ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines will end complimentary food and beverage service on Main Cabin and Delta Comfort+ flights shorter than 350 miles starting May 19. Passengers seated in Delta First will continue to receive full food and beverage service on all flights.
The change will affect about 9% of Delta's flights. Delta will remove complimentary snacks and beverages from approximately 450 daily short-haul flights beginning May 19. The policy replaces a three-tier distance-based service system with a two-tier model: flights of up to 349 miles will receive no in-flight service, while flights of 350 miles or more will receive full beverage and snack service.
As part of the change, Delta will upgrade about 600 daily flights that previously received only limited Express Beverage Service to full snack and beverage service. Routes between 350 and 499 miles, which previously received only express service, will now receive full service.
Delta said the move is aimed at creating "a more consistent experience across our network." The airline also said that even on flights without beverage service, crew members will remain available to assist passengers. "Even on the small number of flights without beverage service, our crew will continue to be visible, available, and focused on caring for our customers, like they do on every flight," Delta said.
Corridors including Los Angeles to San Francisco, New York JFK to Boston, and Atlanta to Charlotte fall below the 350-mile cutoff. A flight from New York to Boston is under 300 miles.
Since 2015, Delta has not offered food and beverage service on flights under 250 miles. In 2017, flights under 349 miles switched from full service to express service.
Delta's new 350-mile minimum for complimentary snack and beverage service is higher than the thresholds of competing carriers. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines provide snack and beverage service on flights over 250 miles, and United Airlines offers food and beverage service on flights that are 300 miles or longer.