People like champagne and first class travel a lot. There is something special about hearing a bottle of champagne pop and enjoying that first glass on a flight.

I wanted to update the airlines that serve the world's best champagne both in the air and on the ground.

How I’m defining the “best” champagne

It's highly subjective if you call it the best. I am ranking airlines' champagne offerings based on the retail price of the champagne they serve. K&L Wines is a wine distributor that has fair pricing.

I am not suggesting that something is better simply because it costs more. The thing is not. Since expensive champagne isn't cheap, there is a correlation between the quality of an airline product and the price of champagne they serve.

American Airlines doesn't serve champagne in first class, while Japan Airlines does.

There’s something about a good glass of champagne in first class!

Airlines with the most expensive first class champagne (inflight)

Which airline serves the best champagne on flights?

There are a lot of great choices here. There are two exceptional champagnes in first class at Japan Airlines, one in each direction of travel. The most expensive champagne in first class is offered byQatar Airways. There is an exceptional rose at the moment, but that is only for a short time.

Qatar Airways serves Krug 2004 in first class

Airlines with the most expensive first class champagne (lounges)

There are some of the best champagne in the world's top first class airline lounges. Most of the world's best airlines only serve mediocre champagne on the ground.

It seems like it's going in a different direction to me. The best place to enjoy great wine is on the ground. Many people like to enjoy a glass of champagne on the ground and rest in the air.

Dom Perignon, which retails for just $40/bottle, is also available in the first class lounge of the airline.

What is the reason for this discrepancy? It might be a matter of controlling costs. It could be a lot more passengers if airlines allowed elite members into lounges instead of just first class passengers.

It's worth highlighting the airlines that invest in good champagne on the ground because it's largely a different list than you'll find in the air.

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge has great champagne

British Airways has been serving the same champagne in their lounges for a long time. Consistency is something I like.

Delta deserves a shout out for selling some amazing champagne in its Sky Clubs and allowing guests to redeem SkyMiles for it at a reasonable price. You can get a bottle of Dom Perignon for under 14500 SkyMiles.

redeeming Delta SkyMiles for Dom Perignon can be a great value

Premium cabin airline enthusiasts like to have a great drink selection. They serve the most expensive champagne in first class.

The most expensive doesn't mean the best, as taste is very subjective. I do have my preferences, but I don't claim to be a wine expert. Hopefully the above is a useful rundown of what passengers can expect to get on board.

If I missed any options or airlines changed their selections, please let me know.

Which airline serves your favorite champagne?