Air France Trials Buy On Board Service In Short Haul Economy

Air France has been improving nicely in recent times, investing in the passenger experience, especially in premium cabins. However, it appears that the airline is at least considering some service cuts on short haul flights, as the details of an upcoming trial have been revealed.

Air France considers food & drinks for purchase in economy

The union representing Air France flight attendants has published the details of an upcoming trial that the SkyTeam carrier will be running, to examine service changes in short haul economy. The test will take place in April through June of 2025, on two routes, between Paris (CDG) and both Helsinki (HEL) and Lisbon (LIS).

During the trial, passengers will receive complimentary coffee or tea, orange juice, or Coke, and will be offered a biscuit (either savory or sweet, depending on the time of day). Passengers will then have the option of purchasing other drinks and food at a cost. On these test flights, ground crews will load special menus into seat backs before the flight, indicating the items available for purchase.

All purchases must be made with a card (and not cash), and flight attendants will get a 10% commission on sales. Flight attendant union representatives who were consulted voted 86% in favor of this initiative.

During the trial, service times will be closely measured, to determine how this modified service impacts speeds. As you can tell, the test routes are among the longer intra-Europe routes, so that crews will have plenty of time to perform these tests.

As it currently stands, all service in Air France economy is complimentary. This includes a cookie on flights of under 2.5 hours, and a fresh sandwich on flights of over 2.5 hours. A variety of drinks, including alcohol, are also offered on a complimentary basis.

My take on Air France’s economy service trial

Of course I don’t like to see airlines reducing service that’s included with ticket prices, though admittedly this is only a limited time trial as of now, so we’ll see what comes of this. To Air France’s credit, the airline is in a completely league than its two biggest rivals when it comes to economy service levels on these flights.

As it stands, British Airways offers short haul economy passengers free water and a small snack, while Lufthansa offers short haul economy passengers free water.

So even if Air France were to implement these changes, the airline would still be in a totally different league than British Airways and Lufthansa. Essentially, the proposed changes would put short haul service in line with what you get in economy on flights within the United States on legacy carriers, where you get non-alcoholic drinks and a small snack.

Would I like to see Air France make these changes? From a passenger experience standpoint, no. Do I understand why Air France is at least performing a trial here, when the airline is offering wine and sandwiches in economy, while competitors are offering just water? Yes, I do.

While I don’t think anyone likes anything being taken away, some people may appreciate the option to purchase a larger variety of fresh food options, which wouldn’t otherwise be available.

In recent times, Lufthansa has been considering restoring more complimentary service in short haul economy, though the CEO isn’t sure the airline can afford that.

Bottom line

This spring, Air France will be running a trial with a modified service in short haul economy. Rather than offering complimentary snacks and drinks (including alcohol), the airline will offer complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and a light snack, plus the option to purchase a variety of food and drinks.

It remains to be seen whether this trial leads to widespread changes or not. One thing is for sure — even if these changes were made, Air France would still have a much more impressive short haul offering than British Airways or Lufthansa.

What do you make of Air France’s buy on board service trial?