Major airline ditches snacks during short flights as 'zero service' sparks debate

"Delta is adjusting onboard beverage service to create a more consistent experience across our network," the airline said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

On X, some travelers described the move as "nickel-and-diming," while others questioned the removal of even basic drink service.

Under the new policy, full drink and snack service - including alcoholic beverages and multiple snack options - will be available on flights of 350 miles or more, about 14% of Delta's daily departures. 

Shorter routes that previously offered a limited "express service" will lose those offerings entirely.

Delta noted that many of the affected flights already had minimal or no service, particularly those under 250 miles, meaning some routes won't see much change.

First-class passengers will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length.

"Even on the small number of flights without beverage service, our crew will continue to be visible, available and focused on caring for our customers, like they do on every flight," Delta said.

Lee Abbamonte, a New York-based travel expert, applauded Delta for the policy update.

"It's a reasonable decision," he told Fox News Digital. "Short flights don't need food and beverage - you're done in an hour and can easily plan ahead or just wait."

One passenger on Reddit wrote a post blasting the decision, calling it "zero service."

"Airlines really out here squeezing every last dollar," a third said.

"Airlines could charge for food to offset some of the costs," one suggested.

Yet many travelers praised Delta's decision.

"A 350-mile flight is less than 45 minutes. I don't know why anyone would worry about this at all. They can hardly serve the plane in the amount of time they have between takeoff and landing," an X user said.

"It's ridiculous to do a beverage service when you only have maybe 20 usable minutes. Half the plane gets served, and the other half write complaint letters when they don't get served," another added.

A third agreed with that.

"On those shorter flights, it's already a race to get everyone their small bag of chips. … Who cares?"