Tag Archives for coffee.
American Airlines delayed a flight because its pilot was stuck in line at Starbucks, which says less about the pilot than it does about the airline’s coffee. For years, cheap onboard coffee has had a hidden operational cost: when crews go hunting for something better in the terminal, passengers wait.
An Alaska Airlines flight attendant says a midflight coffee maker failure sprayed her with scalding coffee, grounds, and boiling water, leaving permanent scars and ongoing medical treatment. She is not suing the airline, though — the lawsuit targets Stumptown Coffee, alleging the company’s packaging was defective and unsafe for aircraft use.
Photos from Delta’s Sky Club in Atlanta Terminal F show a coffee dispenser/thermal server so grimy that “skip the coffee” feels like rational advice. Even if it’s just insulation foam in a non-food-contact cavity, it shouldn’t look like this in active service—and if seals fail, contamination risk gets real fast.
A TikTok video of a passenger grinding beans and pulling a fresh espresso shot in economy has people furious and fascinated in equal measure. Is a full barista setup at your seat a clever way around terrible airline coffee — or just another way to be the most annoying person on the plane?
A former hotel manager turned flight attendant says there are two things she’ll never touch in any hotel room: the in-room coffee maker and those refillable shower dispensers. Here’s why — and what you should do instead.
American Airlines is replacing its much-maligned Fresh Brew with Lavazza coffee across all cabins and lounges starting next year. The move signals more than a caffeine upgrade — it’s a deliberate step toward rebuilding a premium experience for flyers. Better coffee means happier crews, fewer Starbucks detours, and a long-overdue end to bad brews at 35,000 feet.
An early flight, I always grab my coffee in the terminal before boarding. Airplane coffee is made with tank water, not bottled water. And that water just doesn’t make a good cup (plus, it’s gross).
American Airlines will unveil a new champagne next week while also preparing long-overdue improvements to its notoriously bad coffee, part of its push to win back premium flyers.
KLM, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Ryanair no longer allow passengers to bring coffee on their planes. Supposedly the reason isn’t so that you’ll buy a drink from them onboard.
Dear American Airlines. One simple change to your service would signal a break from the past and a bright premium future. Change the coffee, and I have a specific suggestion for how you do this.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
