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Is Delta trying Illy to replace Starbucks?

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Is Delta trying Illy to replace Starbucks?

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Old Dec 17, 2022, 6:42 pm
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Is Delta trying Illy to replace Starbucks?

I was pleasantly surprised to see Illy coffee in a Sky Club instead of Starbucks. This is certainly a welcoming change as way to upgrade food and beverage. It's a bit strange given Delta just announced the mileage thing with Starbucks. I do wish Delta go ahead with the systemwide change to replace Starbucks with a more premium coffee like Illy's.
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 7:19 am
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Originally Posted by wlau
I was pleasantly surprised to see Illy coffee in a Sky Club instead of Starbucks. This is certainly a welcoming change as way to upgrade food and beverage. It's a bit strange given Delta just announced the mileage thing with Starbucks. I do wish Delta go ahead with the systemwide change to replace Starbucks with a more premium coffee like Illy's.
Unlikely. Probably just a supply chain substitution. They’ve been changing around teas to whatever they can get.
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 7:21 am
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Very unlikely. They just kicked off this partnership with Starbucks.
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 12:04 pm
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Originally Posted by wlau
replace Starbucks with a more premium coffee like Illy's.
lol maybe it seems more premium because it's not as common in the US but these are very much on the same level
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 12:11 pm
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United has partnered with Illy in their clubs, Polaris Lounges and on board for a while now…
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 3:32 pm
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I am not sure Illy's is an upgrade...
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 6:12 pm
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Originally Posted by wlau
I was pleasantly surprised to see Illy coffee in a Sky Club instead of Starbucks. This is certainly a welcoming change as way to upgrade food and beverage. It's a bit strange given Delta just announced the mileage thing with Starbucks. I do wish Delta go ahead with the systemwide change to replace Starbucks with a more premium coffee like Illy's.
Which club was this in?
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 6:28 pm
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MKE and DTW (3 clubs) had SBUX today
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 10:17 pm
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Originally Posted by WillBarrett_68
lol maybe it seems more premium because it's not as common in the US but these are very much on the same level
No... Global brand awareness studies indicate Illy is higher ranked than Starbucks. I think you are confused...with Lavazza. Lavazza is on par with Starbucks. Illy is definitely the top brand for non-boutique mass-produced premium brand.

Originally Posted by unitedbusiness
United has partnered with Illy in their clubs, Polaris Lounges and on board for a while now…
Yes, and I acknowledge that United made a very smart move in that choice. I've flown a few times with United when Delta IROP'ed, and the coffee was the best part of the meal/drink service.

Originally Posted by DLASflyer
Unlikely. Probably just a supply chain substitution. They’ve been changing around teas to whatever they can get.
All the gears, as in machine, coffee, sugar, serving ware, are all Illy branding. They fully sanitize the Starbuck name from the entire coffee area.

Originally Posted by matchbox20_is
Which club was this in?
Haneda

Last edited by wlau; Dec 18, 2022 at 10:24 pm
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 10:25 pm
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Originally Posted by wlau
No... Global brand awareness studies indicate Illy is higher ranked than Starbucks. I think you are confused...with Lavazza. Lavazza is on par with Starbucks. Illy is definitely the top brand for non-boutique mass-produced premium brand.



All the gears, as in machine, coffee, sugar, serving ware, are all Illy branding. They fully sanitize the Starbuck name from the entire coffee area.



Haneda
i think may be reading too much into a study. A study that may be biased (more familiar with brand, as more stores in reply area)

Could be HND airport contract. (LIke McDonald's at DTW for many years could only offer Pepsi, not Coke)

Could also be they haven't switched to Starbucks or there's a supply chain issue.
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Old Dec 18, 2022, 10:48 pm
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
i think may be reading too much into a study. A study that may be biased (more familiar with brand, as more stores in reply area)

Could be HND airport contract. (LIke McDonald's at DTW for many years could only offer Pepsi, not Coke)

Could also be they haven't switched to Starbucks or there's a supply chain issue.
I am a big coffee drinker. I can assure you Starbucks and Illy are not the same ranked. Illy is surely more premium. Most Americans don't know coffee well and they confuse with the other Italian brand Lavazza. Ask any European (and Asian), and they will tell you for mass store brands, Illy is more premium and so is its taste.

Contract or other, everything else, including the new tea bags are at Haneda, except the coffee. Heck, even then the filtered/sparkling water dispenser systems are the same as the US ones.

There are plenty of Starbucks in Japan, so logistics isn't likely the issue.
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Old Dec 20, 2022, 7:01 am
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Originally Posted by wlau
No... Global brand awareness studies indicate Illy is higher ranked than Starbucks. I think you are confused...with Lavazza. Lavazza is on par with Starbucks. Illy is definitely the top brand for non-boutique mass-produced premium brand.
well you're moving the goalposts now, if you're worried about brand awareness that's a different issue than actual quality. And regardless, as you note, they're all in the same "non-boutique mass produced premium brand" bucket. The ranking inside that bucket is basically splitting hairs. The fact that you admit they're in this bucket together is implicitly agreeing with my point that they're on the same level.
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Old Dec 20, 2022, 7:02 am
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Originally Posted by wlau
There are plenty of Starbucks in Japan, so logistics isn't likely the issue.
the supply chain for starbucks retail operations and the supply chain for getting coffee onto an airplane are very different, it's not like the pilot stops off at the corner starbucks on his way to the airport to pick up the coffee.
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Old Dec 20, 2022, 7:51 am
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Illy sucks IMO. At home I've asked my wife to stop buying Seattles Best because I really don't want anything but Starbucks unless I have to. To each his own....BUT:

I have to start a rant over DL drinks.....

No more Fresca, so my drink of choice, Woodford with Fresca is out. I don't care for Diet Coke, but I'll drink it, just don't like it with whiskey, and don't drink sugary drinks. If Fresca is not available they should have diet sprite.

No more Heinekin....at least I've not seen it recently. What is this US obsession with IPA? I'm ok with draft Sweetwater, but in a can, not so much.

Wine on international flights now substandard. I'm not a wine snob but this really is embarrasing. On my recent flight in D1 it was all undrinkable, so I asked for champagne and they had none. I opted for the boarding prossecco and they hardly had any left. This is Business Class?
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Last edited by dilbertsdaddy; Dec 20, 2022 at 7:56 am
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Old Dec 20, 2022, 7:57 am
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Meh IMO saying Illy is more premium than Starbucks is like saying Coke is more premium than Pepsi.

Like yes it’s marginally true and yes Coke is better than Pepsi but neither is actually that premium or that good, they’re both mediocre massed produced beverages.

IME, illy and Starbucks are the same idea and I certainly wouldn’t alter my airline preferences over it
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