BA has served Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle for 12 years, but will be switching to new premium champagnes as Laurent-Perrier focuses Grand Siècle on other retail markets away from travel.
This will be sad news for many travellers who have enjoyed LPGS in the Concorde Room and onboard in First class.
British Airways will instead be offering a new selection of Champagnes for its premium customers travelling in First and in its Concorde Room at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.
Starting tomorrow, 2 February, 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.
The wines 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.
The initial premium Champagne to join the airline’s First drinks menu will be the Lanson Noble 2005, available from March 1 until June, followed by Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 2004 from July to September. Bollinger Grande Année will be served in October and Lanson NOBLE Blanc de Blancs 2005 from November to December.
From March 1, First customers travelling on the airline’s route to New York will be able to enjoy Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015 until the end of 2024.
Tim Jackson, British Airways’ Master of Wine, 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.”
Elsewhere, the airline is continuing to enhance its airport customer experience for its premium customers. First Wing security is currently being upgraded with new technology and is currently scheduled to re-open on 27th March.
I’m disappointed to see LPGS go. I’ve not tried all of the others except the Bollinger, Grand Dame and Louise, but personally, I do not rate any of them as being as good as the LPGS.
What do you think of BA changing champagnes? Have you tried any of the new champagnes before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
28 comments
Wish they’d change the champagne in Business. Awful acidic stuff! 1st World problem mind!
Agree. It’s been pretty bad for a long time now although they did have the Castelnau Millisieme for a while in Club Europe which was good.
What is your source for the quote? A press release?
Yes it’s from their press release.
Very interesting that the “careful selection” process at British lead to the same outcome as at LX. Swiss was serving LPGS for years and recently switched to Cuvée Louise. I have to say that I preferred LPGS as well.
And LH also switched from LPGS to another champagne. That one I have yet to try.
Hi Michele, no – I’ve only tried the LPGS (and had a decent amount over the years – all with BA!).
I am more interested in the business class champagne, which can be pretty average in my experience! I wish they’d bring LP or Tattinger in! Pommery would be good too.
Do you know what champagne is served in Club World currently or does it vary between flights?
The Club champagne varies frequently. They have had some decent rose champagnes and sparking wines in Club but I rarely find the main brüt champagne worth drinking.
For me, Hattingley Valley Blanc de Noirs has always tasted better in the cabin environment.
I also wish they’d introduce a montage year Kaapse Vonkel.
LPGS was imho the least worthy of any grand crus. Compare Taittinger Comtes de Champagne which trumps it every time. My expectation is that LP withdrew their bulk buying discount from BA which has caused the switch to a field of “joke” cru champagnes of which only Pomnemry Louise has any status – but again it is a rather over priced inferior tasting product. Only the Bolliinger stands out as being worthy of a F class environment – to an airline that takes quality and Customer service / comfort seriously. Regrettably BA no longer care. They are purely bottom line orientated. Now, it is only the check in staff and the on board staff who are worth any mention of friendliness, professionalism and quality. All this too is unfortunately far from guaranteed. So I see BA frantically trying to win the race to the bottom in terms of quality, care and value for money. Its about time they had a free reign to act like a proper National carrier and give Customers what they should expect (that expectation to me is now a poor experience overall).
How do they manage to screw up everything little thing they mess around with???
I like champagne that has a strong toasty, autolytic character – so Krug, Bollinger and La Grande Dame are all better than LPGS in my opinion.
That’s funny as I’m a big Krug fan but never been that keen on Grand Dame.
Personally for me this is good news as was never a fan of LPGS. The rotation of different champagnes will keep things interesting, and of the new ones announced, those I’ve tried are more to my taste.
Sat at the bar in the Concorde Room yesterday afternoon and witnessed them emptying the fridge to the left of LPGS Into plain cardboard boxes, which I thought was odd.
what a waste! I really wish they had phased it out with some notice.
Hi Michelle, do you know if there’s a plan to improve the non alcohol offering in first or club?
As a non drinker having the limited options, with nothing out of the ordinary, a bit disappointing.
I have not heard it discussed but I do agree. I think on the ground they are pretty good in the lounges now but I do think they could add a couple of extra options on board like an alcohol free fizz etc.
Have to say as cabin crew, it’s a nice idea but it would have to be at the expense of something else. Galley packing space is limited. Non alco fizz would probably have to be stocked in a bonded bar (as is Heineken Zero) and there isn’t room in there for anything else. As it is, we leave stuff in the galley sometimes to make room for service items on that cart! Consider that tea and coffee is not available on the bar round because there is no serving space for it. (Unlike every other airline you could think of !!)
There is a wide range of non alcoholic drinks already. 3 types of coke/sprite/soda water/ginger ale/2 types of tonic, orange / apple / tomato juice and cranberry juice that can be mixed into combination one wants.
Believe me, I am not always the biggest fan of our products anyway but we aren;t getting what we’ve got already right much of the time !!! Just my two pennies worth. That is not a go at you, how many times people including my dad say..can’t you just (add this) or (do that) and I think… sure! where?!!
Personally I’m a fan of Pommery Cuvée Louise, which has been known to be served in F on Qatar. I’ve also tried the Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne at last year’s Decanter Fine Wine Encounter and I thought it was fantastic champagne.
Good to see BA switch things up a bit.
What is the plan on board before 1 March? Is it the Pommery Cuvée Louise 2006?
No still LPGS as far as I know
Thanks Michele
Perhaps it would be a good idea if british Airways could offer a selection of English sparkling wine to show that the uk makes some world beating sparkling wine
They do serve an English sparkling wine in F most of the time and they’ve had some good ones.
Sadly Nigel’s reportage is accurate especially when one recalls the good old days how great their [BA] product and service was compared to today. ‘Bottom Line’ is an accurate measure as to where they are plunging…… Brandygate is surely the prime example of this, and to think that probably most of the big wigs running all the wonderful Emirati airlines, {who in fairness are massively subsidised}, were all originally trained or for sure inspired by the old British Airways before IAG, when BA was one of the best airlines. Reassuringly they are not yet quite at the lowest level = American Airlines, so something about which to feel smug, should one wish!!
Curious to say you don’t rate them as highly when you’ve only tried one? Variety is the spice of life after all. Additionally I’ll be glad to not hear the truly obnoxious abbreviation of “LPGS” as if it’s a low carbon petrol substitute.
I think you have misread it. It clearly says I have tried 3 of the new ones.
Tim’s comment about ‘the importance of food and drink to our customers’ is either disingenuous or il-informed. The wines in UK and European B class this last year are poor and the champagne is acidic with an unpleasant aftertaste. Long haul B class wines and champagne fare little better.
We have communicated to BA re’ their ‘Asian Vegetarian’ special meal on the India routes many times that paneer is not the only protein they can offer. Yet paneer and crispy rice appears on most flights through all cabins.
I believe the Club Europe and Club World choices champagne and wines choices is more commercial than customer driven. The wines are low cost and poor quality.
I’ve flown SQ, JAL, Korean, Emirates and BA this last year and BA’s offer is way inferior.
May be better to be honest on the reason rather than use a MofW’s PR words.
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