For any quizmasters out there, you might like to ask your audience, “How many glasses of wine does United Airlines serve onboard its flights?” The answer is that so far this year (January-September), United Airlines has served more than 20 million glasses of wine, more than 1.5 times the number of servings for beer or spirits.
Some new choices for United’s economy cabin
On Monday, United Airlines (United) revealed its new domestic economy cabin wine list, with some new additions that expand choices and refresh the airline’s high-quality beverage offerings. Economy customers will have a new rosé option and a brut bubbles wine available exclusively onboard United flights.
Photo: United Airlines
Starting October 1, United’s economy passengers can choose from four wine varietals onboard, including Just Enough Wines Rosé, Maker Brut Bubbles, Just Enough Wines Cabernet Sauvignon and Just Enough Wines Chardonnay. United’s managing director of hospitality programs, Aaron McMillan, said the new economy wine list gives travelers more variety and quality.
“After the overwhelmingly positive response to the addition of rosé in United Polaris business class and ongoing fanfare for sparkling options, we’re thrilled to now offer rosé and a higher quality brut bubbles option for our economy passengers, delivering a more premium experience onboard.”
Photo: United Airlines
Of the more than 20 million wine servings, 3.2 million were consumed in United’s domestic economy cabins. The wines are available in a 250-milliliter can—comparable to about a glass and a half of wine—and served with a cup for sipping. The four wines, all from the California Central Coast, are available on every mainline flight and include:
- Just Enough Wines Rosé: A dry, crisp rosé that features a refreshing flavor profile with notes of watermelon and guava.
- Maker Brut Bubbles: An aromatic sparkling wine with bright citrus, white flowers and stone fruit notes and a crisp minerality.
- Just Enough Wines Cabernet Sauvignon: A full-bodied cabernet sauvignon featuring a vibrant and rich flavor profile of bright cherries, vanilla and sandalwood.
- Just Enough Wines Chardonnay: A medium-bodied chardonnay featuring a bright flavor profile with notes of melon, honeysuckle and toasted brioche.
United’s food and beverage refresh
This latest refresh is part of the airline’s holistic wine program overhaul and ongoing investment in elevating its food and beverage offerings. Since 2023, that has included new premium brands such as Shafer Vineyards, Gary Farrell, Chartron et Trebuchet and Pascal Jolivet.
Photo: Felix Tchvertkin | Shutterstock
On the food side, United has added more than 60 new dishes to its rotating flight menus and expanded its premium brand offerings to include illy Cold Brew, Twinnings Tea and Tillamook ice cream. Another development is that United has partnered with two women-owned brands, adding to its growing list of small independent brands onboard.
Just Enough Wines is a female-owned canned wine company producing award-winning wines derived from vineyards certified by Sustainability in Practice and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. The other female-owned canned wine company is Maker Wine, which partners with women and underrepresented winemakers to put their award-winning wines into cans designed to be recyclable.
Swapping plastic for wine in recyclable cans
Customers will quickly notice that Unied has switched from serving wine in plastic bottles to aluminum cans. The airline said consumer demand for canned wines is growing, and the transition to canned wine will reduce single-use plastic bottles by 4.7 million bottles annually.
The aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable, and the change forms part of United’s commitment to sustainability at all altitudes, including recycling onboard its aircraft. The glass-and-a-half cans will be available on every mainline flight and sell for $12. The Maker Wines cans feature the signature and story of the producer who crafted it.