KLM goes veggie: no more meat on the in-flight menu
I have a real love/hate relationship with airplane food. It’s a bit comparable to hospital food: you eat it because it’s in front of you, not necessarily because you want it. And mainly to kill time. Then you need to pee, and that tray is still right in front of you and the people next to you, and you can’t get away (it’s a tough life, I know). But if you always enjoy that chicken curry and meatballs on board KLM, then you’re even more out of luck: they’re going to disappear, because KLM is going green.
Flying used to be a real celebration. You could light up a cigarette and drink your beer standing up, just like an after-work drinks party in the sky. And then the meals — fasten your seatbelts, because you’ll hardly believe this: fresh lobster, served with excellent wine by a real sommelier. Just take a look at what airplane meals looked like in the 1960s and you’ll immediately want to step into a time machine.
Trend: no meat
Fast forward to 2021, the year in which, in terms of flight hours, we are almost approaching the 1960s. It’s also the year in which KLM decides to remove the stew with meatballs, spaghetti bolognese and chicken curry from the economy-class menu. Not only within Europe, but also on long-haul flights. This is to respond to the trend of eating less meat.
No, this isn’t about cost-cutting because of the enormous financial blow caused by coronavirus. ‘We constantly look at trends in society and align our menu development with them,’ says KLM director of customer experience Boet Kreiken.KLM already no longer serves meat on European flights, and this will be rolled out across the rest of the network in the coming years. All options on flights within Europe are now vegetarian (many people apparently haven’t even noticed this), ‘to make our flights a little more sustainable. For example, we serve a real Dutch sandwich with cheese.’
Expensive ticket, meat included
If you have a lot of money, you can go into space for a few seconds in a flying penis, and if you pay enough, you can still eat meat. Meat and fish will remain on the menu in business class and the so-called premium comfort class. Isn’t this a case of applying two different standards? Is KLM afraid of otherwise losing customers? Kreiken: ‘For our top customers, we will continue to offer the choice of meat and fish. However, these must be organically sourced and carry a certification label. But in the longer term, we will look at whether there are good substitutes or alternatives. We look at our total ecological footprint. So, as well as more fuel-efficient aircraft, a greener menu.’
Flying soon and want to upgrade your airplane meal? With these tips for a tolerable airplane meal, we’ll make your eating experience in the sky just a little more enjoyable, promise!
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