KLM Axes Free Beer Wine and Sandwiches in Europe

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - That familiar KLM cheese sandwich is about to come with something new: a price tag.

Starting in October 2026, KLM will replace much of its complimentary catering in European economy class with a buy-on-board service called Grand Café KLM, according to One Mile at a Time. Beer, wine, soft drinks and more substantial food will move to the paid menu.

KLM isn’t eliminating complimentary service entirely. On most European flights, economy passengers will still receive a stroopwafel and a choice of coffee, tea, water or orange juice. On the shortest flights, however, the free selection will shrink to water and a stroopwafel.

It’s a meaningful change for an airline whose cheese sandwiches and Heineken have become recognizable bits of Dutch onboard hospitality. Neither was exactly a multicourse feast, of course, but together they gave KLM’s short-haul economy service a little more personality than the bare-bones approach found elsewhere in Europe.

Inside KLM’s Grand Café Concept

KLM is presenting Grand Café KLM as a way to give passengers more control over what they eat and drink. Travelers will be able to preorder certain meals before departure, while additional products will be sold onboard subject to availability.

Reported preorder possibilities include poke bowls, Caesar salads and pancakes. The onboard selection may include wraps, croque-monsieur and yogurt. Final details remain unsettled, though. KLM hasn’t disclosed the exact October launch date, completed menu or prices.

“Passengers will benefit from greater choice, more flexibility, and an offering that better reflects a wide range of preferences and needs,” said Bas Gerressen, executive vice president of inflight services at KLM, according to One Mile at a Time.

That pitch isn’t entirely unreasonable. A passenger who wants a proper meal may prefer ordering a poke bowl over receiving a standard sandwich chosen by the airline. The catch is fairly obvious: passengers who were happy with the free sandwich, beer or glass of wine will now have to pay for the equivalent service.

Orange juice remains among the complimentary choices on most flights, but other soft drinks will become paid items. That distinction could easily catch occasional KLM customers by surprise, particularly if they remember the carrier’s previous European service.

Trials Began in 2025

This hasn’t appeared out of a clear blue sky. KLM began testing buy-on-board service in February 2025 on flights to Oslo, Porto and Lisbon, according to One Mile at a Time. The trials later expanded to additional European routes.

Passengers during those tests reported Heineken priced at approximately €5 and wine at €7. Reported soft drink prices ranged from €3.25 to €5, while sandwiches cost €6 to €7. Preordered meals during the trials were reported at €12.50.

Those figures provide some context, but they shouldn’t be treated as the final Grand Café KLM price list. The airline hasn’t released the prices that will apply when the new service officially begins in October 2026.

The catering overhaul also arrives amid a larger effort to improve KLM’s financial performance. The airline announced a plan in October 2024 to improve operating results by €450 million. Expanded catering trials, along with changes to cabin products and seating, were intended to generate at least €100 million in annual revenue, One Mile at a Time reported.

KLM reported a €68 million operating profit for the first half of 2026. Against that backdrop, Grand Café KLM looks like more than a menu refresh. It’s also part of the airline’s effort to create additional revenue from products that were previously included in an economy ticket.

Air France Is Keeping Its Complimentary Service

The contrast within the broader airline group is notable. Air France continues to provide complimentary snacks or sandwiches on its European flights, along with a wider free beverage selection that includes beer and wine, according to One Mile at a Time.

That makes KLM’s decision feel less like an unavoidable requirement for European network airlines and more like a deliberate commercial choice. It also gives travelers comparing similar itineraries another detail to consider beyond schedule, fare and frequent flyer benefits.

Food and drink rarely determine an entire booking, especially on a short flight. Still, included service contributes to the overall value of a ticket. A fare that appears comparable at first glance may look slightly different once a sandwich, soft drink or beer is added.

The Booking Calculus Gets a Little More Complicated

My read is that KLM is offering a genuine improvement for passengers who want more variety, while simultaneously reducing value for those satisfied with the old complimentary offering. Both things can be true. A Caesar salad is more appealing than a basic cheese sandwich to plenty of travelers, but “more choice” lands differently when the old choice was included and the new one costs extra.

For travelers, the smartest move will be to check the final menu and pricing once KLM publishes them. If you want something more substantial than a stroopwafel, preordering may offer better certainty because onboard products will be subject to availability. On the shortest flights, plan around receiving only water and the cookie.

It’s also worth comparing the complete trip rather than fixating on the headline fare. KLM may still offer the better schedule or overall price, and a paid snack won’t erase that advantage. But when KLM and Air France options are otherwise close, complimentary catering becomes one more small point in Air France’s column.

The stroopwafel survives, which will soften the blow for some loyalists. The free Heineken and cheese sandwich, however, are heading into KLM history. Grand Café KLM may deliver a better lunch, but it won’t deliver one for free.