Business glass? Air stewardess returns champagne to bottle
IT IS a sobering thought for anyone planning an in-flight tipple to celebrate taking off on holiday.
One of the world’s most prestigious airlines was suspected yesterday of recycling its liquid refreshments.
Dubai-based Emirates has launched an inquiry after one of its cabin crew appeared to be pouring a glass of champagne back into its bottle.
Emirates, which promises “service worthy of the world’s finest restaurants”, acted after a passenger caught the stewardess’s dubious refill on camera.
Russian business class flier Yevgeny Kayumov’s Instagram post has been viewed more than 12,000 times.
He wrote: “I accidentally filmed this video and didn’t even notice this moment at the time, pouring unfinished champagne back into the bottle.”
Mr Kayumov, who was on a flight bound for Dubai, added: “Is that normal practice, Emirates?”
It was not clear whether anyone had sipped from the flute before its contents were returned to the bottle in the bar area.
One flight attendant suggested the video showed the champagne being stored for later disposal.
But another online critic described the woman’s actions as “disgusting”, while a specialist travel site commentator said: “Wow! That’s awful.”
Another wrote: “As a former flight attendant. We have no reason to pour used passengers’ drinks back into the bottle. That is disgusting.” But a third former crew member insisted: “Most cabin crew do this. It is quite normal, so don’t judge her if you do not know anything about the aviation industry.
“It is just like your employer asking you to save costs.”
But yet another added: “They have been exposed to cabin air. It’s unsanitary and disgusting. Food or beverage once served should be thrown out.” Travel author Simon Calder said: “Airlines are under pressure to cut costs. But the idea that crew looking after a premium cabin would be encouraged to recycle champagne, or to come up with a cunning plan to save the airline a few bob, looks far-fetched.”
Emirates said: “Actions on this video do not comply with our quality standards. We are investigating the incident.”