It’s a seismic moment for British Airways and its first-class customers – the carrier is no longer serving its acclaimed Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Champagne in the priciest cabin.
It’s a move that could potentially generate uproar – at the very least a rapid raising of eyebrows. And BA seems to be aware of the ramifications, because the replacements are reassuringly expensive.
Starting today, the airline will serve Pommery Cuvée Louise 2006 in its Concorde Room at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, and a new Champagne option will be available on a rotational basis on board in First from March 1.
BA has served Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle in its First cabin for 12 years and Concorde Room for 12 years. It retails for as much as £225 per bottle, with the Pommery costing around £200 a bottle.
All the prestige cuvée replacements have been carefully selected by the airline’s Master of Wine, Tim Jackson, from well-known Champagne houses and will rotate on the airline’s drinks menu, ‘offering frequent travellers more variety’.
British Airways will no longer be serving its acclaimed Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Champagne in its First cabin. From March 1, First customers travelling on the airline’s flagship route to New York will be able to enjoy Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015 (above), which can be purchased from £156 from retailers
The initial premium Champagne to join the airline’s First Class drinks menu will be the Lanson Noble 2005, available from March 1 until June. The 2004 version retails at around £170.
Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 2004 is available from July to September and can be bought in shops for around £80.
Bollinger Grande Année, which retails from £129.99, will be served in October and Lanson Noble Blanc de Blancs 2005 from November to December. The 2004 version retails around £180 per bottle.
BA has served Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle in its First cabin (above) for 12 years
All the prestige cuvée replacements have been carefully selected by BA’s Master of Wine , Tim Jackson
From March 1, First customers travelling on the airline’s flagship route to New York will be able to enjoy Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015, which can be purchased from £156 from retailers.
Tim Jackson said: ‘We know how important food and drink is for our customers both on the ground and in the air, as we served around one million bottles of bubbles last year alone.
‘We spent a long time carefully curating a rotation of the highest quality to meet our customers’ expectations.
‘We look forward to hearing feedback from our frequent flyers about their favourite Champagne and we will continue to evolve our offering.’
Michael Sager, founder of the renowned Sager + Wilde wine bars in London, told MailOnline Travel: ‘I more than welcome this change. These are incredible new wines they’re offering – and the idea of a rotation is dynamic and sets them apart.’
Elsewhere, the airline says it is continuing to enhance its airport customer experience for its premium customers.
First Wing security is currently being upgraded with new technology and scheduled to re-open in the coming months, ‘offering a more seamless security experience’.
