Delta Air Lines and Seattle's Best Coffee Team Up to Serve Freshly Brewed Premium Coffee Onboard All Flights

Relationship Leverages Delta's Global Network to Continue Seattle Best Coffee's Mission of "Great Coffee Everywhere"

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Feb 08, 2011, 09:28 ET

SEATTLE and ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Seattle's Best Coffee, part of Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX), today announced a new agreement that will offer Delta customers freshly brewed Seattle's Best Coffee® onboard all domestic and international Delta and Delta Connection flights beginning March 1, 2011.

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For Delta, the move is part of the company's $2 billion investment in the customer experience on the ground and in the air. For Seattle's Best, the agreement reflects the next step in its ongoing strategy to broaden the accessibility of its premium coffee through relationships with great brands – from restaurants to the runway.

"A premium customer experience requires premium coffee and Delta is proud to serve Seattle's Best," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president of Marketing. "During in-flight taste testing, we saw firsthand the passion Delta customers have for coffee and for the role it plays in a superior travel experience."

In December 2010, Delta customers participated in an in-flight coffee taste test confirming one of its new coffee blends, Level 4, as the coffee to be served onboard. Seattle's Best Coffee recently launched a radically simplified approach to packaged coffee called The Level System, which ranks coffee from 1 to 5 based on roast intensity.

"As two organizations who care about creating a distinctive premium customer experience, Delta and Seattle's Best Coffee make a perfect pair," said Michelle Gass, president, Seattle's Best Coffee. "Existing Seattle's Best Coffee fans will be delighted to find their favorite coffee on their next Delta flight, and for those not yet familiar, it is an opportunity for us to introduce our great coffee to Delta's more than 160 million global travelers each year."

In recent months, Seattle's Best Coffee has signed agreements with other well-respected and widely available brands such as Burger King, Subway and AMC Theatres. This diverse distribution network has rapidly expanded since the coffee company reinvigorated its brand in May 2010. With the addition of Delta Air Lines, there are now more than 40,000 places where customers can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Seattle's Best Coffee, up from 3,000 in 2009.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 357 destinations in 66 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

About Seattle's Best Coffee

Seattle's Best Coffee, LLC has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and millions of cups of our coffee are served every day. Seattle's Best Coffee is currently available in more than 550 cafes and kiosks as well as locations such as college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, bookstores, grocery stores and movie theatres. The company is rapidly expanding the distribution of its premium coffee. Seattle's Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) and is ranked among the 10 best franchise opportunities by QSR Magazine (January 2010). For more information, please visit Seattle's Best Coffee online at www.seattlesbest.com and become a member of the coffee community at http://www.facebook.com/SeattlesBestCoffee or @SeattlesBest on Twitter. For information about our retail franchise opportunity, please visit www.seattlesbestfranchise.com.