08/13/2026
Definitely airlines are changing to "charge" what used to be free
Another airline just discovered a remarkable way to “improve” Economy: take away things passengers currently get for free.
KLM is rolling out a new food concept on European flights this October called Grand Café KLM".
There will be more food to choose from.
Poke bowls. Caesar salads. Wraps. Yogurt. Sounds pretty good.
There's just one catch:
You'll be paying for it.
Economy passengers currently get complimentary drinks including b**r and w**e, plus snacks that can include sandwiches depending on the flight.
Under the new setup, the complimentary offering is being reduced to basics like coffee, tea, water, orange juice and a stroopwafel.
Want a b**r, w**e, soda or something more substantial to eat? Open your wallet.
And KLM isn't alone.
British Airways and Lufthansa Group carriers have already moved heavily toward buy-on-board models on European short-haul flying.
In America, the cuts look different.
Delta, United and American still generally offer the basic complimentary snack-and-soft-drink experience on domestic flights.
But airlines are increasingly dividing passengers into more fare categories, putting more emphasis on Premium Economy and premium cabins, and tightening some of the perks that once came with an Economy ticket or elite status.
American, for example, is changing complimentary upgrades on certain three-cabin routes this month: eligible Main Cabin elites will generally move to Premium Economy first rather than jumping straight into Business.
United is now taking the fare-bundling idea into the front of the airplane, introducing Base, Standard and Flexible versions of some Premium Plus and Polaris fares.
Notice the language airlines love using around these changes:
More choice. More flexibility. More options.
Sometimes that's genuinely true.
But there's another way of describing what's happening:
Unbundle something → charge separately for it → call the additional choices an improvement.
Economy isn't disappearing.
But the idea that buying an airline ticket means most of the experience is simply included certainly seems to be.
Are airlines genuinely giving passengers more choice — or just getting better at charging separately for everything?
