United Airlines has announced a new coffee partnership with premium brand illycaffé. The Italian coffee roaster’s scuro blend and illy espresso will start appearing in United Club hub locations next month, and other lounges will start to serve illy’s signature brews beginning next year. “Our collaboration with illy is helping to make the world feel a bit smaller and making flying that much more special, simply by way of a perfect cup of coffee,” said Jimmy Samartzis, United’s vice president of food services and United Clubs. “By serving the world’s most well-known premium coffee in our clubs and on board, we are communicating an experience to our customers and our employees with the quality and care that comes with every cup.”
Based in Trieste, with more than 80 years of history in the coffee industry, illy’s distinct flavor comes from a unique blend of the top one percent of Arabica beans, purchased directly from the best growers in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa. Noted for its strong commitment to sustainability, illy’s internationally certified supply chain includes farmers who earn above-market prices in exchange for meeting quality standards, enabling the company to offer world-class blends. “ It’s truly an honor for illy to be selected as the worldwide coffee partner for United Airlines. The process and final decision to choose illy demonstrates United’s deep commitment to providing its customers the highest quality products and experiences,” said Andrea Illy, Chairman and CEO of illycaffé “Our new relationship with United Airlines is also a testament to our passion for the best and recognition that the illy brand is the world’s reference for coffee culture and excellence.”
United has since been taking its coffee selection seriously, conducting inflight taste tests and hosting focus groups before deciding on the illycaffé brand. illy will be complimentary on every flight and when offered in United’s lounges. The airline purchases 1.4 million pounds of coffee per year, serving 197,261 cups per day to its passengers.