Flights will be a different experience entirely for some holidaymakers this summer, courtesy of new on-board booze and Duty Free shopping regulations. All routes by KLM – including many jetting from locations across the UK – will be subject to stringent regulations regarding the sale of items during a journey. Bosses at the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands say the move to scrap all tax free sales came after “extensive deliberation.” In statement Miriam Kartman, EVP of KLM Inflight Services, shared: “Because the current sales process no longer meets today’s customer requirements, we have decided, after extensive deliberation, to bring this to an end.
“As a result, passengers on our European flights will no longer be able to buy tax-free articles on board from July 2019 and from January 2020 on our intercontinental flights.”
She added: “We will shortly be launching several pilot projects to this end.
“Customer convenience and a wide range of products are central to this.”
The outcome means less than savvy holidaymakers, who leave buying trinkets and gifts until the last minute and instead opt for on-board purchases, will now need to be better prepared.
Travellers will no doubt be disappointed by the move, as alcohol prices in particular appear substantially cheaper inside an aircraft.
KLM meanwhile, is following the lead of Qantas, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines with the shock move.
Express.co.uk recently reported on another huge change in a certain section of aircraft journeys.
The switch, implemented by Thomas Cook Airlines, saw the holiday company made a significant policy change which will affect all passengers on board.
Its new 2019 report flags the sustainable initiatives it is undertaking to lessen the environmental impact of its air travel on the planet.
As well as replacing plastic wrapping on airport magazine catalogues, and handing out biodegradable bags for duty free purchases, one new initiative passengers may well have noticed has come to light.
When travellers buy a warm drink on-board, they will no longer be handed a plastic stirrer to squish the teabag with, or make sure the sugar has not settled at the bottom.
Although only a seemingly small change, it is one that will affect nearly all passengers on board.
Victoria Barlow, Head of Sustainability at Thomas Cook Airlines, exclusively told Express.co.uk: “When we launched our noplaceforplastics pledge last year to remove 70 million items of single-use plastic from across our business we started with the large volume items and plastic stirrers on our planes and straws in our hotels were an obvious choice.
“Customer feedback has been really positive – in fact they’re not even things that they miss – and we are now taking further steps to help us tread more lightly on the planet.
“This includes introducing biodegradable bags for in flight duty-free purchases and giving holidaymakers the chance to leave their inflatables at our Sunwing Kallithea Beach hotel in Rhodes this summer.”
