United Airlines has had an interesting March.
United (UAL) opened the month by appointing Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch as its first Chief Trash Officer – a takeoff on the airline’s new sustainable aviation fuel campaign.
But in much more high-end news, United just announced that it is rolling out Whispering Angel Rosé to its in-flight wine menu for its Polaris business class. The top wine is created by Provence winery Château d’Esclans and, on the ground, goes for $45 in the U.S.
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"Whispering Angel is the top-selling French wine in the U.S. so we know it’s something travelers will be thrilled to see onboard just in time for spring break travel," Aaron McMillan, United's managing director of hospitality and planning, said in a statement.
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Château d’Esclans describes the Rose Blend as a “mouthwatering flavor with a lovely texture. Lots of light fruit flavors with a clean finish, this wine does well to demonstrate the power of its grape.” The wine is also described as “crisp” with elements of strawberry, stone fruit, and berry.
But while international flights with United occasionally offer guests a glass of house wine, this particular perk is only for Polaris members — that is what United calls its business class.
United is also pairing its Whispering Angel rose with an assortment of cheese plates and, for the truly decadent, an ice cream sundae cart.
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“Whispering Angel was instrumental in sparking the Rosé Revolution and has become synonymous with a glamorous lifestyle, so being able to share this exceptional wine with those flying United Polaris as they embark on their travels is exciting,” Sacha Lichine, owner of Château d’Esclans said in a statement. “We’re proud to be able to reach new consumers and offer them a taste of the magic of Provence.”
The effort to bring that little “extra” comes at a time when airlines are trying to reimagine what luxury means onboard. In October 2022, United also started serving truffles from the New York-based Milk Bar aboard select economy and Premium Plus flight.
In a recent earnings call, Delta (DLA) president Glen Hauenstein said that the pandemic “created kind of a new class of customer, which is the high-end consumer that wants these products that maybe didn't have as much access to them.”
No word on Oscar the Grouch will be partaking in any Whispering Angel, although he may be tasked with cleaning up the mess left by Polaris flyers.
