Delta Air Lines is scrapping in-flight food and drink service on hundreds of short-haul flights in a bid to cut costs, as the collapse of Spirit Airlines sends ripples throughout the aviation industry. The new measure, set to begin on May 19, will eliminate all food and beverage service from 450 daily flights, specifically targeting trips under 349 miles—typically under one hour—on routes such as Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Service Cuts and Exceptions
Passengers not travelling in first class on those shorter flights will no longer receive any food or beverage service. That means no snacks, no coffee, no tea—and, as critics have pointed out, not even water. First class passengers, however, will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length. Delta says the change is part of an effort to standardise service across its network. Passengers on flights of 350 miles or more will now receive full beverage and snack service; until the change, that was only the case on flights above 500 miles.
‘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,’ a Delta spokesperson told the Daily Mail. An X user clarified that the previous service typically included coffee, tea or water, writing: ‘Any flight under 350 miles in economy will get zero service. Nothing. Not even water. That covers a lot of routes people fly every single week for work.’ They noted one upside: passengers on flights between 350 and 499 miles will now receive full beverage service—around 14 percent of daily flights.
Industry Context and Previous Cuts
Despite the downgrade, this is not the first time Delta has scaled back offerings. In 2015, the airline cut service on flights under 250 miles, and in 2017 it shifted flights under 349 miles from full to express service. The changes come as the collapse of Spirit Airlines continues to ripple across the industry, after a last-ditch rescue effort with the Trump administration reportedly fell through. The struggling carrier had been seeking a $500 million lifeline to stay afloat, but negotiations failed to produce a deal.
With Spirit workers now out of jobs, Delta has stepped in to offer positions to displaced pilots and flight attendants. The airline is also providing standby travel for Spirit employees under existing agreements for the next 10 days. Delta said it will support affected travellers and team members by offering reduced, nonrefundable fares in impacted markets over the next five days, helping passengers rebook amid widespread cancellations.
