United Airlines Passengers To Be Served Starbucks Coffee
CHICAGO - Starbucks has decided to fly the friendly skies.
Effective Jan. 1, Starbucks coffee will be served on United Airlines, replacing Continental Coffee, which had been supplied by Quaker Oats Co.'s food-service unit under a three-year contract.
United will likely promote Starbucks, capitalizing on the strong awareness the brand has with consumers who patronize the chain's nearly 700 retail locations. The carrier didn't promote its other coffees.
Starbucks, which has signed a three-year contract with United, will continue to be the coffee on the Delta Shuttle in the East and on Horizon Airlines.
Big numbers are involved. United's crew last year served 82 million cups of coffee.