One Airline In North America Offers Free Alcohol In This Economy. Here's Why

Anyone who's flown recently knows that flights keep getting more and more expensive. Flying also involves a lot of extra costs beyond the ticket price, like desirable seat reservations, food and beverages, and those never-ending baggage fees. In fact, airlines don't really make their money off flights; they thrive off of co-branded credit cards and ancillary fees. In a surprising move, instead of cutting away benefits for those in economy class, Air Canada has decided to go in the opposite direction. 

The airline recently announced that adult travelers can now order complimentary beer and wine on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, and Air Canada Express (Jazz) that offer beverage service. Wine and beer choices include red and white wines by France's Paul Mas, as well as beers from Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Creemore Springs Premium Lager, and Hop Valley Bubble Stash IPA. There's also Heineken 0.0, making the airline the only one in North America to have a non-alcoholic beer on its menu.

The decision was made in response to passengers who had grown increasingly frustrated with extra fees and shared their dissatisfaction on social media. Scott O'Leary, the airline's vice president of loyalty and product at Air Canada, says, "Waiving charges for beer and wine is more affordable than cutting baggage fees which offset handling costs" (via Reuters). While this is not the first Canadian carrier to do so (that honor goes to regional carrier Porter Airlines), Air Canada is the only legacy carrier in North America to offer complimentary beer and wine in economy on all domestic and international flights.

Named 2025's Best Airline in North America by Skytrax — as well as being recognized for its cabin crews, family friendliness, onboard catering, business class lounge, and more — this latest move by Air Canada continues the momentum toward having "award-winning service for all customers," regardless of class of service, per a press release by the airline. In addition to complimentary beer and wine, Air Canada has also enhanced its onboard menu to include premium Canadian-made snacks. "These upgrades offer something for everyone and proudly showcase Canadian brands so that our customers can sit back, relax, and kick-start their travels no matter where they're going," says O'Leary.

New snack offerings are available based on a flight's time of departure. Morning flights before 10 a.m. have options such as MadeGood Mornings Cinnamon Bun Soft Baked Oat Bars, Twigz Craft Pretzels, and Leclerc's Celebration Cookies. After 10:30 a.m., customers can enjoy Greenhouse Ginger Defence Wellness Shots. The Air Canada Bistro now has Summer Fresh Hummus and Crackers, Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cups, Twigz Sour Cream and Onion Pretzels, and Smarties, as well as fresh food offerings such as hummus wraps and roast beef sandwiches. Elevated international economy class meals like pesto penne, red Thai chicken, and chicken cacciatore complete the airline's enhancements.

Along with to Air Canada's food and drink upgrades, it has also made additional customer-friendly technological improvements, such as mobile app upgrades, improved in-flight entertainment, and complimentary Wi-Fi for its Aeroplan loyalty plan members on flights within North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It's refreshing to see airlines making upgrades to benefit travelers, and if you want a truly exceptional experience on a budget, consider flying with these airlines that are making economy seats better than ever.