KLM Is Thinking Of Cutting Its Free Sandwich Service On European Flights

A report published by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf earlier today noted that KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines is considering scrapping its free sandwich offering on short/medium-haul flights within Europe.

This is a fairly significant development as it was one of the carrier’s differentiating factors compared to other European giants. The airline confirms in a statement to Simple Flying that the free sandwich service could be revised, as it looks towards a similar service offer to that of other “traditional European airlines.”

KLM

IATA/ICAO Code

KL/KLM

Year Founded

1919

CEO

Marjan Rintel

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The new changes

KLM’s adjustment is still in the development phase as the carrier has not yet confirmed the in-flight service will be axed. Confirming this in a statement to Simple Flying, the carrier said that it was “exploring a new service in economy class within Europe with more choice” as a response to passenger demand. In detail, the carrier said:

“The personal service that KLM offers on board is appreciated by our customers. We continuously innovate this to keep up with individual customer needs and market developments. Our passengers come from all over the world and travel across different time zones.

Their needs are very diverse and do not always align with our current standard catering offering. That is why we are exploring a new service in economy class within Europe with more choices. We are studying various concepts that would enable a broader assortment for a fee. We are exploring various concepts where a free basic product remains, supplemented with a varied assortment of meals, snacks, and beverages. We are also considering an option to pre-order meals.”

A European trend

The airline will follow in the footsteps of many of its European competitors, including Lufthansa and British Airways. The German carrier had decided to scrap the service back in 2020 and introduced a new buy onboard menu instead. KLM indirectly made reference to other European carriers in its statement:

“We see that our competitors have already made a similar service adjustment earlier. Additionally, it can help with calculating the flight’s load, so less unnecessary food and beverage weight needs to be carried.”

Photo: KLM

KLM’s decision to revise its food offering on European flights could result in a service improvement, though. The aim of the review seems to be to provide more varied and perhaps better-quality food options, even if it means they come at a fee. This was the exact reasoning used by Lufthansa
which noted that its historic “snack offer in Economy Class” did “not always meet the expectations of our guests.”

Assimilation with low-cost airlines

Is this the end of the divide between low-cost and premium airlines in Europe? As full-service airlines continue to cut costs, reduce the complementary service offering and opt for lower base fares, they look increasingly like the low-fare giants on the continent.

Photo: Tupungato | Shutterstock

European regulation is expected to tighten over the next few years, especially regarding Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and other environment-related initiatives. In other words, costs for all airlines are about to go up.