The European Airline That Wants To Stop Giving Out Beloved Free Sandwiches To Passengers

The travel industry took a massive hit during COVID-19. People were stuck at home in various lockdowns, and travel ground to a halt. In the years since, airlines have been trying to get back on track after losing vast amounts of income, with many still trying to recover from the extreme financial loss. While some airlines resorted to increasing flight prices, others have added a fee to previously free services as a cost-saving strategy.

Lately, KLM — one of the most popular airlines on the planet — has been considering cutting costs by removing free food in economy class on short-haul flights. This hasn't come as good news to the flying public, as KLM has always been known for having some of the best customer service in the sky. The complimentary sandwiches on-flight will still be around until the end of 2024 as the company is still trying to find the optimum solution, but the future isn't looking good for complimentary eats on the world's oldest operating airline.

With fuel prices increasing and inflation rising, airlines are having to find increasingly creative ways to minimize costs. KLM's idea of removing free sandwiches is a cost-saving strategy to reduce overheads on shorter routes, theoretically allowing the company to gain more profits per flight and remain financially sustainable in the long run. At the end of the day, it is all about euros.

Well, maybe not "all" about them. According to a report in De Telegraaf (in Dutch), the vegetarian Dutch cheese sandwich offered on short-haul flights hasn't been received positively by passengers. It appears that the taste preferences of KLM's international customer base don't always align with the free food offered by the airline. That's one of the reasons offering a wider range of alternatives (at a fee) was suggested, in the hope of meeting passenger expectations, reducing waste, and cutting company costs in the process. Although the decision has not yet been made, one possibility is to still offer water, tea, coffee, and a snack for free, even if the complimentary sandwich is no more.  

KLM also has the environment to think about. By scrapping free sandwiches, the airline will aim to reduce waste and lessen its environmental footprint in the process. It also acts as a way to decrease weight on the aircraft, which helps reduce fuel consumption, although it is understandable to be cynical about the difference a selection of sandwiches can make to the weight of a plane. Still, to companies like KLM, every euro counts. Given the choice between free sandwiches or more expensive flights, it is more likely that passengers would prefer flight fares to remain affordable, even if it means losing a sammie or two while hurtling through the sky.