Delta Airlines Elevates Its In-Flight Dining Offering With Champagne Taittinger Service

Whether you're flying for business or pleasure, air travel can often be a hassle. Fortunately, one leading airline is adding a touch of indulgence to your journey — an excellent opportunity to toast a business milestone, anniversary, or honeymoon at 35,000 feet.

Delta Airlines is now serving the iconic Champagne Taittinger during its in-flight drink service, the company reveals exclusively to Food & Wine. Just in time for Delta’s 100-year anniversary, the Atlanta-based carrier hopes to bring a “quiet, sophisticated elegance” that impresses frequent flyers. Bottles of Taittinger’s core Brut la Française will be stocked on Delta One drink carts, offered prior to meal service, and available by request throughout the flight.

“Taittinger’s reputation for excellence mirrors our own, and we’re thrilled to partner with them as we elevate your travel experience,” Kristen Manion Taylor, senior vice president of inflight service, said statement. 

Brut la Française — a delicate pale-gold bubbly with aromas of peach, vanilla, and brioche, and a flavor profile of honey and fruit — is a uniquely Chardonnay-heavy (40%) Champagne that typically retails for around $70 per bottle. For in-flight pairings, Delta recommends enjoying it alongside seafood or chicken dishes during meal service.

“From our very first conversations, it was clear that both Champagne Taittinger and Delta Airlines take great pride in delivering excellence, whether in the air or in a glass,” Champagne Taittinger president Vitalie Taittinger tells Food & Wine. “As Delta approached its centennial year, this felt like the perfect time to collaborate to elevate in-flight hospitality, offering travelers a sense of refinement and celebration from the moment they step on the plane.”

The label brings centuries of tradition—and celebratory toasts—to the skies. For those unfamiliar with the esteemed maison, Taittinger is a family-owned and operated house based in Reims, France. Founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux and later acquired by Pierre Taittinger in 1931, the house has since been overseen by three generations, maintaining its reputation for excellence.

Meanwhile, Delta Airlines pours more than 900,000 glasses of its existing Champagne per year and opens more than 1.4 million bottles, as the company tells us. This latest menu addition isn’t the first shift in the airline’s food-and-beverage strategy, but it does mark a significant step in the premiumization of its wine offerings. 

Last October, the company refocused its menu on an expanded wine program featuring notable bottles and vintages from diverse regions. As the company shares, this is part of a more significant push to establish the airline as a leader in wine service — down to its proprietary Sky Sommelier program, which provides wine education to select flight attendants during transatlantic travel. 

A glass of top-notch bubbly in the air? Don’t mind if we do.