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So Long, Snacks! Delta Is Ditching Food and Drinks on Short Flights—Here’s What You Need to Know

In the early days of air travel, food was a given. You’d receive a full, multicourse meal, regardless of whether you were in the economy cabin or first class. Flying felt glamorous, like a dinner party at 30,000 feet. Needless to say, those days are long gone. Today, travelers are lucky to score a tiny bag of pretzels and a half-cup of soda when the beverage cart comes rolling down the aisle.

But just when passengers thought airline perks couldn’t shrink any further, Delta Air Lines has announced yet another onboard change that could make you want to fly Delta a little less frequently. Ahead, find out everything you need to know about the latest changes to Delta’s snack and beverage service. We’ll also reveal when they go into effect, so keep reading.

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How is Delta changing its food and beverage service?

The airline announced it is ending complimentary snack and beverage service in the economy cabin on flights under 350 miles. Yep, two years after ending free snack and beverage service on all flights under 250 miles, Delta is making yet another cut. This won’t affect everyone, though: Flights with first-class seating will continue to receive full service, a Delta spokesperson told CBS News.

Previously, Delta provided an Express Service option in economy classes—including water, coffee, tea and limited snacks—on flights greater than 250 miles but less than 500 miles. That’s going away entirely. With this new change, about 9% of Delta’s approximately 5,500 daily flights (roughly 495 flights) will have no economy service at all.

Which flights will get food and beverage service?

While Delta is cutting service from short flights, it’s adding full beverage and snack service for economy classes, aka Delta Comfort and Delta Main, on flights that are 350 miles or more. That means 14% of daily flights are gaining full-service options, including drinks and sweet and savory snacks.

Despite the changes to Delta’s short-haul food and beverage service, long-haul flights are staying exactly the same, at least for now. That means international flights will continue to offer full-service options, including special meals, like kosher and gluten-free. And first-class passengers can still enjoy a Shake Shack burger on many Delta flights.

Why is the company making this change?

According to a Delta spokesperson who spoke with the New York Times, the change is being made to “create a more consistent experience” across Delta’s network. “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.”

When does this go into effect?

If you have any short-haul travel planned with Delta in the coming days, indulge in free snacks and drinks while you can because Delta’s new policy goes into effect beginning May 19, 2026.

So which airlines will serve you food and drinks?

Delta may have discontinued free snacks and drinks on many of its short-haul flights, but there are still plenty of other airlines that are happy to serve you fun-size snacks and soft drinks to your heart’s content. American Airlines still provides free snacks and nonalcoholic drinks in all cabins on flights over 250 miles, as does United on all flights over 300 miles. Southwest follows suit, delivering free snacks and nonalcoholic drinks on select flights over 251 miles.

What are people saying about Delta’s service changes?

Naturally, some frequent fliers are less than thrilled about the change, and they’re not shy about sharing those feelings on the internet.

  • “In the grand scheme of things, this is an insignificant reminder of how insignificant you are to large corporations,” said one Reddit user. “You will pay more. You will get less.”
  • “How close are we to going row by row asking everyone to kick in a few bucks for gas?” quipped another.

But not everyone is concerned about it, especially considering how short the flight times actually are.

  • “I looked it up and that’s an average of a 40-50 minute flight,” said a third Reddit user. “Honestly it’s not the end of the world. You’ll be off the flight before they could have started handing out the snacks.”
  • “I fly all the time and this doesn’t bother me a bit,” another added. “Who cares if you get a free water on a 35 minute flight?”

If you do happen to find yourself on a short Delta flight, springing for a premium class of service just for the snacks is definitely not worth your hard-earned dollars. You’re better off bringing your own snacks. After all, Costco sells the same Biscoff cookies at a pretty great price. It’s cheaper than upgrading your seat, that’s for sure.

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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

  • The New York Times: “Delta Will Stop Serving Snacks and Drinks on Short Flights”
  • CBS News: “Delta ending food and beverage service on shorter flights”
  • Business Traveler: “Delta Drops ‘Express’ In-Flight Service on Short Flights”
  • Reddit: “Delta cuts food and beverage service on short flights”
  • Delta: “Food & Beverage”

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The post So Long, Snacks! Delta Is Ditching Food and Drinks on Short Flights—Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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