American Airlines Enhances Inflight Service With New Eco-Friendly Coffee
Complimentary Java City Coffee Now Offered Onboard All American Flights
Press Release Source: American Airlines On Thursday October 28, 2010, 11:00 am

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its complimentary onboard beverage service, American Airlines will offer Java City™ coffee to all its customers inflight beginning Nov. 1. The eco-friendly, hand-roasted blend is 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified™, grown on sustainably managed farms.

"We are committed to exploring greener options for all of our products, both inflight and on the ground, to enhance the travel experience for our loyal customers," said Rob Friedman, American's Vice President – Marketing. "Java City strikes the perfect balance by offering a high-quality, great-tasting, eco-friendly coffee."

Coffee onboard American will now be served in 10 ounce cups. The new, larger cups are co-branded with Java City and the Rainforest Alliance logos in addition to the American brand.
"We're thrilled to provide American Airlines customers with an eco-friendly, great tasting Java City coffee experience," said Chuck Van Vleet, CEO at Java City. "While socially and environmentally responsible coffees have become integral components of our company's mission, we've worked hard to maintain the roasting principles that produce the 'uncommonly smooth' coffee our customers and consumers have come to expect."

Java City uses a sustainably grown, Central American blend of 100 percent Arabica Beans. The specialty coffee blend is Rainforest Alliance Certified, a seal awarded to farms, plantations, and cooperatives that meet comprehensive and rigorous standards covering social, labor, and environmental conservation issues.

"American Airlines' commitment to sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee shows that consumers around the globe are embracing sustainability," said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. "Passengers can enjoy their cup of coffee knowing that it comes from well-managed farms, where ecosystems and wildlife are protected and where workers enjoy access to health care, education, decent wages and dignified housing."

American currently participates in a number of onboard initiatives in an effort to lessen its impact on the environment. For example, this year the company trimmed the weight on 55 percent of its galley carts, which will reduce annual fuel consumption by 1.9 million gallons and lower American's annual carbon emissions by 5.9 million pounds. Also, American switched to a lighter weight water bottle – a change that will reduce carbon emissions by 1,000 pounds and plastic usage by 20,000 pounds annually.