EasyJet has updated its food and drink policy. Flying in 2025 isn’t as casual as it used to be. That coffee you bring from the gate, or a quick snack packed at home — they might not make it on board anymore. EasyJet has started tightening what you can carry and what they’ll hand out once you’re seated.
EasyJet isn’t acting alone. British Airways, for example, has already pulled bottled water off some short-haul routes. And it’s not just them — airlines all over Europe have been scaling down in-flight service. Sometimes they call it streamlining. For passengers, it feels more like subtraction. So what exactly has changed, and how will it affect your next flight? We will break down what the easyJets 2025 rules say about outside food and drink. What’s your pay for onboard snacks now, and how does it compare to British Airways and other carriers as well?.
What easyJet changed, and what it means onboard
In 2025, easyJet revised its rules on food and drink in order to tighten control over what passengers bring and what is served on board. Here’s what changed:
Bringing your own heated food on board? EasyJet would rather you didn’t.
Complimentary water is no longer offered routinely unless you request it or expect a small cup.
Outside, alcohol is still banned, and easyJet reminds the passengers that bringing their own alcohol is against policy, with fines possible.
Snack prices are shifting, too. Depending on the flight, you might notice a jump — some items are up around 15%.
What’s still allowed?
You can bring a sandwich, crisps, or fruit, but hot food, such as takeaways, and containers will be flagged.
Sealed bottles of water or juice, or from the airport, are usually fine: The staff will remind you not to consume excessive outside items mid-flight.
These changes are designed to improve cleanliness and comfort, but it’s another step towards pay-as-you-fly service, or even basic food and hydration would come with a price tag. If you’re flying just an hour or so, maybe it won’t matter. But get stuck on a longer route, no bottle, no food, and it hits different, especially mid-air, when there’s nowhere else to go.
British Airways, Ryanair, and the in-flight perks
There is a trend across airlines that’s well underway. British Airways has already scrapped bottled water, especially on short-haul economy flights, and they offer a small cup if you ask for it, but mine does come from the dispenser next to the lavatory.
Ryanair continues to push its ‘nothing-free’ model, where everything on board, from a cup of tea to a seat with decent legroom, is part of the menu.
easyJet known as the middle ground between the two extremes, is closer to the Ryanair style approach.
Across Europe, this is not cost-cutting; it’s a redefinition of what air travel will include. The basic services that were part of the fair are now being stripped back, with the company claiming it is a streamlined or efficient approach while passing the cost on to passengers.
So while easyJet may frame the shift as a minor situation, it reflects a broader reality that the Baseline for European air travel is being redrawn and not in the favour of passengers.
The future of budget flying
In the past, budget airlines like Ryanair or easyJet were the exception, where you paid less, so you expected less. Now, even legacy carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa are trimming perks, pushing the same model, just with better branding.
So what’s happening is a shift from service included to service optional, where extra food, water, luggage, and every leg room is now repackaged, itemised, and resold.
The airfare is just the starting point; the flight itself has become a modular product, and the airline decides what gets stripped away first.
So, where does this leave travellers? In the new kind of air economy, one where the cabin looks the same, but the rules have changed. Most of those changes don’t benefit the passenger; we’re entering a phase of lean flying where the basic comfort depends on how well you’ve prepared before boarding.
The sandwich or water bottle, a phone charger, all these small decisions are now shaping the flight experience. EasyJet’s food and drink update is not just a policy change, but a signal that passengers are no longer the customers to be catered to, but rather their units to be processed efficiently.
