Amid an airline industry in crisis, Delta Air Lines found an unexpected way to cut corners: nixing its snack and drink service on flights under 350 miles long.
Delta is doing away with its “Express Service” tier of in-flight food and drink, which previously offered basic amenities including water, tea, coffee, and two snack options to passengers on flights between 250 and 500 miles in length. Instead, all flights longer than 350 miles will get Delta’s full beverage and snack service—while all flights shorter than 350 miles will get no food or drink offerings at all.
The news of Delta’s new policy comes just days after Spirit Airlines announced its near-immediate closure, while the ongoing war in the Middle East continues to drive up fuel prices and ticket costs are skyrocketing, up 24% between January and April of 2026. It all paints a picture of an industry struggling to stay afloat, though there may be more to Delta’s decision than cost-cutting.
In a statement to Fast Company, a Delta representative said the move is intended to “create a more consistent experience across our 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,” the statement continues.
Which flights are affected?
Delta’s new policy goes into effect on May 19, when approximately 450 daily Delta flights will go from Express Service to no service. Only flights between 250 and 350 miles in length will be affected by the change, with flights under 250 miles already having had no food or drink service offered.
Delta emphasizes that all flights now receiving no service spend less than an hour in the air, and that they make up only 9% of all daily flights.
