Air Canada has announced it will provide complimentary beer, wine and snacks to passengers on all flights, including those to Mexico and the Caribbean, reviving perks that many full-service airlines abandoned years ago.

In earlier decades, baggage allowances, meals and complimentary drinks were included in the fare on most traditional airlines. However, over time and under pressure from rising costs and competition from low-cost carriers, airlines began unbundling these services, making meals and alcohol optional extras and introducing ancillary fees.

Air Canada explains that this change in approach is driven by a renewed emphasis on passenger experience and its “commitment to elevating the onboard experience”.

“These upgrades offer something for everyone and proudly showcase Canadian brands, enabling our customers to sit back [and] relax no matter their destination”, the airline stated.

© Air Canada

Scott O’Leary, Air Canada’s vice president of loyalty and product, told Reuters that waiving charges for beer and wine is more cost-effective than cutting baggage fees and that “food and beverages tend to have a disproportionate impact on customer satisfaction”.

Morning flights now feature MadeGood Mornings Cinnamon Bun Soft Baked Oat Bars alongside Canadian favourites TWIGZ Craft Pretzels and Leclerc’s Celebration Cookies. After 10 a.m., passengers can enjoy Greenhouse Ginger Defence Wellness Shots (on certain routes) alongside new Canadian-made snacks, including Summer Fresh Hummus & Crackers, Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cups, TWIGZ Sour Cream & Onion Pretzels and Smarties. In addition, Air Canada is now the only North American airline to serve Heineken 0.0, a non-alcoholic beer.

According to Simple Flying, light-branded snacks can cost airlines less than $1 per passenger, while premium options or small meals can cost between $5 and $15.

© Air Canada

Other upgrades include a revamped app, an expanded range of entertainment options, refurbished lounges and quicker airport processes. The Aeroplan loyalty programme now offers seamless intermodal travel on a single ticket and free high-speed Wi-Fi for members. These benefits apply to flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express (Jazz).

Most airlines today provide free meals only on long-haul international flights, but food needs to be purchased on shorter routes. According to a 2023 FinanceBuzz analysis, JetBlue Airways ranked as the most expensive of the ten largest US airlines, charging an average of $13 (€12) per meal, followed by Delta ($12 (€11), Alaska ($10.50 (€10) and United ($9 (€8.3). Several US full-service carriers — including Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United — still offer complimentary packaged snacks and soft drinks. In contrast, budget airlines such as Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit charge for almost everything, including water and alcoholic drinks.

As for alcohol, drinks are not complimentary and must be purchased. Spirit Airlines passengers face the highest average cost at $10.61 (€9.76) per drink, followed by United, American and JetBlue, each at around $9 (€8.28), while Southwest had the lowest average price in 2023 at $6.67 (€6.14). Alcohol sales typically begin on domestic routes exceeding 400 km, with slight variations by airline and route.