KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is set to join other European ‘full-service’ carriers by introducing a buy-on-board food and drink concept in its short-haul Economy cabin, according to local Dutch media reports.
At present, the Amsterdam-based carrier is one of a dwindling number of airlines that still offer free food and drinks to Economy Class passengers on intra-European flights, although whether KLM’s offer lives up to passengers’ expectations is open to debate.
For several years, KLM has provided Economy Class passengers with a single-choice vegetarian sandwich and a free drink, leaving some customers disappointed and still hungry, especially on longer flights to Southern Europe.
But now, the airline admits that it is openly investigating whether to introduce a buy-on-board concept, similar to what British Airways and Lufthansa have offered for several years.
What this concept might look like is still to be confirmed, although according to Dutch aviation news site Luchtvaart, the airline is evaluating whether it can still offer a small snack and complimentary tea, coffee, and water, supplemented by an onboard range of food and alcoholic drink that can be purchased.
British Airways was one of the first traditionally full-service airlines in Europe to ditch free food and drinks in short-haul Economy Class back in 2017 under the leadership of former CEO Alex Cruz.
The decision proved highly controversial at the time, and BA slightly backtracked in 2021 when it started offering passengers a small snack and a free bottle of water. The airline has also experimented with offering free tea and coffee, although bosses decided not to roll out the concept.
German flag carrier Lufthansa is also experimenting with reintroducing free elements of its onboard service for short-haul Economy Class passengers, including complimentary tea and coffee and potentially a more comprehensive range of alcoholic beverages.
Again, the airline is currently only trialing these free elements on a small number of flights as part of an experiment to see whether complimentary touchpoints will improve the airline’s disappointing customer satisfaction scores.
Airlines like British Airways and Lufthansa have discovered that while the decision to initially introduce buy-on-board has proved controversial with their traditional customer base, passengers have actually appreciated the opportunity to buy a wider range of products than what they would receive if the airline were providing it for free.
It might, however, be some time until we see a buy-on-board concept introduced at KLM. In a statement, the airline said it is still in the ‘research stage’ and that the new concept might not be introduced until late 2025.
