Comments on: Many a slip twixt the plastic cup and the lip

By: Benito

Benito — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:52:52 +0000

Back in ‘96 and ‘98 I got to fly KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) across the Atlantic a couple of times, first class. Wine was served out of standard 750mL bottles, though I seem to recall either tumblers or very short wine glasses. The quality was actually quite good, with multiple wine options for each course, and it was the first time I ever had Moscato d’Asti.

Last year I was sitting in coach on Frontier Airlines and ordered a 187mL bottle of the generic chardonnay just for kicks. It was not the same experience.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:35:59 +0000

You never get a can and a plastic cup in first class, but you always get a fine glass – Mark needs to pay up for a ticket! (I go for the beer or a glass of water in Coach class) As for the wine in the ads, its the bling life they are selling – the limo taking you to the airport, the glass of wine…what are they supposed to show, the lineups, lost luggage, cranky staff?!

By: Tish

Tish — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:44:06 +0000

Jesse, if you are looking for the wine industry’s dark side, there are a lot of better places to look than this. From what I understand, airline wine selections (in coach class) are driven mostly by format. In other words, they sell wine in 187s, so only companies willing to put a boatload of vino in tiny bottles are going to get to play.

These bottles may berun-of-the-mill juice, but it is what the airlines can SELL. And that is what seals the deal. They will never start messing with single servings from 750ml bottles because it is just too much of a hassle for flight attendants to store these, open them, fit them on cart, etc.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:54:03 +0000

I don’t have anything to back up this thought, it’s more of a gut feeling, but it’s possible that the wine found on airlines is just a product of the wine’s marketing efforts. What better way to reach certain kinds of clientele than on the class system of a plane, your target audience is literally segmented for you.

By: Jesse Porter

Jesse Porter — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:50:02 +0000

Couldn’t agree with you more, Bill… there’s no bigger scandal in the “cheap wine” world than the miserable plonk that’s sold to the airlines in bulk and passed off to unsuspecting passengers for $5/187ml.

This very issue became the subject of the Young Winos’ first foray into investigative journalism:

http://youngwinosofla.com/?p=200

Mark Ashley doesn’t know how good he’s got it until he hears the story of “Pacific Vista Pinot Grigio.”

By: Arthur

Arthur — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:04:21 +0000

Hey! Wait a minute!

That’s not a Riedel glass in the ad on the left!

By: bill marsano

bill marsano — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:22:43 +0000

Lufthansa? Air France? Qantas? Those are foreign airlines, which are happy to give you a drink. American carriers–Delta and others–dare not mention the stuff in ads because that would suggest it’s free–just part of civilized service–when it’s not: They charge you a thieving five bucks or more for 6oz/187ml.

By: Taster B

Taster B — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:44:03 +0000

Maybe the stemware is only available in 1st class?