When It Comes To Flying, There’s No Such Thing As Free Food
Airline Drinks And Snacks Fees
The announcement from US Airways in June that it was going to start charging coach passengers $2 for soft drinks and bottled water — water! — on all its domestic flights, as well as $1 for coffee or tea. some airlines are finding creative ways to up the ante, by adding new nonalcoholic beverages to their offerings, like Monster Energy drinks and Vitaminwater, and charging for them. Meanwhile, all domestic airlines but Continental have replaced free meals in coach on flights in the United States with at least some food sales.
The offerings are slightly better on international flights, on which most foreign carriers continue to offer free alcoholic drinks, meals and snacks. But most United States carriers do not give out alcoholic drinks on trans-Atlantic routes.
Northwest:
Snacks - Pringles, M & M’s, Twizzlers or trail mix are $3; snack boxes with crackers, cheese, cookies, trail mix and either beef sausage, chicken salad or tuna are $5. Fruit and cheese or vegetables with ranch dip, $7.
Meals - $10 for a breakfast sandwich and fruit salad with a breakfast cookie, or for a deli meat sandwich and salad with a chocolate bar.
Spirit:�
Drinks - $2 for water, coffee or tea; $3 for soda or juice; $5 for alcohol.
Snacks - $2 to $4 for Pringles, animal crackers, M & M’s, and other snacks.
Southwest:
Drinks - Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $3 for Lo-Carb Monster Energy; $4 for beer, wine and cocktails.
United:
Snacks: $5 for snack boxes with bagel chips, vegetable cheese spread, granola, diced pears, cinnamon twist pastry, toffee and mints, or other assortments.
Meals: $7 for salads and sandwiches like a smoked turkey chipotle wrap or a Santa Fe chicken salad.
US Airways:
Drinks - Coffee and tea, $1; bottled water, juices, and soda, $2; beer, wine and cocktails, $7.
Meals - From $7 on select flights over three and a half hours, including a turkey croissant and yogurt, chef salad or chicken Caesar sandwich.
