I ditched meat five years ago, and even though I’ve traveled throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia, my diet hasn’t gotten in my way. So when I took a 10-hour American Airlines flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, I was surprised when I couldn’t get a veggie option for dinner or breakfast.
(To be fair, I didn’t look into the food options before I flew.)
Vegetarianism is a growing trend throughout the United States and the world, and airlines are responding by offering more options for long-distance travelers. Vegetarians, vegans, and people with other dietary restrictions can get a meal that suits their needs in the air, and a handful of airlines offer plant-based meals as their default option.
But if you want to guarantee that you’ll get a meal that fits your dietary restrictions, you might have to take a few extra steps before you board.
How To Get a Vegetarian Meal On Your Flight
Book Directly With the Airline
If you’re booking a flight directly through the airline, you’ll most likely be able to request your meal before you pay. If you book with a service like Expedia or Cheapoair, you’ll have to do some extra work to get a meal that fits your diet.
Request a Meal Ahead of Time
If you do not see a veggie option at booking, you should be able to request a specific meal on your flight. This is one of the reasons why Emirates is such a great airline for vegetarians. It accommodates many types of diets, with options including a Vegetarian Jail Meal, Vegan Meal, Raw Vegan Meal, and a Low-Cholesterol/Low-Fat Meal.
Every airline is different, but most will allow you to request a special meal where you manage your booking. Sometimes, you will have to call to make a request.
Once I did a little digging through the American Airline flight, I realized that I could have put in a request for a vegetarian meal at least 24 hours before my flight. Well, I’ll know that for next time. This is typically the policy for most airlines (although some may want the request 48 hours ahead.)
My advice is just to make a request immediately after you book so you don’t forget.
The Best Airlines for Vegetarians
Every airline offers a different vegetarian meal, so just because you book ahead of time, doesn’t mean you’ll get a satisfying meat-free meal…
Asian Airlines Are Your Best Friend
Luckily, if you’re flying within Asia, or especially with an airline that operates in India, you probably won’t have to worry about going out of your way to book a vegetarian meal ahead of time.
I took quite a few flights on my backpacking trip through Southeast Asia and Australia. When I flew with Air China from New York to Bangkok, I had no problems reserving a vegetarian option at booking. (You can also reserve a “bland” meal, which I thought was hilarious. When I flew to Los Angeles while recovering from food poisoning, I understood why “bland” might be an option.)
Since India has the highest rate of vegetarians in the country, vegetarian meals are often the default option. Vegetarian friends who fly Air India and Jet Airways frequently report that they had a good experience with their meal.
Sri Lankan Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Singapore Airlines also offer satisfying in-flight meals for veggos and meat-eaters alike.
If your flight also goes through Australia or New Zealand, you should also be okay. Qantas and Jetstar are both frequently named some of the most veggie-friendly airlines in the world.
What’s the best airline for vegetarians? (Or so I’ve heard through the grapevine?) Emirates. But does that really surprise anyone?
There Are Some Airlines to Watch Out For…
When I asked my friends in the Female Digital Nomads Facebook group about their inflight meal experiences, I didn’t hear too many horror stories. However…
If you have dietary restrictions and you’re flying Delta…you might have to worry. (Again, does this really surprise anyone?) One traveler that I talked to mentioned that even when she pre-booked a meal, the flight ran out of meals and couldn’t accommodate vegetarians.
I recently booked a flight from New York to Santiago through Interjet, and even though the first flight to Mexico City is 14 hours, I could not find a way to request a vegetarian meal on the flight. (Every time I tried to search for on-board services, I was directed to information about their women-designated bathrooms. Okay…)
In General, You’re Better Off in Business Class
Interjet is a super-budget airline, but so is Jetstar. So don’t rely on the quality of the airline to translate to the quality (or availability) of vegetarian food options. But in general, the meals are better in business class and business passengers are more likely to find a vegetarian option. The Emirates website mentions that not all special requests can be fulfilled for economy passengers. (Typical.)
Personally, I don’t think it is worth the extra money to bump my flight up to business or first class just so I can guarantee that my meal is going to be less mediocre. Airline food is airline food. And no matter who you book with, take some time to look into special requests and options that fit your diet.
Last-Resort Tips for Traveling Vegetarians
Vegetarians and people with other dietary restrictions usually need to order meals a few days ahead of time. If pre-booking slips your mind, you may feel out of luck. (Even when you pre-book, airlines may not be able to accommodate your meal.) So be prepared.
Have Cash on Hand
Even if the flight doesn’t serve complementary veggie meals, you will still be able to purchase a vegetarian snack as you fly. I have run into problems on flights that didn’t take credit card, so make sure you bring some form of relevant currency on board.
Grab Food in the Airport
If you’re especially nervous about the meals on board, buy some food in the airport after you’ve passed the security checkpoints. You probably won’t be able to keep the food cold for very long, but stashing a sandwich or packet of hummus in your bag may be your savior on a long flight. It might also be worth airport prices to treat yourself to a hearty meal right before boarding so you’re stuffed for the first part of the flight.
Additional Resources For Vegetarians
Feel free to browse through the photos on AirlineMeals.net if you want to see what people are eating. HappyCow also offers a list of meal options that many major airlines offer passengers. Or, you can steal my idea and reach out to Facebook groups of travelers for information on specific meals on specific airlines.
We’re a family of vegetarians and me the vegan. You’ve pretty much covered all the tips.
In addition I also carry food, just in case. For example – snacks, dried fruit, Indian parathas, cup noodles etc.
United does a lot of mixup and then they don’t have sufficient substitutes, even in business class and even when we’ve booked we’ll in advance and called confirm. They’ve probably lost enough giving us compensation. But they’re unable to get their process together.
I’d better to be prepared and carry food from the airport or home, in case the airline messes up.
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