American Airlines will now ship its Flagship wines to your doorstep
During the pandemic, airlines are looking to trim costs and raise as much cash as they can.
The latest move from American Airlines does exactly that — all while keeping your (wine) glass full. The Fort Worth-based carrier just unveiled Flagship Cellars, an online shop to purchase a selection of curated wines at a discounted price.
American partnered with Vinesse Wines, an online wine retailer, to debut its Flagship Cellars collection.
Anyone 21 and older can now purchase either a wine subscription, curated collection or individual bottle from the American-branded online portal.
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In addition to discounted pricing, oenophiles will earn two AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on the portal, excluding taxes and fees.
The monthly subscription option costs $99.99 including delivery and will offer a rotating selection of three wines picked by American's sommeliers.
You can search the entire selection on the Flagship Cellars website, and American plans to continue rolling out new offerings in the coming months. Prices range from $12.99 to $50.99 per bottle depending on your preference. The collections include three, six or 12 bottles, with prices from $62.50 to $399.99.
Many of the 24 bottles available for purchase come directly from the carrier's lounges and onboard offerings. In fact, my last flight before the pandemic was in American's transcontinental Flagship First. I looked back at the wine menu and found the bubbly I was served — Deutz "classic" Champagne — now available for purchase for $44.99.
With Flagship Lounges closed networkwide and most of its premium-cabin flying suspended, American clearly has a surplus of wines. With this new program, the carrier can raise some cash for bottles that would otherwise sit in storage in some offsite catering facility.
American isn't the only carrier to get creative about its wine offerings.
More: Redeeming Delta SkyMiles for Dom Perignon
One of the best uses of Delta SkyMiles has long been a bottle of Dom Perignon 2009. A glass of this top-notch Champagne served in the Sky Club costs $39 or 2,600 miles, while a bottle will run you $200 or 10,000 miles — a well-above-average redemption rate for SkyMiles.
Wine-loving cardmembers who hold The Platinum Card® from American Express should check their targeted Amex Offers. In recent weeks, the issuer has added a host of discounts for online wine purchases at retailers like Acker Wines and WineInsiders.com.
Nevertheless, with Flagship Cellars, grounded travelers now have a new way to replicate the American Airlines first-class travel experience while stuck at home.
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It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
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- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
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| 5X | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
| 1.5X | Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year |
| 1X | 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. |
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The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.Earn 150,000 points120,000 pointsAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.