British Airways has opened a new bar, known as Whispering Angel, in its lounge in London Heathrow’s Terminal 5. The airline says its introduction of the new bar marks the beginning of the lounge’s ongoing refresh this summer. The changes are set to include new and reupholstered furniture throughout as well as a redesigned layout.

New wine partnership

Whispering Angel primarily serves chilled glasses of rosé from the vineyards of Château d’Esclans. British Airways passengers who utilize any of the airline’s First and Club (business class) lounges at either London Heathrow or London Gatwick will have access to a variety of Whispering Angel Rosé. The airline is also offering the wine for pre-order on all short-haul flights across British Airways’ network.

Photo: British Airways

British Chief Customer Officer Calum Laming said the new bar’s opening coincides well with the summer travel season and also marks the expansion of the company’s partnership with the winemaker. He added,

“We are ecstatic to finally be able to share our beautiful Whispering Angel bar with British Airways’ customers, and bring a touch of glamour to Heathrow as the world’s most glamorous rosé. We look forward to travellers being able to enjoy a delicious glass of Whispering Angel before they fly, in a space that really embodies the effortlessly chic nature of our brand.”

Members of the Château d’Esclans team echoed similar enthusiasm around the partnership.

“We are ecstatic to finally be able to share our beautiful Whispering Angel bar with British Airways’ customers, and bring a touch of glamour to Heathrow as the world’s most glamorous rosé. We look forward to travellers being able to enjoy a delicious glass of Whispering Angel before they fly, in a space that really embodies the effortlessly chic nature of our brand.”

Whispering Angel has made further headway in the world of aviation recently, also entering into a partnership with United Airlines.

Further wine offerings

British Airways recently introduced another rosé in its First cabin, also from Château d'Esclans. Known as Rock Angel, the wine is said to boast even more structure than Whispering Angel. Short-haul passengers will soon also be able to pre-purchase Château d'Esclans wines through the airline’s newly rebranded High Life Café, which was previously Speedbird Cafe. High Life Café is currently set to open on July 20th.

Photo: British Airways

The new Whispering Angel partnership is the latest in BA's expansion of its premium drinks offering. Beginning March 2023, British introduced four new English sparkling wines to its onboard drink offering. The new wines will each be offered on a rotating basis, cycling to the next one each quarter. Other current premium drinks include Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Silver Top Non-Vintage Champagne.

The company also recently hired a full-time Master of Wine, a title held by only 415 individuals worldwide. This addition also marks the only Master of Wine to be employed by an airline.

What additional premium drink options would you like to see offered by British Airways? Which airline do you think offers the best selection of premium drink options? What are your thoughts about British Airways opening a bar dedicated to a single drink? Let us know what you think in the comments below.