American Airlines is upgrading its inflight and lounge experience with a new partnership that brings Lavazza coffee to passengers both on the ground and in the air.

American Airlines Partners With Lavazza For Inflight And Lounge Coffee

American Airlines has announced that it will begin serving Lavazza coffee across all cabins and in its Admirals Club and Flagship lounges starting in early 2026. The Italian coffee brand, founded in 1895 and still family-owned, is known for its polished blends and wide international presence.

According to American, the goal is to create a consistent coffee experience both on the ground and in the air. Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, said the airline wanted to focus on “every aspect of the customer experience,” noting that “a quality cup of coffee is an important part of that journey.”

Lavazza’s Americas President, Hossam Ashraf, said the partnership allows the company “to bring the true Lavazza experience to travelers around the world.”

The Importance Of Coffee

It’s easy to roll your eyes at airline coffee partnerships, but they matter. Coffee might not determine what ticket you buy, but it does shape how the flight feels once you’re onboard. A good cup doesn’t make up for a delay or a tight seat, but it adds a bit of normality, even dignity, to the experience.

United Airlines serves illy coffee both onboard and in its lounges, offering one of the most consistent brews in the sky. Alaska Airlines took a similar path with its partnership with Stumptown, which has become a small but defining part of its brand. These choices do signal care and attention to detail and they do build loyalty.

American’s coffee, by contrast, has long been forgettable. Lavazza is hardly my favorite brand, but this update could change that. Whether you’re ordering a cup after takeoff or grabbing one in a lounge before an early flight, it’s a welcome upgrade over the brown water currently served from Texas-based “Fresh Brew.”

Air Canada has Lavazza coffee in its lounges and it’s terrible, which I blame on the machines, not the coffee itself. We may run into the same problem with AA, but it will still be better than the current blend. Hint to AA: use bottled water onboard…it makes a HUGE difference.

Finally, it’s interesting that AA chose to use the picture above. Can we expect barista-made lattes onboard in 2026? If AA really wanted to go the extra mile, installing espresso machines on more aricraft would be a big value-add.

CONCLUSION

American Airlines’ new coffee partnership isn’t a marketing gimmick so much as a quality correction. Passengers may not choose their airline based on coffee, but they’ll certainly remember when it’s bad and notice when it’s good.

A better cup won’t redefine air travel, but it will make mornings at 35,000 feet just a little brighter, so kudos to AA for this positive update.