Are We Getting Free Beer and Wine Too?

AA has just matched DL (and all major international carriers) in offering complimentary beer and wine on longhaul.

Likelihood that UACO matches?

 

I like free beer.

 

I also like free beer. But not free domestic light "beer".

 

I thought they are broke?!

 

I'll get excited about free beer on board the day they serve beer worth drinking on board.

 

Bud is cheap.

 

I agree. And, the same goes for the wine. The free stuff on DL is absolutely disgusting.

 

Exactly. They might as well pour it straight into the lav. I don't feel like offering my body for "filtering" or "purification" purposes.

 

The free Chardonnay on DL sure gave me goosebumps after taking a sip.

When flying on DL, I always stick with Heineken, which is passable, as well as leaps and bounds better than the mass produced American Beers.

 

Joe Patroni: Hold on we're going for BROKE!

 

United followed American on free, crappy alcohol in the clubs (but that was probably coming anyways due to the Continentalisation), but I don't see it happening. Happy to be proved wrong.

 

It's been a while since I was a DL medallion and sat up front, but DL used to have at least one decent local or seasonal beer. I remember drinking Leinenkugel something or other on an ATL-ORD trip.

While the wine leaves much to be desired, the local favorite free beer is usually not bad. Honker's Ale is just ok, but leaps and bounds better than Bud Light or whatever they have, and it seems to be Sam Adams out east.

 

It can be cheaper to give a small glass of cheap (box) wine than a can of name brand soft drink.

 

That may be the case, but let's say there are 10 pax, a coke costs 20 cents and a cup of cheap wine costs 10 cents:

9 free cokes at 20 cents cost a piece + one $6 wine sold = $4.20 profit
0 free cokes and 10 free wine = $1.00 loss

 

slightly off topic but if the new program isn't launched until March, what are we going to do for free drinks coupons in the interim?

 

US doesn't nor do I expect them to offer free booze anytime soon.

 

Should have jumped on one of those free drink chit giveaways!

 

I have a few left but all have a 1-31-12 expiration. Is that deadline extended too? Geez, I have useless SWUs, all I want now is free booze

 

Yes, absolutely. There are some good local favorites available, including Honkers in Chicago. But on board, the only thing that's semi drinkable is Heineken.

I took my first Frontier flight yesterday and was really impressed by their selection and prices. While United gauges you for garbage, Frontier has Fat Tire, Blue Moon and Dos Equis for 6 bucks, domestic stuff for 5. They also had a good selection of Premium booze (incl. Single Malt scotch) and 4 premium wines from 11-14 bucks, incl La Crema Pinot for 14 bucks for a half bottle, not a 1/4.

The international free booze isn't that important to me, I haven't been in coach in years, but it would be nice if they could have a free drinks policy for 1Ks and above (like AA) on US domestic. The chances are that top elites will end up in coach more often on domestic US flights than international. Granted, United has always been generous with free drinks throughout the years in coach, but we all know how strict CO are and how many things with the new UA has been a lot less flexible.

 

Porter Airlines also offers premium and smaller brewery beers and local wine (Steam Whistle, Alexander Keith's + others, a house wine) for free on their flights. They also provide snacks and sandwiches. For a YTZ-EWR flight, that is pretty good.

While trying to find out what other beers get offered on Porter, I came across this list of airlines and beer offerings (though prob not free on some).

 

Completely forgot that I have 3 CO Cash certs left, and that they can be used on UA flights! Expire on 1/31, though, so may be giving 1 or 2 away if I don't use them next week.

 

That's why they can do it--they don't care because this is more debt that'll just get written off down the road!

 

I think that CO first better get it's act together on when to serve free drinks on international routes. Flying from EWR to HKG in Dec., the coach cabin was given the same pricing info on alcohol that we get on domestic flights . I didn't bother to ask since I was in the front of the plane but I later read on the web site that transpac flights had complimentary alcohol.

 

Do the suppliers really deliver goods to AA nowadays without upfront payment?

 

The TPAC free booze thing was a sUA policy; I don't think it applies to sCO flights yet.