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Dave

British Airways offers the ‘best of British’ bubbles in Club World with award-winning English Sparkling wines

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British Airways is celebrating British provenance by introducing four local wine producers from across England into their Club World cabin for the first time.

The airline’s Master of Wine has carefully selected the four English Sparkling wine options, which will be available on a rotational basis every three months, giving customers the opportunity to sample the ‘best of British’ bubbles during their flights.

Bubbles: BA passengers gain a wider choice of sparkling wines in Club World

Travellers in the Club World cabin can now enjoy a range of exclusive English Sparkling wines during their flight, previously only available in the airline’s First cabin. The airline is working with some of the best wine producers across England, to bring customers the best possible selection of English Sparkling wines.

The airline’s Master of Wine has selected four English Sparkling wines to be available on a rotational basis, changing every three months. Customers can now choose from two sparkling options when travelling in Club World, including the current Champagne resident Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Silver Top Non-Vintage Champagne, and now an exclusive English Sparkling wine option.

British Airways is introducing a variety of exclusive English Sparkling wines for its Club World passengers, starting with Digby Fine English Brut NV, which has over three years’ maturation, giving it great complexity and finesse for customers to savour. Later in the year, passengers can enjoy Simpsons Chalklands Cuvee Brut NV from Kent and Wiston Estate Brut NV from the South Downs.

British Airways’ Director of Onboard Experience, Sajida Ismail, said,

We’re really proud to work with four of the very best wine producers across England to celebrate British provenance and bring exclusive sparkling options for customers to try for themselves on board.

British Provenance: Business travellers can now enjoy award-winning English Sparkling wines on board British Airways’ Club World cabin

Over the last few years, English sparkling wines have been gaining popularity worldwide and have received numerous international awards for their quality.

The unique combination of chalky soil, cooler climate, and expertise of English winemakers has resulted in wines that can compete with some of the best Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world.

As a result, more and more wine enthusiasts are turning to English sparkling wines as a premium choice, making them an exciting addition to British Airways’ Club World menu.

In addition to the English Sparkling wine selection, British Airways is launching Whispering Angel Provence Rosé and The Pale, curated from the same Château d’Esclans vineyards, for customers to enjoy across its lounges at London Heathrow and London Gatwick.

The airline continues to spotlight destinations through its premium wine selection, celebrating different destinations in its network each quarter.

In April, the airline will spotlight wines from the regions surrounding the city of Porto, Portugal, in its Club World and First cabins.

Dave

British Airways appoints full time Master of Wine

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British Airways has appointed a full-time Master of Wine, Tim Jackson MW, to elevate the premium experience for its customers both on the ground and in the air.

British Airways’ Master of Wine will play a vital role in selecting and tasting potential new wines, curating menu descriptions, developing the airline’s wider drinks strategy and sourcing a diverse range of wines from across the globe for customers to enjoy. 

Tim Jackson MW is one of 415 Masters of Wine in the world today.

As well as carefully selecting fine wines and sparkling options, the Master of Wine will also lead the selection of the airline’s drinks portfolio across its lounges and on board.  This includes championing the best of British beers, promoting classic gins and rolling out innovative non-alcoholic alternatives. A large part of the role will also include a sustained focus on taking into consideration differences in flavours, as well as taste and structure changes of beverages at altitude.

Sajida Ismail, Director of Onboard Experience at British Airways, said,

We are really excited to have Tim at British Airways. His knowledge and expertise play an integral role in our efforts to continue to deliver the premium experience that our customers look for when they fly with us and offer products that our colleagues are proud to serve. Going forward, we also have lots of exciting plans that will champion new drink offerings and celebrate the global network that we fly to.

Tim Jackson, British Airways’ Master of Wine said:

I’m delighted to be the first person to take this position at British Airways. As an avid traveller, I have sampled wine from all corners of the globe, ranging from California to Chile, so I hope my love for travel, together with my experience and knowledge of beverages, will make a positive difference to the premium experience we offer our customers.

Tim has already introduced new Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines in the airline’s premium cabins, including Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc in First and Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc in Club World, both from Marlborough, New Zealand.

In First, the airline has rolled out a special Bordeaux selection for the festive season, celebrating the 2010 vintage from both sides of Bordeaux comprising Château Haut-Batailley and Clos de l’Oratoire. Customers can enjoy either of these wines in December.

From January 2023, British Airways will also be introducing a wine-selection strategy in First and Club World, showcasing different destinations across the airline’s network that produce premium wines. The airline will spotlight one destination at a time, to celebrate where the wines come from and the global network that the airline flies to. This builds on British Airways’ continued plans to bring a wide range of wines from around the world for its customers to enjoy in the comfort of their seat.

Cape Town in South Africa will be the airline’s first focus, with new wine offerings including Radford Dale’s Renaissance Chenin Blanc from old vines in Stellenbosch, as well as Andrea and Chris Mullineux’s benchmark Swartland Syrah from South Africa’s Winery of the Year.

British Airways states this appointment forms part of the airline’s wider commitment to continue to upgrade its product proposition for its customers.

British Airways implemented an improved service across its First, World Traveller Plus, World Traveller and Club Europe cabins earlier this year and recently relaunched its Club World brasserie-style dining experience, with new seasonal menus championing the best of British cuisine.

Dave

British Airways’ Club Suite rollout

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British Airways is extending the roll out of its newest business class seat, Club Suite, as it continues to retrofit the seat across its Boeing 777 fleet, with the deployment expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The airline already has retrofitted a number of its Boeing 777 aircraft with the latest seat and will be working with Collins Aerospace to ensure the rest of the airline’s 777 aircraft are fitted with the new cabin.

The sophisticated Club Suite was initially fitted out in July 2019 on the first A350 and since then has been installed on the Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

The seat offers

  • direct-aisle access
  • a suite door for greater privacy
  • luxurious flat-bed seats
  • a 1-2-1 configuration
  • 40% more storage
  • a vanity unit and mirror
  • WiFi
  • 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens
  • high definition, gate-to-gate programming
  • PC/USB power

As part of the airline’s commitment to the North Atlantic, all British Airways flights to New York JFK will be operated by aircraft that have the airline’s Club Suite product.

Sajida Ismail, Head of Inflight Product at British Airways, said:

When we launched our Club Suite product, it was a huge hit with our customers who loved the privacy the new seat offers. We are focused on the roll out of this product and other cabin enhancements to ensure we deliver on our commitment to provide the very best British quality, style and comfort for our customers.

Trevor Skelly, General Manager Integration Engineering for Collins Aerospace, said:

The upgraded Club World cabin raises British Airways’ already high standards and provides commonality across their fleet of aircraft. Our Integration Engineering team has worked closely with British Airways designers for several years to bring the latest in business class comfort, style and privacy from concept to reality.

As part of the upgrade, the airline’s Club Kitchen is also getting a makeover with new Club chillers and built-in storage for snacks, drinks and other refreshments, allowing customers in Club World to help themselves to refreshments at their leisure.

British Airways is continuing with the roll out of its newest business class seat, Club Suite, as it continues to retrofit the seat across its Boeing 777 fleet, with the roll out expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry. Manufacturing of the new suite seat is being completed at the company’s facility in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland.

The latest generation of the First cabin including the introduction of the First suite door will also continue to be rolled out across the airline’s B777-300 aircraft. The First suites were meticulously designed based on British Airways customers’ feedback, the cabin puts comfort at the heart of the experience and makes the very best use of the generous space designed for just a few customers at a time.  The First suite includes a fixed 23-inch high definition inflight entertainment screen that can be controlled with an integrated handset.