American Airlines announced this week that it will introduce Lavazza coffee onboard and in its Admirals Club and Flagship Lounges. The globally celebrated Italian brand is known for its premium coffee blends and will give passengers coffee consistency on the ground and in the air.
American Partners with Lavazza as Coffee Provider
Beginning in 2026, American Airlines passengers will be able to enjoy Lavazza’s premium coffee blends across all classes of service onboard and at American’s Flagship and Admirals Club lounges throughout the carrier’s network. This partnership is the latest step in American’s push to become a more premium carrier, competing with the likes of Delta and United.
Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, said this about the airline’s partnership with Lavazza:
“At American, we’re focused on looking at every aspect of the customer experience, and a quality cup of coffee is an important part of that journey. We’re proud to team up with this iconic brand to bring a rich, satisfying coffee experience to our customers — whether they’re in the air or relaxing in our lounges.”
Hossam Ashraf, Americas President at Lavazza Group, added:
“Partnering with American Airlines allows us to bring the true Lavazza experience to travelers around the world. At Lavazza, we believe in creating moments of pleasure and connection through coffee, and collaborating with a brand that shares our commitment to exceptional experiences helps strengthen our presence and footprint in the market.”
American currently serves Fresh Brew coffee onboard and is is the worst offerings amongst the four largest U.S. carriers. Delta Air Lines has had a longtime partnership with Starbucks, United serves Illy, and Southwest just made a switch from my home state’s Community Coffee to Peet’s Coffee.
While drinking coffee onboard is a polarizing topic (I do it all the time) the coffee being served is a good indicator as to the kind of airline each carrier wants to be. American had by far the worst offering so it is good to see them making improvements.
My Thoughts
American is the second U.S. based carrier to make a change to its coffee provider in 2025 after Southwest Airlines announced a change from Community to Peet’s Coffee. Lavazza is obviously a step above Southwest’s new offerings and shows me that the carrier is serious about its commitment to becoming a more premium airline.
With the introduction of new Flagship Business Class seats, adding Bollinger Champagne in First and Business Class, and more, American is clearly on an upward trajectory after years of cuts to the onboard experience. If they would just put seatback IFE back in their narrowbody aircraft, I may become an American Airlines flyer once again.
Summary
American Airlines has partnered with Lavazza as its coffee provider onboard and in its network of lounges. The Fort Worth based carrier and Italian coffee brand will begin their partnership in 2026.