( CNN ) -- What are iconic and twisted and no longer free ? Pretzels aboard some Continental Airlines flights . Continental stopped serving complimentary snacks to passengers flying coach on domestic routes this week . The change is consistent with the carrier 's merger-partner United Airlines ' policy of food for purchase . `` We are removing beverage snacks -- pretzels and Biscoff [ cookies ] -- in an effort to reduce costs and align ourselves with many of our network competitors , '' Continental representative Andrew Farraro said . Continental expects the pretzel and cookie cut could save $ 2.8 million annually . The move comes after some domestic airlines , including American and US Airways , have already dropped free in-flight treats . Delta , JetBlue , Airtran and Southwest still offer freebies . Delta , the last major legacy airline to provide them , has no plans to downsize its snack system . `` We believe complimentary snacks are an appropriate component to the flight , '' Delta representative Chris Kelly Singley said . `` There are no plans of changing that right now . '' Raymond Kollau of Airlinetrends.com said the once-popular `` free snack '' is no longer a travel staple or airline standard . `` Continental 's move is just another sign of legacy carriers reducing amenities in order to shave off a bit of their costs in an industry with cutthroat competition and razor-thin margins , '' he said . Rather than spending millions on reintroducing free in-flight food on United flights , Continental is staying consistent with its merger-partner and creating room for profit with snack packs starting at $ 3.95 on coach flights , he said . `` For passengers , it means another 'full-service ' airline that eliminates even the most basic amenities , '' Kollau said . `` Of course , passengers wo n't walk away from Continental because their free snack has gone , but what is left of their sympathy for the airline is disappearing fast this way . Although a small service , I think the free snack is quite valued by passengers . '' Hungry air travelers could blame rising fuel costs , said global aviation consultant Mike Boyd of Boyd Group International . `` It 's to be expected when the price goes over $ 3 a gallon , '' he said . `` They 're going to be doing whatever they can . I do n't know what they 'll cut next , but I 'm sure they 'll find something . '' Boyd said snack removal should n't be considered a calamity . Passengers will shrug and fly anyway . `` We 're talking about a bag of pretzels here , '' he said . `` I call that litter in the seat back pocket . ''
It has stopped serving free meals to coach passengers on domestic routes . Some of the airline 's competitors have also dropped complimentary in - flight meals . The competitive ##ness and the economy are to blame , experts say .