European airline to trial removing free food from flights

Passengers on some Air France flights will no longer have access to free onboard meals when the airline trials a ‘buy on board’ option.

Starting from January 2025, those who have booked economy tickets on two Air France routes, both from Paris Charles de Gaulle, to Lisbon, Portugal and Helsinki, Finland, will not be offered free inflight meals.

The trial is starting with short and medium flights, with the chosen routes being less than three hours in length.

Passengers will still be offered a free beverage on their flight, as well as a small sweet or savoury snack, such as a biscuit, but all other meal options will now be paid for.

The airline’s current policy is that for all destinations, no matter what travel class, a free-of-charge meal is provided, including sandwiches and pastries, or a snack, depending on the flight’s duration.

On most long-haul flights, passengers can also purchase one of the airline’s a la carte meals while booking their seats or up to 24 hours before departure.

The airline will now trial catering that can be purchased once on board, noting that it will be optional to buy the food.

AirFrance said this change comes due to “developments” in the market, with the ‘buy-on-board’ model already being used by other European airlines such as Lufthansa and British Airways.

"Air France is constantly studying opportunities to develop its offer, in order to best meet the expectations of its customers, in line with market developments," the airline told Le Figaro.

However, no changes will be made to AirFrance’s business class services.

“Customers [in business class] will continue to receive a full service consisting of a chef's signature cold platter, accompanied by hot and cold beverages and a selection of wines and champagne,” the airline added.

Many airlines have reduced their free catering services throughout the years to save on operational costs, which should – in theory – lead to lower ticket prices.

Ryanair, for example, was one of the first airlines to scrap free in-flight meals from short-haul flights. The airline said they eliminated these “unnecessary frills” so they could offer lower fares and better services.

Other airlines like British Airways have followed suit. BA scrapped free meals on short-haul flights in 2017 and introducing ‘buy on board’ catering, but has since reintroduced some perks, such as a complimentary bottle of water and a snack for all passengers.

After the trial, Air France will make a long-term decision whether to scrap free meals, and it is unclear if the airline will consider rolling out the ‘buy on board’ scheme on all its routes, including long haul.

The Independent has contacted Air France for comment.

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