A flight attendant reveals the fate of the bubbly that passengers don't finish
Here’s What Really Happens to Leftover Champagne on Airplanes
Published on Nov. 26, 2024
For business and first-class travelers, vacation begins with the pop of a fresh bottle of bubbly. In addition to more legroom, extra-comfy seats and complimentary meal service, a glass of Champagne is one of the best perks of flying in a premium class.
But not all open bottles of bubbly are finished during a flight, which begs the question of what happens to the leftover Champagne. Read on to find out what flight attendants do with this airline amenity when travelers don’t finish it—and how to potentially score a glass of your own, even if you’re flying in economy.
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What happens to leftover Champagne on airplanes?
After all of the business and first-class passengers have received their complementary Champagne, there’s usually some left over. In a recent Instagram post, former Emirates flight attendant Adriana Kinch explained that it’s typically thrown away.
“At the end of every flight, we pour away all the open bottles of Champagne so it can’t be used for the next flight, and we open a new bottle just before serving it to the customer,” she wrote in a caption for her tell-all video.
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Why do airlines trash perfectly good Champagne?
While tossing the leftover Champagne may sound wasteful, there’s a good reason airlines don’t save it for later. Champagne takes some time to go flat when you’re on the ground, but that changes when you’re in the air. Lower air pressure in the cabin means that the carbon dioxide is sucked out of the Champagne much more quickly. So even though you’ll notice a lot more fizz at first, the Champagne will go flat faster. And flight attendants don’t want to serve the next batch of travelers bubbly sans bubbles.
Do they always throw out the Champagne?
While leftover Champagne almost always ends up down the drain, there are a few exceptions to the rule. Flight attendants have the power to treat passengers to extra in-flight luxuries at their discretion, and they often do—especially when it comes to special occasions.
One flight attendant said she’ll offer a glass of leftover Champagne to newlyweds on her flights, even if they’re flying in economy. It’s like getting a little bit of flight upgrade without the added cost!
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Sources:
- Adriana Kinch on Instagram: “Everyone wanted to know…”
- The Real Review: “Getting fizzical on flights”
- The Sun: “I’m an air hostess – my sneaky trick allows you to bring extra bag on plane for free… and new way to blag free upgrade”
