May 6, 2026
Jumping on a quick-haul Delta flight later this month? You might want to stop by the airport newsstand if you're feeling thirsty or peckish.
The Atlanta-based carrier has announced plans to end cabin service on all economy routes that are shorter than 350 miles beginning May 19. That means roughly 450 daily flights will no longer offer any food or beverages to people in the main cabin or Comfort Plus seats. (Customers in Delta First, the carrier's first-class service, will continue to receive snacks and drinks on short-hop flights.)
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On the one hand, those flights typically take less than an hour (and oftentimes, the service was minimal and, if there was turbulence, bypassed), so it's not a tremendous sacrifice for passengers. In fact, Delta had already eliminated food and beverage service for flights under 250 miles in 2015.
But on the other hand, it's the end to a small luxury that most flyers have long been used to. (Never underestimate the love some people have for Delta's Biscoff cookies.)
The changes also impact some of the most popular flights the airline flies, including Los Angeles to San Francisco, New York JFK to Boston and Atlanta to Charlotte.
An upside for longer-distance flyers
Not all the news is bad for Delta passengers, though. Those who are on any flight that is longer than 350 miles will now have access to the full beverage and snack menu on their journey. Some shorter flights had previously only offered express service, with limited options. Those changes will impact about 600 daily flights (1).
Delta has been putting a greater emphasis on its in-flight food options in recent years. In 2024, for example, the airline partnered with Shake Shack, providing those iconic burgers to passengers in its first-class cabins — a partnership that continues today (2).
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Rising costs, rising competition
With the changes to its short-haul service, Delta will be the stingiest of the major airlines when it comes to refreshments. United Airlines serves drinks and snacks on any flight that spans more than 300 miles, while American Airlines and Southwest will offer in-flight services on any flight that exceeds 250 miles.
That said, airlines often follow each other's lead. And all major carriers are looking for ways to cut costs these days, given the continually escalating price of jet fuel.
Just last week, Spirit Airlines stopped flying for good (3), saying "recent geopolitical events resulted in a massive and sustained increase in fuel prices." Had prices remained at the level they were before the U.S. military action in Iran, the company's court filing implied, Spirit would still be in the air.
Other carriers have warned that they will need to increase ticket prices to offset those higher fuel prices. United CEO Scott Kirby recently said those increases could be as high as 20% (4).
Delta has not yet announced any planned increase in fares, but it did raise the price of its checked bag fees by $10 in early April. Passengers will now pay $45 for their first bag, $55 for their second and $200 for a third (5). The airline pointed to higher fuel costs as the reason behind that move.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
First Coast News (1); Fortune (2); Epiq (3); Reuters (4); CBS News (5).
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
