American Airlines will now ship its Flagship wines to your doorstep
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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.
Featured photo by Zach Griff, TPG
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