KLM Cuts Free Beer and Wine, Adds Buy-On-Board Menu

This October, KLM will roll out a new onboard catering concept called Grand Café KLM on its European short-haul flights. Unfortunately, this means the end of free beer, wine, and the airline's much-loved cheese sandwich in economy. You'll still get coffee, tea, water, orange juice, and a stroopwafel at no charge.

Everything else moves to a buy-on-board model. You can pre-order a meal like a poke bowl or Caesar salad before you fly, or buy items from an onboard menu — think a salmon egg wrap or yogurt with fruit — once you're in the air.

The change follows more than a year of testing since KLM first flagged the idea in 2024, and the airline is framing it as catching up with a broader shift among European full-service carriers toward paid onboard food and drink.

Andrew's Take

Despite what the airline says, this isn't about choice — your free drink and cheese sandwich are turning into a menu you pay for. Plenty of full-service airlines have already made this move in Europe, but it's still a downgrade for anyone who flies the Dutch carrier.