elitetraveler

For years I am used to getting a glass of red wine on the ground. Generally they will bring out the wine list to choose. On a recent LHR-JFK flight I was offered water, juice or champagne. I asked about a red wine as was told a blunt NO. I said red wine again, thinking maybe there was some communication problem and was told NO again in a snippy way. When I asked why, I was told "customs duty" that they can't open any spirits except champagne on the ground and if I had gotten anything else the crew were breaking the rules. Later in air the same cabin crew member went into a long explanation that if the plane had gone tech there would have been lots of trouble if they had opened the liquor cart, etc. It was in a lecturing way. I merely told him that being turned down was the first time it happened so his way seemed to be the exception. This was all very polite. He then told me "unfortunately I don't control what my colleagues do."

What is BA's policy?