Whether you receive a free meal on Lufthansa depends strictly on the duration of your flight and your class of service. For long-haul international flights (e.g., USA to Germany), Lufthansa continues to provide complimentary hot meals, snacks, and beverages, including alcoholic drinks, to all passengers, including those in Economy Class. However, for short and medium-haul flights within Europe, Lufthansa moved to a "buy-on-board" model for Economy Class passengers back in 2021. On these shorter routes, you will typically only receive a small complimentary bottle of water and a piece of chocolate; all other food and drink items must be purchased from their "Onboard Delights" menu. In Business and First Class, full meal services remain complimentary on all routes regardless of distance. As of 2026, Lufthansa has slightly refined this policy to focus more on sustainable, regional catering, but the core distinction remains: long-haul travel is all-inclusive for dining, while short-haul European hops follow a more "budget-carrier" approach for food and beverages in the back of the plane.