Costa Coffee maps a more varied airport coffee journey as traveller habits shift

Costa Coffee runs close to 200 airport locations worldwide. Its travel estate serves 57 million customers and reaches more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys a year through the airports in which it operates, according to the company.

In an assessment of coffee's place in air travel, Costa Coffee International Managing Director Sam O'Brien described airports as among the most complex environments consumers navigate, with passengers moving through a sequence of time-sensitive moments spanning security, departure, connections and arrivals, often in unfamiliar surroundings.

He said the role of hospitality in that setting is changing. Passengers now expect more than efficiency, looking instead for convenience, quality, familiarity and experiences that sit naturally around the way they travel.

Research from GlobalData PLC shows 66% of passengers follow a pre-flight coffee ritual, while 58% actively seek out familiar coffee brands when travelling, the article noted.

O'Brien's conclusion is that the future of airport coffee will not rest on one format serving every passenger, but on creating the right coffee experience for the right moment of the journey.