KLM is introducing a renewed Economy Class service across its European network from 25 October 2026, with a new onboard offering tailored to flight length while retaining a complimentary service for every passenger.
The new service replaces KLM’s current one-size-fits-all approach with different food and drink options depending on journey time and the amount of time available for cabin crew to complete the service.
Every Economy Class passenger will continue to receive a complimentary Dutch stroopwafel and water on the shortest European routes. On longer flights, complimentary tea or coffee and orange juice will also be served, depending on the route and available service time.
For flights lasting more than 75 minutes, passengers will be able to pre-order meals before departure through the airline’s booking process or My Trip platform. Options will include poke bowls, Caesar salad and pancakes.
On KLM’s longest European routes, passengers will also have access to a buy-on-board menu, Grand Café KLM, offering hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and additional drinks.
The airline said the changes reflect evolving customer preferences and aim to reduce food waste, noting that between 25% and 30% of sandwiches currently loaded onto European flights are not eaten and cannot be reused on subsequent services.
Under the new service, UK routes will receive different onboard offerings based on flight duration. Norwich services will receive a complimentary stroopwafel and water, while flights from Humberside, London City and London Heathrow will also include complimentary tea or coffee where service time allows.
Flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Teesside will include complimentary tea or coffee and orange juice alongside the stroopwafel and water.
Passengers travelling from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow will also be able to pre-order meals, while services from Belfast and Inverness will additionally offer the Grand Café KLM buy-on-board menu.
KLM said the renewed service is a starting point and that it will monitor the rollout in practice, gathering feedback from customers and crew alongside operational data to inform future improvements.
