Cathay brings back Betsy, the beer specially made to taste good on planes
You know the feeling of settling into your airplane seat and ordering a nice drink to kick off a vacation? And the feeling that maybe that drink tastes a bit off?
Even if you're not much of an alcohol snob, you may have noticed a difference in the taste of your favorite drink while flying. You're not crazy — the lack of humidity mixed with the lower air pressure than on the ground interferes with taste receptors, making certain drinks (and foods) taste different. Enter Betsy.
That's what Cathay Pacific calls the specially brewed craft beer it has created specifically to be enjoyed at cruising altitude.
Related: Stellar Service: Cathay Pacific (777-300ER) in Economy From Los Angeles to Hong Kong
Betsy was first introduced in 2017 and was exclusive to first and business class on flights between Hong Kong and London. It was also only available for a limited time. Cathay is now reintroducing a new edition of the beer and making it available to passengers in all classes flying on select long-haul routes. Bottles will be served in Business and First Class and cans will be offered in Economy and Premium Economy. Travelers will also be able to give Betsy a taste at any of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong lounges.
The name is an homage to Cathay's first airplane, a Douglas DC-3 twin prop that started the fleet in 1946. As for what Betsy actually tastes like, it's an unfiltered wheat beer, with higher carbonation than normal. According to Australia-based Executive Traveller, it's "decidedly full-flavoured and noticeably sweet and aromatic" on the ground, but once in flight, the "formerly up-front sweetness is dialled back."
Related: Economy Pax Can Pay to Access Select Cathay Pacific Lounges — Yoga Studio Included
You can sip the special beer on the following routes from Hong Kong: Adelaide, Auckland, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Boston, Brisbane, Brussels, Cairns, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London (Gatwick), London (Heathrow), Los Angeles, Madrid, Male, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington DC, Zurich.
Cheers to that!
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
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