Silly American Airlines. Silly corporate double-speak. So we’re really supposed to believe you are removing espresso pods and milk frothers to save fuel? It’s time to learn from the example of your new partner JetBlue and start offering gourmet coffee on MORE flights!
American Airlines Cuts Espresso…
View From The Wing broke the story last Friday that American Airlines was removing espresso machines from it aircraft in order to “help conserve fuel and prevent confusion about what services are currently offered.”
My reaction:
Why is it that corporate communication teams also try to spin bad news as good news? Here’s a thought: “We are removing espresso machines because we can. United already did and Delta doesn’t have any. Deal with it.”
Oh, but wait. It gets better. Yesterday, AA clarified that it is not really removing the machines. Nope, “Frothing wands, cups, saucers, brewing pods” will be removed (to save fuel, of course).
But frothing wands and brewing pods weigh practically nothing and cups and saucers are not boarded right now due to the pandemic. See, my cappuccino flying from London to New York was served in a paper cup:
…and pretty darn good for airline coffee, I must add.
So here’s a thought, American Airlines: just start provisioning coffee again. Use real cups and saucers. Bring on a trendy millennial to teach your flight attendants how to do latte art. Then watch how impressed your passengers will be.
This is how loyalty is won!
How do I know that? Two reasons why I pledge my allegiance to JetBlue: espresso and cappuccino:
(there are more reasons I love JetBlue)
> Read More: JetBlue A321 Mint Business Class Review
CONCLUSION
American Airlines is ridiculous to remove its espresso machines even if it holds out hope they will return. It is even more ridiculous to say this is about fuel. Instead, AA should bring back espresso drinks and continue to lead rather than follow in the realm of in-flight catering.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an espresso to make.
“To prevent customers from thinking they’re on an airline that actually wants them onboard.” There, I fixed it.
delta has espresso on their a350 and renovated 767
AA and UA are disgraceful airlines. They fight to see who will reach the bottom first. Now, I also read something interesting in another blog that one of the reasons AA was removing their espresso machines was because the only ones really using it were the FAs and they were making several espressos for themselves and not really for the passengers. Not sure if true but that is something to check.
You should consider buying one of these and bringing with you on the plane. 🙂
https://www.amazon.com/WACACO-Nanopresso-Portable-Minipresso-Operated/dp/B0797T2FYL/ref=pd_lpo_79_t_0/143-7869263-1083536?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0797T2FYL&pd_rd_r=dc5b4fb7-e43b-4f5b-afed-41b6989cdde7&pd_rd_w=yNM8H&pd_rd_wg=XVtJL&pf_rd_p=337be819-13af-4fb9-8b3e-a5291c097ebb&pf_rd_r=RPH3GHT0ETXD01ZCNGMR&psc=1&refRID=RPH3GHT0ETXD01ZCNGMR
Do you have them use bottled water? I can’t bring myself to drink airplane water. Everything I hear says that it’s not very sanitary
Water is an essential ingredient in coffee, but I don’t fight it and just hope that by boiling the water, whatever nasty things are in are eliminated…it’s one of those areas where I just prefer not to even think about it. 😉
Then they cry about competition from Middle Easter Airlines.
They’re always behind in every front, just look at the IATA travel pass for example, none of them are trialing it while all their competitors are.
JetBlue is a prime example of how a few strategic investments can pay dividends, even in an industry with razor thin margins.
Almost every leisure traveler I talk to has a very favorable opinion of JetBlue. They’re the airline with the fun snacks, where everyone can connect to the internet and watch TV, where legroom is great. No one remembers them as the airline that led the way in raising checked bag fees or nickels and dimes like a low cost carrier elsewhere.
Even frequent flyer enthusiasts think of them as the airline with the best domestic premium cabin, rather than the airline with very few premium seats across their markets, a marginally rewarding loyalty program, and a route network that is more limited than their closest competitors.
It’s admittedly anecdotal, but the people I know are willing to pay an extra $20-$50 per flight for these amenities, when it’s bundled into the fare. Seldom am I met with a, “Ugh… I have to fly JetBlue tomorrow. They’re the worst.”
How much do you think that kind of good favor is worth for the brand?
Loyalty won over espresso? If that was the case then AA would install them fleetwide. Look I very much enjoy the ability to have a custom made espresso/cappuccino/etc with my breakfast over coffee brewed out of a coffee maker that probably hasn’t been cleaned since the interior was installed, but I think the reasons they gave weren’t that far-fetched and understandable. Case in point was in the Continental days where they were flying 757s on routes that were also flown by the 767/777 fleet. If you were used to flying on the 767/777 fleet with their cappuccino machines, and there is an aircraft swap to a 757, no cappuccino for you since they didn’t have the machines!
I can just imagine the flyertalk post about how rude the FA’s were for denying a person cappuccino and that the FA intentionally left cherries off a sundae and purposely ran over the passengers foot with the dessert cart when in reality the passenger probably accused the FAs of being lazy and saying there are no machines on board because all of the other planes they fly have them so why didn’t the get what they ordered on the 757?
It probably is to mitigate situations like that by trying to offer a consistent product/service rather than having it on some aircraft and having to maintain the machines because FA’s aren’t using them properly, or the broke etc.
I worked on the American Espresso makers and they are high cost to maintain. Not the best product line.