger/
whats gonna happen in Thai Royal First then? Probably downgrade from Dom to Veuve Clicquot.
Dom is so nouveau riche, which suits Emirates’ flashy image. Comtes is a far more elegant and complex wine. Good on SQ.
DP hasn’t ever been all that exclusive. They make two million bottles of the stuff every year!
I just bought a case of a Pinot Noir from the south of Tasmania that has a cult following. There were just over 2600 bottles made during vintage. It’s unlikely that any airline passenger in any class; or anyone outside Australia, for that matter; will ever get to admire its beauty. Now that’s exclusive. Two millions bottles a year? Nah.
Exclusivity doesn't make it taste better.
My neighbor brews a limited batch beer of 12-16 bottles, also a cult following in the neighborhood. It’s unlikely that any airline passenger in any class; or anyone outside my neighborhood, for that matter; will ever get to admire its beauty. Now that’s exclusive. Among the best beers I've tasted, Nah.
Lol hahahaha ROTFL!! Nailed it !
@Pete
Your Pinot noir is unknown and primitive at best. Everyone wants Dom Perignon it is exclusive.
Surely volume and consistency are also part of these type decisions. We can wonder how many bottles an airline needs over a contract period. And, it is not just onboard consumption but also for lounges.
Singapore airlines is cutting corners to extreme in food quality , quality of their lounges . SQ economy food is far cry from pre pandemic days . I fly SQ but given a choice this will be last airline I will fly due to reduced service
Just had it during SQ26 JFK=>FRA and it was...disappointing, no better than $20 bottles from Napa. Their Bordeaux red was better but still did not impress me. The best wine I had in the air was a Swiss white in LX business class.
Having taken SQ business/first several times, may I just say their catering was mediocre? Seems that more attention was paid to status symbols than actual quality of food/service.
IMHO Krug and Taittinger CDC are both better than DP.
@PPSan68
That’s not the point. Dom Perignon is a well known brand with an image of luxury and that’s what everyone wants to drink.
I was traveling from Mumbai to LA on 19th September 2022 when drink was below mark In Singapore Airlines .
SQ service has gone to shit. Lounges undermanned. Worldwide check-in average. Changi still great.
No newspapers or magazines. Menu average.
And prices on International business increased 2 or 3 times pre Covid. I'm changing.
This is a cost cutting measure pure and simple (and a reasonable one at that). Singapore Airlines suffered hugely during covid as Singapore closed its borders totally for longer than most countries. Being an island they had zero domestic flights either.
Whilst it’s true the airline is backed by a government with deep pockets those pockets are not unlimited. Dom in first is a reasonable cutback to keep the airline flying.
I prefer the terroir of Rheims over Épernay, so I like this change.
LVMH owns both Krug and Moët (Dom), so dropping one of the two was logical.
you're an idiot. Krug and Dom source their grapes from dozens of villages outside of the main cities. There are merely token vineyards on the outskirts of both of those cities.
That’s it, I’m done with SQ. They have no idea how much they are turning off their premium passengers, I guess it’ll benefit the ‘upgraders’, carrying cheap Louis Vuitton monogram duffel and handbags, with more seat availability. Bye SQ girl.
Is SQ getting more cash-grabbing airline now??? The solo seat on 359 ULR is now available for a fee instead of free of charge anymore... Less option for champagne in F, maybe soon they got rid of amenities kit in J like they have been doing
I actually prefer to have it a paid seat. Otherwise it's typically one of the first seats to get occupied and will be extremely difficult to secure unless the booking is made way in advance. I just flew SIN-NYC return and managed to secure the last available solo seat both ways, about 40 days in advance. Gladly paid USD 140 or so. Otherwise there was no chance.
I almost always prefer both CdC and Krug to Dom (unless it’s Dom 2008 or P2), so this is actually an improvement in my book. The last few vintages of Dom (2009, 2010, 2012) have all been unremarkable.
6 and 9 were def ho hum vintages but the 10 and 12 are drinking well now. 8 of course was far superior and the P2 are of course in a league of their own. The P3 03 is incredible at the moment.
The choice of Krug (heavy on pinot noir) and Taittinger (heavy on chardonnay) makes sense as a choice of somewhat different champagnes!
heavy is quite an exaggeration. Pinot and chard are roughly same percentages give or take 5% and a large amount of meunier.
The weight tho is quite heavy
The Taitt is 100% Chard and very heavy. It actually makes for two very heavy champagnes.
I would say it's all about cost-cutting.
Singapore Airlines is aggressively downgrading their service, especially in Business class. Crappy champagne; bottom of the range before it slips into fizzy white wine territory, no PJs on long-haul flights (13hrs) even on request, Premium Economy quality meals and service, half filled amenities kits, and so it goes on.
If SQ hope their customers won't notice they are sadly mistaken!
Huh???
IIRC, SQ has *never* provided PJs or amenity kits in C, long haul or otherwise.
Just received a kit from Penhaligon's pouch filled with lip balm, pillow mist etc. from their c class. Otherwise you still receive decent quality slippers, eye mask, socks just not in a pouch. Things like toothbrush set, razors are available on request or in their lavatories anyway.
I like this choice. Krug is a solid premium champagne and Taittinger is one of the few remaining family owned businesses. Their 2008 is truly exceptional.
While DP is a great champagne taste wise, I sometimes find it strange how they are able to produce such huge quantities of vintage champagne. I don't like their brand identity overall as it is too flashy for me. There are many amazing newcomers in the champagne world and...
I like this choice. Krug is a solid premium champagne and Taittinger is one of the few remaining family owned businesses. Their 2008 is truly exceptional.
While DP is a great champagne taste wise, I sometimes find it strange how they are able to produce such huge quantities of vintage champagne. I don't like their brand identity overall as it is too flashy for me. There are many amazing newcomers in the champagne world and also among the grand crus, there are more interesting options.
dom isnt even 100% grand cru. They are also produce roughly 5 million bottles of dom a year. Let that sink in...makes no sense to charge that much for such a mass produced bottle...thats more than the total yearly production of Piper Heidsieck brut!
I did love doing a comparison between Dom and Krug on our flight to Singapore a few years back. While I preferred the Dom, my SO preferred the Krug. These are truly first world problems! BTW, it is still challenging to find Dom in quantity in Maryland.
My Post cancer treatment Round the World trip suffers another ‘setback’ sort of like me treatment (rolled eyes emoji) First my 1 st Class Qantas LAX SYD gets downgraded to a B787-9 for just the day I’m traveling And now this Quell Horrors
On the upside there apparently will still be a taste test and the Taittinger is nice too. SYD SIN FRA JFK TO TASTE TEST :-)
Always thought Don was mostly hype like VC. Give me a Krug or a nice Roederer
Love that you’re taking a trip to celebrate! I love qf first class more than most but the 787 biz is also a really nice product. Enjoy
Dom P AND Krug are both owned by LVMH as are Moët & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, and Ruinart. To me it seems like SQ might be moving away from LVMH a bit with this move as Taittinger is still family owned and operated (after a brief period of ownership by Starwood Capital). Perhaps they're hoping to get a better deal by introducing some competition on their Champagne list.
In the grand tradition of some...
Dom P AND Krug are both owned by LVMH as are Moët & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, and Ruinart. To me it seems like SQ might be moving away from LVMH a bit with this move as Taittinger is still family owned and operated (after a brief period of ownership by Starwood Capital). Perhaps they're hoping to get a better deal by introducing some competition on their Champagne list.
In the grand tradition of some of the oldest and finest Champagne houses it's also headed by a woman - Vitalie Taittinger following in the footsteps of women at Clicquot, Pommery, Laurent Perrier, and Bollinger among other lesser known houses. It's not just the Dom's (Dom P and Dom Ruinart) in Champagne who are famous, it's also the Veuves (widows).
Flew FRA—SIN in August 2022 and had all three. Guess is bye bye Dom … for now. Probably supply chain issue as well.
Cool!
What a greedy pig!
I pray for everyone affected in these difficult times.
republicans and kanye west need to wear a new shirt:
"first class passengers lives matter"
Missing the all important OMAAT price breakdown!
OMAAT readers know thr only way to drink champagne is by the price tag.
The very definition of a 'First World Problem'!
There is no such thing as a 'First World Problem'.
There are only problems of QUALITY, regardless of who you are; where you live; how much money you have; your ethnicity/nationality. Citing so-called 'First World Problems' is the lazy man's way of rationalizing quality issues without doing proper analysis. BTW: the purveyors of expensive but poor quality service and product just love it. It lets them off the hook by engendering a sense of...
There is no such thing as a 'First World Problem'.
There are only problems of QUALITY, regardless of who you are; where you live; how much money you have; your ethnicity/nationality. Citing so-called 'First World Problems' is the lazy man's way of rationalizing quality issues without doing proper analysis. BTW: the purveyors of expensive but poor quality service and product just love it. It lets them off the hook by engendering a sense of guilt and entitlement on the customer if they complain.
Well that’s it then, I am no longer flying SQ!!!
Feels good to be the one of the last passengers to enjoy the free flowing Dom on my JFK-FRA A380 F suite recently. It was good but really is all about branding, after all.
After several glasses, had to pour me some OJ with it and had the best mimosa!
Mixing a Dom mimosa is like mixing a Louis XIII with coke.
I bet Chateau Margaux Sangria is also one of your favorites.
Heather Cho would have slap the whole crew and divert mid flight.
This confirms what we suspected: English is not your first language. Please try harder. Grammar and logic are important.
'11 Taittinger CdC is a subpar champagne that should not have been released as a CdC. There is a ton still around and they just released the 2012 which they'd like to sell at a much higher price. Presumably they gave SA a great price on a huge amount of 2011, lets them sell it all in one swoop and get it out of the distribution system. If given the choice definitely choose the Krug GC!
“8 bottles of Krug in SQ F” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
I still think Salon on JAL FC on flights out of Japan is the best champagne I have ever tasted by far. Second is LH FC Louis Roederer 2007 with Taittinger Comtes de Champagne third in BA FC. It's weird no airline carries Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill especially BA.
Most people in the U.K. are not that obsessed with Churchill, and despite what Pol Roger try to portray, it isn’t the only Champagne he drank, nor is the brand actually that popular in the U.K. even.
The brand just went a bit nuts with the endorsement.
Funny how you didn’t mention Bollinger, and the Bond link. Also, not that popular in the U.K. being more expensive than LP, Tattinger, Veuve and Moët...
Most people in the U.K. are not that obsessed with Churchill, and despite what Pol Roger try to portray, it isn’t the only Champagne he drank, nor is the brand actually that popular in the U.K. even.
The brand just went a bit nuts with the endorsement.
Funny how you didn’t mention Bollinger, and the Bond link. Also, not that popular in the U.K. being more expensive than LP, Tattinger, Veuve and Moët despite not really being any better. It’s even sometimes priced than Ruinart, which is by most people’s taste far superior to Bollinger.
China Airlines of Taiwan carries Pol Roger on their long haul business class.
I like the Louis Roederer. And Quaff the NV :-)
I have had BA serve me Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill. Aboard Concorde from JFK to LHR.
incredible. remember the vintage?
A few months ago I compared the Dom and Tattinger on the sin-lax route and all three of us in first class enjoyed the Tat as much as the Dom. It won’t keep me from not flying them again .
"This is interesting, but not a big deal"
I'd argue it's neither.
Can't taste the difference between champagnes at 40,000 feet anyway.