British Airways Wins Top International First-Class Award in Global Traveler’s Wine Competition

Global Traveler has announced the winners of its latest Wines on the Wing competition, an annual blind tasting that compares wines served by airlines in premium cabins and has become a closely watched measure of how carriers approach food and beverage service in the air.

British Airways took the top overall award in International First Class, Korean Air led International Business Class, American Airlines placed first in North America Premium Class, and SkyTeam was named top airline alliance. Cathay Pacific stood out across several individual categories, especially in sparkling wine and premium economy.

The competition was held at The Ned NoMad in Manhattan, where a panel of wine professionals tasted entries submitted by 13 airlines. According to Global Traveler, the tasting was conducted blind, with wines poured into coded glasses and grouped by type so judges could compare similar styles side by side. Airlines were asked to submit two white wines, two red wines and one Champagne or other sparkling wine from their current lists for eligible cabins. Judges used a modified Davis 20-point scale, and the airline with the highest combined average score in a category won the overall award.

The results reflect how seriously airlines now treat wine as part of the premium travel experience. Carriers have spent years refining cabin meals, lounge service and amenity kits, but wine has become one of the clearest ways to signal quality and distinguish one product from another, especially in first and business class. That challenge is made harder at altitude, where low humidity and cabin pressure can change how acidity, tannin and fruit are perceived.

British Airways’ first-place finish in International First Class was driven by strong scores across sparkling, white and red wines. Its Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Brut 2014 ranked second among sparkling wines in the category, its Inama Vulcaia Fumé Sauvignon del Vento 2023 placed second among whites, and its Alta Mora Contrada Guardiola Etna Rosso 2020 from Sicily won the top red wine award.

Victoria Schuster, British Airways’ director of customer experience, said the result followed a rigorous selection process that weighs both classic labels and wines that can introduce travelers to a region or style they may not know. She said blind tasting remains central to the airline’s decisions, along with how a wine performs in the air, how it fits the onboard menu and what customers expect in a first-class setting.

Korean Air finished second overall in International First Class and first overall in International Business Class, giving it one of the strongest showings in the competition. In first class, its Levantine Hill Estate Chardonnay 2020 from Australia’s Yarra Valley placed third among white wines, and its Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition tied for third in sparkling with Qatar Airways. In business class, Korean Air’s broader list helped it move past Aeromexico and LATAM for the top spot. Its Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu 2023 finished second among white wines in that category.

Qatar Airways, a regular contender in premium wine service, did not win an overall cabin category this year but placed first for white wine in International First Class with Leeuwin Estate Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2021. Its Château Cos d’Estournel 2012 from Saint-Estèphe took third among first-class reds, and its Louis Roederer Collection 246 placed second among business-class sparkling wines.

Cathay Pacific posted some of the most notable individual wins. Its Krug Vintage Champagne 2004 was named the top sparkling wine in International First Class, ahead of British Airways’ Charles Heidsieck and a tie between Qatar Airways and Korean Air with Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition. Cathay Pacific also won the sparkling wine category in International Business Class with Taittinger Brut Réserve NV.

In premium economy, Cathay Pacific had an even broader impact. Its Astoria Lounge Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry won top sparkling wine, its Katnook Estate Shiraz Cabernet 2024 from Coonawarra was named best red, and its Katnook Estate Chardonnay 2024 placed third among white wines. Ronald Khoo, the airline’s wine beverage manager, said the company views its wine list as part of the overall customer experience and selects bottles not only for quality but also for how they taste at 35,000 feet and how well they reflect the brand.

Air Tahiti Nui also emerged as a strong performer, especially in white wine. Its Lionel Osmin & Cie “Clos Cancaillaü” Le Dernier Carré Jurançon 2015 won the top white wine award in International Business Class, and its Château de Montguéret “Le Petit Saint Louis” Saumur Blanc 2024 led the white wine category in International Premium Economy Class. The airline also placed second in premium economy sparkling with Château Haut-Mouleyre Brut Crémant de Bordeaux AOP and second in premium economy red with Château Le Vieux Fort Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2021. Caroline Borawski, Air Tahiti Nui’s vice president for the Americas, said the carrier curates its wine list to match its onboard cuisine and to reflect what she described as the warmth and elegance of the brand.

Swiss International Air Lines, last year’s first-class winner, finished third overall in International First Class. It still placed well in several individual categories, including second for red wine in first class with Château Lynch-Bages 2017 and second for white wine in premium economy with Chasselas de Romandie 2024.

In North America Premium Class, American Airlines took the overall title in what Global Traveler described as a close race over Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines. American won all three individual wine categories in that division. Its Champagne Vollereaux Brut Réserve was named top sparkling wine, its High Heavens Vintners “Roaming Elk Red Blend” 2021 from Washington’s Columbia Valley won the red category, and its Pfaffl “Vom Haus” Grüner Veltliner 2025 from Austria topped the white category.

Aeromexico finished second overall in North America Premium Class and placed in all three individual categories there. Its Champagne Chanoine Frères from Épernay ranked second among sparklers, its Lleiroso Reserva 2021 from Ribera del Duero placed second among reds, and its Lagar de Proventus Alvarinho 2024 finished third among whites. The same Alvarinho also placed third in International Business Class, showing how a single label can perform across different cabin programs.

Delta Air Lines placed third overall in North America Premium Class. Its Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon 2021/2022 from Napa Valley ranked third among reds. United Airlines, though not in the top three overall for North America, placed third in sparkling with Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve” Brut M.V. 5 NV from Oregon. JetBlue also appeared in the white wine standings, taking second place with Weingut Loimer Lois Grüner Veltliner 2022.

Among other notable placements, LATAM finished third in International Business Class and claimed third place for sparkling with Vollereaux Brut Réserve NV and second for red with Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 from Chile. British Airways, despite winning first class overall, also won the top red wine award in International Business Class with Château de La Liquière Faugères 2023. That result suggests some carriers are building depth across more than one premium cabin rather than focusing only on the top tier.

Global Traveler also named SkyTeam the top alliance, ahead of Star Alliance and oneworld. That result reflects the combined performances of member airlines across the competition and gives SkyTeam a collective win after oneworld had led the alliance category in the previous two years.

The tasting panel included sommeliers, wine merchants, educators and beverage executives from New York’s restaurant and wine trade. Global Traveler said judges were told only the wine type and, when relevant, the vintage. If a bottle appeared flawed, a reserve bottle was opened. The goal, the publication said, was to remove any cue that could identify a producer or airline and to keep scoring focused on the wine in the glass.

The competition was founded by wine writer Eunice Fried and has now reached its 20th edition. Its staying power says something about how much airline wine programs have changed. What was once often treated as a secondary detail in premium cabins is now a serious part of airline hospitality, with major carriers using blind tastings, sommelier input and a growing mix of classic regions and newer wine styles to compete for travelers who expect restaurant-level choices on board.