Southwest enhances inflight experience in partnership with Peet’s Coffee

Up in the Air // Aug 2025

Southwest has announced a partnership with Peet’s Coffee, which will be its official coffee provider. This marks the first time Peet’s has teamed up with a major U.S. airline to serve its signature coffee inflight.

Southwest Airlines – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has announced a new partnership with Peet’s Coffee, which will be its official coffee provider. This marks the first time Peet’s has teamed up with a major U.S. airline to serve its signature coffee inflight. Starting on 13 August 2025, Southwest customers can savour the boldness and quality of Peet’s coffee bars – on the ground and up in the air.

“We are enhancing our inflight experience to better serve our Customers,” said Tony Roach, Executive Vice President of Customer & Brand, Southwest Airlines. “A great cup of coffee goes a long way in creating a comfortable and enjoyable flight – and it’s just one part of our broader effort to elevate our customers’ journey with us.”

Apart from its dedicated cafes, Peet’s is available in 25 airports served by Southwest, including Denver (DEN), Houston (HOU), and Phoenix (PHX), where Southwest has some of its largest operations.

“This is a defining moment for Peet’s,” said Eric Lauterbach, President & CEO, Peet’s Coffee. “To be part of every Southwest flight means more than expanding our reach – it’s about creating memorable coffee moments in the skies. This partnership introduces the Peet’s experience to millions of new consumers as part of their daily ritual in a way that’s personal and meaningful. Most importantly, it brings the rich, bold flavour of Peet’s wherever their journey takes them.”

The featured coffee inflight debuts with Off the Grid, a medium roast that was recently introduced and has quickly become a fan favourite. This blend features the fruit-forward notes of Colombian beans with the caramelised sweetness from El Salvador, delivering a balanced yet complex flavour profile designed to satisfy a broad range of palates.

Hear more from Southwest Airlines at FTE Global – the “CES of Aviation” taking place in Long Beach, California, on 9 to 11 September 2025. Sree Samudrala, Director of Artificial Intelligence & Automation, Southwest Airlines, is participating in ‘The FTE AI Symposium – Part 2: A deep-dive into Agentic AI and the move towards Artificial General Intelligence’, and Andrea Goodpasture, Managing Director- Airport Affairs, Southwest Airlines, is speaking in a session titled ‘The future of business & commercial strategies for airports – are we at the threshold of airports evolving to become digital companies that run experiential businesses, and what would the new business models and organisational structures be behind that?’ Meanwhile, Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends, Southwest Airlines, is participating in three sessions titled ‘How do we now revolutionise the gate and boarding experience, and other key airport pinch-points?’, ‘Crowdsourced Safety: What 4,400 Photos Can Teach AI (and us)’, and ‘Pilot stories: What are hard lessons learned, and secrets, to a successful innovation journey?’

View the full FTE Global 2025 schedule at a glance >> Register for FTE Global 2025 >>