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Update: OMAAT appears to have more information than is available in the press release linked below so updates to the post have now been made.
Lufthansa has today confirmed that it will be introducing a ‘buy onboard’ menu of snack options on its long-haul flights to mirror what it already offers in Economy Class on its short-haul routes. The airline has said that this will not impact the complimentary meals and drinks already offered in long-haul Economy Class and Premium Economy but will be offered to flyers as an additional option.
Lufthansa’s ‘Onboard Delights’
From 1 December 2021, Lufthansa will offer long-haul Economy Class passengers a new ‘Onboard Delights’ menu from which they can purchase “high-quality snacks and spirits in addition to main meals and drinks, which the airline says will continue to be free of charge”.
This is what the menu looks like:
On Lufthansa’s routes to/from Japan, a few extra items will be available:
Lufthansa says that this menu is being introduced in response to the “different needs of guests when it comes to choosing food and beverages onboard” as flyers’ needs between meals are “very individual”.
In the beginning, when the menu is introduced on 1 December, it will be made available on 37 of Lufthansa’s long-haul routes to Asia, North America, South America, and South Africa. The remaining long-haul routes operated by the airline will offer this buy onboard menu by Spring next year.
Quick thoughts
Lufthansa appears to be being a little economical with the truth in its press release. It’s trying to paint a picture in which not much is changing and where the new menu is just an added extra but, apparently, that isn’t the case.
OMAAT has information that says that the spirits that were complimentary pre-pandemic will now only be available through the buy onboard menu, while Lufthansa’s information gives the impression that any drinks requested with the meals will still be available as normal. On the grounds that OMAAT’s information is unlikely to be wrong (it’s a quote), that doesn’t put Lufthansa in a very good light.
I guess we should be relieved that the absence of beer and regular wine on the new buy onboard menu indicates that these will continue to be offered free of charge but I would challenge Lufthansa’s claim that the snacks on offer will be “high-quality” (they don’t look it and they don’t sound it), and with Lufthansa now clearly on a cost-cutting exercise, it will be interesting to see just how easy it will be to get the complimentary drinks topped up.
Bottom line
Lufthansa has said that it will introduce a new buy onboard snack menu on select long-haul flights on 1 December 2022 with the new offering being rolled out to all long-haul flights by Spring 2022.
