It’s a sad day to be a Starbucks fan if you’re having a flight with Alaska Airlines in the coming months. That’s because Alaska Airlines has a new coffee partner. Starting December 1, Alaska Airlines will start serving a custom blend of coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters on all its flights.
According to Alaska Airlines, its contract with Starbucks is up. For more than a decade, Starbucks served Alaska Airlines flights. Starbucks also served coffee for Alaska’s subsidiary, Horizon, for more than 30 years.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines said “We are grateful to our friends at Starbucks and proud to have served their coffee onboard our flights for years.” Alaska Airlines added, “With that said, we are always looking for ways to bring new in-flight food and beverage offerings to our guests.”
The airlines announced, “We take great pride in partnering with small businesses along the West Coast and are thrilled to welcome Stumptown Coffee to our portfolio of regional food and beverage partners.”
A spokesperson from Starbucks said on Wednesday that the company was thankful “for their partnership and for the opportunity to serve Starbucks coffee aboard their flights.”
Brewed by Stumptown Coffee for High Altitude
If you ever wondered why food tastes different while flying, that’s because taste buds are less sensitive at high altitudes. Experts believe that we lose around 30% of our taste perception of sweetness and saltiness if we’re thousands of feet up in the air.
Alaska announced that it will offer customers a custom blend that will give them a better experience even in high altitudes.
The custom blend was taste-tested on flights and with Biscoff cookies. To ensure the quality of the in-flight beverage, Alaska and Stumptown Coffee tested more than 200 pots of coffee. Alaska said that while the blend used the same base as the Holler Mountain, it came “with a primary focus on a roast that mellows acidity and introduces just enough toastiness to please a wide range of palates.”
Stumptown President Laura Szeliga said, “We wanted a crowd pleaser—something that would delight folks who enjoy milder coffees and also speak to guests who enjoy medium-bodied roasts.”
Founded in 1999, this third-wave coffee company has 10 locations in Portland. However, it is popular in other places too. It has locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Kyoto, Japan. Alaska did not disclose the financial details of its partnership with Stumptown Coffee.
