Lufthansa is offering hot meals in economy class, including a cheeseburger from HANS IM GLÜCK. (Supplied photo)
As the concept of premium economy expands, airlines are moving beyond peanuts to previously offered perks to attract travellers.
The latest is Lufthansa, which said it is adding five new, buy-before-you-fly hot meals to Economy Class on short‑ and medium‑haul flights starting 01SEP26. The carrier launched the program – called Onboard Delights – in early 2023 and has been expanding the buy‑on‑board lineup ever since.
The latest upgrade gives travellers more choice (and advisors a clearer upsell opportunity) on continental flights of two hours or longer.
The new dishes, which can be pre‑ordered from four weeks to 24 hours before departure, include beef roulade with potato dumplings, chicken teriyaki, tortellini in tomato sauce with zucchini, Dönninghaus currywurst, and a cheeseburger from HANS IM GLÜCK. The roulade, teriyaki, and tortellini come with dessert, while the currywurst keeps things classic with a roll.
“Pre-ordering guarantees our guests that their desired meal will be waiting for them on board – for a relaxed and predictable journey,” said Olaf Mauthe, Head of Hospitality Catering Management.
Business Class is getting a boost, too. Since August 2023, long‑haul passengers departing Frankfurt and Munich have been able to pre-select their main course.
Also beginning 01SEP26, that option extends to most long‑haul flights returning to Germany, with the menu growing from three mains to six.
Lufthansa joins several other airlines in offering hot meals to buy on shorter-haul flights, including SWISS and Austrian Airlines (which are in the same parent group as Lufthansa), British Airways, and Iberia.
Turkish Airlines is the only major European carrier that offers complimentary hot meals on many of its short-haul flights.
Notably, no North American airlines offer hot food in short-haul economy, paid or otherwise.
Food fight
Food during flights has a long history. It was once a staple on every flight, but when deregulation hit in the US in the 1970s, airlines looking to trim frills looked at food first. Hot meals were slowly replaced by sandwiches and snacks on many routes.
When fuel costs skyrocketed in the early 1990s, airlines started restricting any kind of hot meal to longer flights, and they stopped being the default expectation for all economy travellers.
After 9/11, the shift became more prominent as securty changes affected galley operations and carrier removed equipment to add seats. To bring in additional revenue, airlines began offering buy-on-board meals including snack boxes and paid sandwiches.
Canadian airlines followed the trends of their US counterparts.
Continental Airlines was the last holdout for free meals in economy. When they folded into United in 2010, the practice vanished.
The return of hot meals likely comes as a result of a shift in passenger expectations, especially post-pandemic as travellers are more likely to book last minute and expect convenience. Travellers in economy are also used to paying extra for things like seat selection, early boarding and lounge access, so why not a hot meal?
As European carriers and others start to add ovens back into their smaller aircraft, and with the shift in economics, technology and consumer behaviour, it’s a profitable endeavour once again.
Whether US and Canadian airlines follow suit likely depends on consumer demand.