Starting May 19, Delta is changing what passengers can expect for drink and snack service on some flights.
At first glance, this sounds like another airline cutting back. And for some passengers, it will be. But the change is a little more nuanced than that.
Delta is eliminating its old “express service” model and moving to something much simpler: passengers will either get full drink and snack service or no onboard service at all.
What Was Delta’s Express Service?
Delta’s “express service” was the airline’s abbreviated onboard service for shorter flights. It wasn’t the full beverage cart experience. Instead, passengers might get a quick pass through the cabin with water, coffee, tea and a limited selection of snacks.
In theory, that sounds better than nothing. In practice, it could feel extremely rushed. On some short regional flights, the flight attendants barely had time to hand out cups before they had to come back through collecting trash.
I’m pretty sure we’ve been on one of these flights before, and it was almost comical. The crew came through with water so quickly that if you took a cup, you basically had to gulp it down before they returned to collect it.
At that point, they might as well have stood there and watched you drink it.
Which Delta Flights Are Losing Service?
Starting May 19, Delta will no longer offer food or beverage service in Main Cabin or Delta Comfort+ on flights under 350 miles.
That means no snack basket, no coffee, no soft drink and no quick cup of water as part of regular cabin service. If you’re on one of those short flights and want something to drink, you should plan to bring it on board yourself.
This mainly affects shorter regional routes, many of them operated by smaller Delta Connection aircraft. According to reports, about 450 daily Delta flights will lose onboard food and beverage service under the new policy. That represents roughly 9% of Delta’s daily schedule. Delta First passengers will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length.
But Some Flights Are Actually Gaining Full Service
This is where the change is a little more nuanced than “Delta is cutting drinks and snacks.”
While some short flights are losing service entirely, other flights that previously had express service will now receive full beverage and snack service. Flights of 350 miles or more will move to the regular service model instead of the abbreviated version.
That means some passengers who previously got the rushed express-service experience will now get the full drink and snack service instead. Reports say about 600 daily flights will be upgraded to full service under the new setup.
Why I Don’t Think This Is All Bad
I know some passengers will see this as another airline cutback. And on the flights losing service, that’s exactly what it is.
But I also think Delta’s logic makes sense. The express service always felt like an awkward middle ground. It was technically service, but on some flights, it was so rushed that it barely added anything to the experience.
If a flight is too short for the crew to provide meaningful service, I’d rather know that going in and bring my own water or snack. On the other hand, if a flight is long enough for proper service, giving passengers the full version is better than keeping a rushed, limited version that doesn’t really satisfy anyone.
So while this change will be annoying for some passengers on short routes, I don’t think eliminating express service is necessarily a bad move. It makes Delta’s onboard service simpler: full service where there’s time to do it properly, and no scheduled service where there really isn’t.
Final Thought
Delta’s express service is going away. Starting May 19, passengers in Main Cabin and Delta Comfort+ on flights under 350 miles won’t receive scheduled drink or snack service, while flights of 350 miles or more will move to full service instead.
For the shortest flights, that’s a cut. But for some flights that previously had express service, it should mean a better onboard experience. Personally, I think that’s a reasonable tradeoff. Express service always felt like an awkward middle ground, and if I need water on a very short flight, I can bring my own.
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