Qantas Now Offers Complimentary Wine-Tastings on Long-Haul Flights, Even in Economy
We've all experienced first-class envy, whether it's because you've caught a whiff of chocolate chip cookies baking, heard the delicious sound of a fresh bottle of (free) champagne popping, or simply been annoyed that you can't see what's going on behind the curtain. But that doesn't mean economy cabins are a completely lost cause. Case in point: Qantas is now offering free wine tastings to long-haul passengers — regardless of seat number.
The Wine Wankers, two travel bloggers from Sydney, have just let the world in on this little-known secret, sharing the news that one of the off-menu services of Qantas' Sommelier in the Sky program includes a complimentary wine tasting in the galley area for any passenger who requests it. The two did just that on a recent flight and were treated to a blind tasting of 15 varietals, some of which are only served to first and/or business-class travelers.
It's hardly a secret that Qantas takes its in-flight wine program seriously. Last year, under the watchful eye of celebrity chef Neil Perry, the airline added a handful of sommeliers and mixologists to its staff in an attempt to make what was already an impressive wine program even better. According to a video interview conducted by The Wine Wankers, it takes three full days of intensive training for a flight attendant to become a certified Sommelier in the Sky. Currently, there are about 200 cabin crew members who double as wine experts, while nearly 2,000 members of the Qantas team have completed some level of wine training.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, all the wines — with the exception of the carrier's Champagne offerings — are from small, Australia-based wineries. With 270 different wine offerings throughout the fleet to choose from, Qantas is the world's third largest buyer of Australian wines. We'll drink to that!
H/T: The Wine Wankers
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month