Here are The best champagnes on-air and in lounges

Dom Perignon served on Emirates First Class (Source)

For many, champagne and premium cabin travel are inseparable. When embarking on a stylish holiday, there's something special about the pop of a champagne cork and savoring that first glass after boarding (or after takeoff, depending on the airline’s policy).

In this post, we aim to provide an updated list of airlines offering the world’s best champagne. We’ll discuss the airlines serving top-tier champagne in first and business class in the air, and those offering the best champagne in first-class lounges on the ground (business class lounge offerings vary too much to compile a useful list).

Defining the “best” champagne

Determining the “best” is highly subjective, so we’re taking a straightforward approach by ranking airlines' champagne offerings based on retail cost, using prices from wine-searcher.com. It’s important to note that we’re not suggesting higher cost equates to better quality. However, there's often a correlation between an airline’s product quality and the price of the champagne they serve, given the significant investment involved (even at discounted rates for airlines). For instance, Japan Airlines offers expensive champagne in first class, while American Airlines does not.

Using any metric other than price would be too subjective, as most of these champagnes are highly rated, and opinions on their quality can vary.

A few major recent developments in airline champagne offerings:

• Emirates has an exclusive agreement to serve Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Perignon, leading other airlines to drop these options.

• Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle, once a popular first-class champagne, seems to have been cut by many airlines, likely due to changes in pricing or strategy.

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle (Source)

Airlines with the most expensive first-class champagne (inflight)

Which of the world’s top first-class airlines serve the best champagne onboard? Here’s the list we’ve compiled, though please let us know if we’re missing any:

• Japan Airlines serves Salon 2013 ($1,100/bottle) for flights from Japan and Billecart Salmon Cuvee Louis Salmon 2009 ($220/bottle) for flights to Japan.

• Qatar Airways serves Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut (~$320/bottle).

• Air France serves Piper Heidsieck 2013 Rare Champagne (~$260/bottle) and regularly rotates its selection.

• Singapore Airlines serves Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2012 ($220/bottle), Krug Grand Cuvee Brut ($200/bottle), and Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 2007 (~$200/bottle).

• Emirates serves Dom Perignon 2013 (~$230/bottle).

• All Nippon Airways serves Krug Grand Cuvee Brut (~$200/bottle).

• Cathay Pacific serves Krug Grand Cuvee Brut (~$200/bottle).

• Lufthansa serves Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Brut (~$110/bottle) and rotates its selection regularly.

• SWISS serves Pommery Cuvee Louise Millesime 2006 (~$180/bottle) and regularly rotates its selection.

• British Airways serves Lanson Noble Brut 2005 ($100/bottle) on most routes and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015 ($240/bottle) between London and New York.

Salon Champagne on JAL First Class retails for around $1,100 per bottle (Source)

Japan Airlines serves phenomenal champagne in first class As you can see, there are many excellent options. Japan Airlines stands out by offering champagne that retails for over $1,000 per bottle, though typically only one bottle is loaded per flight, with a backup available. This can be seen as a gimmick by some, but on some flights, you might get the whole bottle to yourself.

Singapore Airlines also deserves a mention for offering three great champagne options on every flight in first class.

Airlines with the most expensive first-class champagne (lounges)

We thought it would be interesting to highlight the best champagnes found in the world’s top first-class airline lounges. Many top airlines serve excellent champagne in the air but only mediocre champagne on the ground, which seems counterintuitive. Great wine, including champagne, is best enjoyed on the ground where your taste buds can fully appreciate the flavor. Additionally, many prefer to enjoy a nice glass of champagne on the ground and maximize rest in the air.

For example, Emirates offers Dom Perignon in first class but serves Moët, which retails for around $50/bottle, in their first-class lounge. This discrepancy is likely due to cost control and the higher number of passengers accessing the lounges, including select elite members.

Here’s the list of airlines offering noteworthy champagne in first-class lounges:

• Singapore Airlines serves Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008 (~$240/bottle) in The Private Room Singapore.

• British Airways serves Pommery Cuvee Louise 2006 (~$180/bottle) in the Concorde Room London Heathrow.

• Air France serves Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2006 (~$150/bottle) in the La Premiere Lounge Paris.

• American Airlines & British Airways serve an impressive rotating selection in the Chelsea Lounge New York.

British Airways’ Concorde Room has excellent champagne (Source)

British Airways deserves special recognition for its consistent investment in great lounge champagne. Similarly, the Chelsea Lounge offers a luxurious champagne experience.

Airlines with the most expensive business class champagne (inflight)

While first class usually has the best champagne, some airlines offer excellent champagne in business class too. We’re focusing on airlines serving champagne costing over $50 per bottle in business class. This excludes many common offerings like Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve, Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut, and Laurent-Perrier Brut. We welcome reader feedback to ensure this list is comprehensive and accurate.

Here are the airlines serving the best champagne in business class:

• Starlux serves Bollinger Brut Special Cuvee (~$85/bottle).

• EVA Air serves Duval-Leroy Clos Des Bouveries 2006 (~$70/bottle).

• Emirates serves Veuve Clicquot Brut (~$65/bottle).

• Qatar Airways serves Duval-Leroy Rose Prestige ($90/bottle) and Laurent-Perrier Brut ($50/bottle).

Duval-Leroy Rose Prestige on Qatar Airways (Source)

We love that Qatar Airways offers both white and rose champagne, with the rose being pricier. Taiwan’s carriers also deserve credit for their excellent champagne options. If there are any great options we missed, please let us know!

Bottom line

For many premium cabin enthusiasts, a great drink selection enhances the overall experience. The airlines listed above serve the most expensive champagnes in first and business class.

Again, expensive doesn’t always mean better, as taste is highly subjective. We don’t claim to be sommeliers, but we do have our preferences. Many are curious about what to expect onboard, so we hope this rundown is helpful.

Airlines sometimes change their selections and vintages, so if we missed any options or made errors, please let us know.

This information was first published on onemileatatime.com.