United Airlines is making beverage exchanges that travelers will love

While economy fares aren’t usually associated with a wide selection of wines and spirits, airlines have increasingly offered more than the standard bottle of house red and white for $15 a plastic bottle.

Alaska Airlines recently partnered with local West Coast brewery Fremont Brewing to be purchased in the main cabin, while Canadian-based Porter Airlines recently expanded its menu to offer cocktails ready-mades such as margaritas and Old Fashioneds.

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The latest airline to revamp its alcohol offering is ‘big three’ carrier United Airlines (UAL) . The Chicago-based airline just announced that it will launch a new wine menu in partnership with women-owned labels Maker Wines and Just Enough Wines on domestic flights starting October 1st.

These are the new drinks you’ll soon see on United’s menu

The new wines will be served in cocktail-style boxes and include a Just Enough Wines Rosé with notes of watermelon and guava and a Maker Brut Bubbles with notes of citrus and white flowers. All four new wines, which also include a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, come from the California Central Coast wine region.

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These wines were previously served as complimentary offerings to United business travelers, but will now be available for purchase in economy as well.

United said the decision came after small numbers showed it had sold more than 20 million glasses of wine on its flights so far in 2024, 1.5 times more than it sold in beer and spirits. A large part of the numbers – 3.2 million glasses of wine – also came specifically from domestic flights, where it was not included in the fare and purchased independently through the in-flight menu.

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United says it is “excited to offer rosé and a premium brut”

“Our new economy wine list offers travelers more variety and better quality,” said general manager of hospitality programs Aaron McMillan in a statement. “Following the overwhelmingly positive response to the addition of rosé to United Polaris business class and the continued fanfare for sparkling options, we are excited to now offer a rosé option and a premium still bubbly option for our economy passengers, providing a more premium on board.”

Each 250 milliliter can will sell for $12 and comes with a plastic cup for those who don’t want to drink straight from it. Wines will be available on any domestic flight long enough to provide beverage cart service with alcohol options — typically flights that last longer than two hours.

Wines will also be free for those who can travel economy but have Premier status with the airline.

United also said its new wines are part of its “holistic review of its wine program” and “continued investment in growing its food and beverage offerings.”

In late 2023, United’s Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella told The Points Guy that the airline hasn’t “bounced back as well” from the pandemic when it comes to food (people have complained about what’s available and what’s served) and has expressed a commitment to improving its menu options that now include new wines.

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