European airlines - choice of drinks?

[boardingpass]

L4Key, perhaps you are expecting your white too cold! Although there is much debate, a full bodied white should be served around 15°C (60F) and a crisp white around 10°C (50F). Most people at home drink their white straight out of the fridge (at 4°C) which means you lose most of the flavours.
(And most people drink their red's too warm, at room temperature, while it would be better to aim for around 15-18° depending on the type of course).

[L4key]

BP I bow to your superior knowledge! I promise these were not cold enough though, I do like 'crisper' so that may have an influence.

Interesting the red debate, it's only relatively recently that 'experts' have said it shouldn't be room temp - but thats another thread

I'm not an alchy so no-one have a pop but I love settling down on a flight and having a nice G&T. Regarding the issue of how to behave, I've always found that being polite and sober will generally get you a bonus miniature!

[JUAN TRIPP]

Thanks very much for all the answers folks, even though half way through we did get a bit diverted so to speak.

So it seems that most of the big legacy carriers ( AF,LH,IB etc) still have a reasonable choice of drinks including spirits in their business cabins WITHIN EUROPE. Down the back not sure.

I have to say that at BA we carry a pretty good range of drinks IMO in Club, including champagne, 3 types of beer, and 4 types of wine - 2 white and 2 red. Good news is that we have got some different wines for club starting around Sept. In Euro Traveller, we have a choice of gin, whisky, brandy and vodka, with wine and beer. All free. So it seems not bad.

Thanks for the answers guys.

Cheers JT

[radeng]

JT,

On SH, BA used to have a very nice New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - sadly, they've stopped it. Ask them to bring it back, please.


Besides the drinks, I find BA CC the best - especially after any trips around the US....

[JUAN TRIPP]

Ah yes the wonderful Nobilo SB. First introduced in 1991 and we had it near on 20 years on shorthaul. Have to say in all my years, THE best quarter bottle we've ever had.

If I had the power it would be back. BA changed their wine buying policy in 2009 when the wonderful Peter Nixson, our wine buyer for many years left BA. We now have two different companies buy it on our behalf. For the record the Nobilo was apparently very expensive and thus went to that big cellar in the sky. ( There were other reasons it went). According to my source, we will be getting a SB again in Sept although not from New Zealand I believe. Lets see if my source is correct. ( This will be for Club Europe only I believe)

[Piltdown Man]

He's right about that as far as KLM is concerned. The airline often doesn't seem even to carry sparkling water which is fine, still water also tastes nice, but how does the man who wants a spirit and splash get it?

I don't think you are right. The cheap seats normally get a choice of water, beer, wine, juice (from selection) and the Business Class have the aforementioned plus spirits, liqueurs, and fizz. Depending on the service, most will have the choice of various types of 'pop' including "spa rood" aka sparkling water. All of the above is included in the ticket price. However, on very short flights will these not be available.

PM

[Pom Pax]

My biggest annoyance is always the temperature of the wine. Be it LoCo or National. White is never cold enough sadly.

Even more sad the reds often feel to have come straight from the freezer!

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by JUAN TRIPP

I have to say that at BA we carry a pretty good range of drinks ...... In Euro Traveller, we have a choice of gin, whisky, brandy and vodka, with wine and beer. All free. So it seems not bad.

Yes, we do notice this and appreciate it. I wonder to what extent this is due to the fact that the BA trunk domestics (Glasgow/Edinburgh etc) have only one class seating, where on most other comparable major business travel routes in Europe there would be a Business Class; it would be a definite downer to the substantial and high-fare regular travellers on these routes to withdraw this, and not to offer whisky at all on the main BA routes to Scotland would lead to much adverse publicity I am sure.

Air France certainly used to have a bizarre combination of spirits and mixers on their flights, and those of their commuter associates, which if you have a spare few minutes you can read about in this somewhat lengthy PPRuNe post of mine from a few years ago

http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post3267434