The pandemic has taken us a long time. Time with loved ones, social interaction, economic stability and … drinking luxury wine on planes? Airlines do a lot less business than usual, CNN reports, and most have banned in-flight drinking to reduce the time flight attendants have to spend interacting with customers. (I suspect this also serves to reduce in-flight debauchery). This means that there are a lot of aircraft-designated wines that have nowhere to go, which is why American Airlines tries to sell and ship the excess directly to people’s homes.
The new program, called American Airlines Flagship Cellars, will allow customers to buy wine by the bottle, in personalized “cured” boxes or through a $ 99 a month subscription plan with a monthly shipment of three bottles. CNN reports that the wine would be served to customers with American Airlines “Flagship” tickets, basically the most fantastic seat option money can buy on international and transcontinental flights.
American Airlines told CNN that it estimates the new program will earn revenue of up to $ 50,000 during the first three months of 2021. And it’s totally okay: I can understand why a massive operation would want to protect its results in a time of crisis. Is that the rest of American messages are a bit heavy. “While revenue is important, Flagship Cellars is more of a way to relate to customers, even when they’re not traveling with us,” a spokesman told CNN. “It also gives them a taste of what you can enjoy at Flagship First or Flagship Business.” Of course, I guess. I may not be able to go to work, see my friends, make plans for the future, or spend time craving my favorite local businesses, but at least I can try an expensive airplane wine. What I would like, though, is a warm ginger shipment and some Biscoff wafers. Now this is luxury.