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