Which Airlines Offer Free Food And Entertainment?

A handful of pretzels, some easy viewing, things to keep the kids busy…sometimes, it’s the little things that can make or break a flight.

The further you fly, the more likely these tiny touches will be complimentary, but the air can get a little murkier around mid- and short-haul flights.

So, we looked at 13 popular carriers to breakdown just what extras are included the cost of your ticket and which ones you’ll have to pay for.

What is inflight entertainment?

Inflight entertainment (IFE) systems are exactly what it says on the box; they are a variety of media offered on a flight to keep you entertained.

Depending on your airline and the length of your flight, this could be anything from exclusive airline magazines or local newspapers to TVs in the headrests of the seats.

Some airlines also offer Wi-Fi on-board so you can stay connected while you fly. Others are making the switch from seatback entertainment systems (ie TVs in the seats) to video on demand streaming to your own device.

Which airline has the best inflight entertainment?

Emirates’ ice entertainment system is widely recognised as the best of the best. It’s taken home the World Airline Award for Best Airline Inflight Entertainment for 14 years running, thanks to its mix of new release and classic movies, TV shows, music and games.

The World Airline Awards, put on by airline reviews and ratings organisation, Skytrax, have also recognised the IFE offerings of Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas and Turkish Airlines as some of the best in the market.

Is inflight entertainment free?

Most inflight entertainment is included in the price of your ticket. The exception here is Wi-Fi, which is often a purchasable add-on.

Airlines will generally offer tiered packages on their Wi-Fi-enabled planes so you only pay for what you need. This could be as simple as a few megabytes for messaging friends to a few hundred for web browsing and online shopping.

Some airlines, such as Norwegian Air, may also charge a fee to access their video-on-demand service - especially on short-haul flights.

Which budget and mid-range airlines have free inflight entertainment?

The no-frills approach of budget airlines means you’re not likely to get a whole lot in terms of free inflight entertainment. After all, that’s how they their keep airfares low.

To make sure you know what you’re getting in the price of your ticket – and what you’ll need to pay for, we've compared the IFE systems and Wi-Fi capabilities of eight budget and mid-range airlines below. We’ve also thrown in whether kids can expect any complimentary extras, such as activity packs to keep them busy.

Airline	TV and Movies?	Wi-Fi?	Kids’ activity packs?
Jet2	No	No	No – but Jet2 offers a variety of kids’ toys to purchase on board
Ryanair	No	No	No
easyJet	No	No	Yes – kids’ snack packs, complete with puzzles and games, are free on all flights
Wizz Air	No	No	No
Norwegian Air	Yes – Video On Demand can be streamed to your device from €5 on most flights within Europe. Long-haul international flights have free seat-back entertainment	Yes – on flights in Europe, to Argentina, the US and the Caribbean. Not available on long-haul international flights	No
Aer Lingus	Yes – but only on transatlantic flights	No – but Wi-Fi plans start from £7.95 on transatlantic flights	No – but Aer Lingus offers a variety of kids’ toys to purchase on board
TUI – flight only	Yes – on long-haul flights only	No – TUI do not currently have the capacity to offer Wi-Fi, free or paid	No – but TUI offers a variety of kids’ toys to purchase on board

Which larger and flag carriers have free inflight entertainment?

You can rest assured that the big carriers will take care of you on your long-haul flights. IFE systems, usually in the form of seatback screens, are standard among them all. Some also offer free Wi-Fi and for those travelling with kids, Etihad even have onboard nannies.

A limited number of these airlines provide IFE on shorter flights, too, which is something to consider when comparing flights. Check out the table below for more.

Airline	TV and Movies?	Wi-Fi?	Kids’ activity packs?
British Airways	Yes – but seat-back screens are only available on World Traveller flights	No – but almost all planes offer Wi-Fi plans to purchase	Yes – available for kids between 3 and 5 on flights longer than 2 hours
Virgin Atlantic	Yes – all flights offer entertainment on seat-back screens	No – but there are a range of Wi-Fi options to purchase on board. Prices vary by route	Yes – on all flights departing the UK, kids under 11 will get a backpack filled with goodies including a colouring book, eye mask and socks, and pencils
Emirates	Yes – seat-back entertainment is available across their entire fleet	Yes – you can enjoy 20MB for free on all flights. Prices vary after this limit	Yes – kids up to the age of 12 will receive an activity pack suited to their age. They can include activity books, toys, socks and more.
Qantas	Yes – and on domestic (Australian) flights without seat-back entertainment systems, Qantas offer a free app to stream TV and movies	Yes – you can get free Wi-Fi but only on selected domestic flights	Yes – kids between 3 and 6 get a kids’ pack on all international and domestic flights
KLM	Yes – KLM offer free inflight entertainment on all intercontinental flights	No – but you can purchase Wi-Fi on all their Boeing 787 Dreamliners	Yes – on intercontinental flights, kids over 2 receive a play set. On European flights, kids get a passport holder and activity book
Etihad	Yes – Etihad provide free TV shows, movies and games on all routes except ‘ultra-short-haul’ flights	No – but you can purchase Wi-Fi in varying tiers	Yes – Etihad offer activity packs to kids over 3, plus long-haul flights have onboard nannies to keep the little ones entertained

Which airlines have free inflight meals?

Just like forgoing inflight entertainment, budget airlines also keep their costs low by charging for meals on-board.

Below, we detail how much you can expect to pay for a meal deal (a sandwich, drink and snack) or main meal on a variety of popular airlines as well as which airlines have free inflight meals.

Some larger and flag carriers also offer the option to ‘upgrade’ your complimentary meal, which you can pre-book and pay for online before you fly.

Airline	Can you get free meals on short-haul flights?	Can you get free meals on long-haul flights?
Jet2	Prices start at £7.50 for a meal deal	N/A
Ryanair	Prices start at €9 (£7.70) for a meal deal	N/A
easyJet	Prices start at £7 or €9 for a meal deal	N/A
Wizz Air	Prices start at €6 (£5.15) for a meal deal	N/A
Norwegian Air	£6 for a hot meal on selected flights. Fresh food on other flights start at £4	Meals and drinks are included on international long-haul flights for all travellers except LowFare ticket holders.
Aer Lingus	Prices start at €7.50 (£6.40) for a meal deal	Travellers on transatlantic flights will receive a complimentary hot lunch with soft drinks and water, plus an evening snack.
TUI – flight only	Prices start at £6.50 for a meal deal	Meals and drinks are included on long-haul flights but additional snacks will need to be paid for.
British Airways	Sandwiches start at £3.90	You will receive complimentary drinks, snacks and hot meal, followed by a lighter snack or breakfast just before landing.
Virgin Atlantic	N/A	You will receive complimentary drinks, snacks and a hot meal, followed by a lighter snack or breakfast just before landing.
Emirates	Complimentary meals are included on all ticket types.	Complimentary meals are included on all ticket types.
Qantas	Complimentary meals are included on all domestic (Australian) flights.	Complimentary meals, drinks and snacks are included on all international flights.
KLM	Depending on the length of the flight and departure time, you’ll receive either a complimentary snack, a fresh sandwich or a hot meal.	Complimentary meals, drinks and snacks are included on all intercontinental flights.
Etihad	Expect a range of complimentary meals based on flight duration and destination.	Expect a range of complimentary meals based on flight duration and destination.

Things to remember when comparing complimentary extras on your flight

It pays to remember that inflight services are never ‘free’, as such. They are either built into the cost of your ticket or not.

Similarly, don’t write off the budget airlines that don’t offer all the entertainment extras – for some short-haul flights, you’ll be touching down before you can even get to the first big fight scene in the latest Marvel flick!