Major changes have taken place in the airline industry in the area of customer services. Consumers who travel regularly have noticed that on domestic U.S. flights hot meals are no longer served in economy class. Instead, on domestic flights of 3 hours or longer the airlines are offering salads and sandwiches for sale on board. These items are not vegan, though some may possibly be vegetarian. Snacks like peanuts, pretzels, crackers, and cookies along with beverages are still served in economy class.

Business class and first class travelers still receive hot meals on domestic flights. Though vegetarian meals are available, vegan offerings may not be available on all airlines.

The airlines are actually encouraging domestic travelers to bring their own meals. Nutritionally and comfort-wise, bringing foods of your own choosing is the best option for vegan and vegetarian travelers. Foods that travel well include nuts and seeds, firm fruits like apples and pears, whole-grain crackers, and dried fruits. Sliced, marinated and baked tofu is a good companion to fresh fruits. Fruit and vegetable salads packaged in sturdy containers also travel well.

International travelers in economy, business, and first class will still have hot meals with some vegetarian and possibly vegan options available. Because customer services, especially food services, are constantly changing in the airline industry, we advise travelers to check in advance about the availability of special meals with their airline agent.

When bringing your own food aboard international flights, please note that many countries may not allow you to take uneaten produce off the plane. To prevent the spread of plant diseases and insect infestation, many countries have strict bans on the importation of agricultural products. Be sure to check with the airline or the consulate of the country you are visiting.

In addition to our chart indicating vegetarian choices, we include your comments, positive and negative, about your dining experiences on different airlines. The comments are grouped by airlines below the chart. Sign your comment, even though each report includes only your initials and the date received. Send your comments to vegparadise@vegparadise.com

Traveling by air and ordering a vegetarian meal can be like playing Russian roulette. You simply don't know what will appear on your tray. Vegetarians who are planning to travel by plane may wonder what vegetarian food choices are available. We hope to provide answers by sharing information we have received from the airlines.

If you are traveling on an airline we have not listed, email us, and we will do our best to obtain the information you need. Our goal is to provide helpful resources that continue to enrich your vegetarian path.

*Indicates reader comments about this airline are provided below the following chart:

Our Air Canada strict vegetarian lunch was absolutely fabulous. The salad had iceberg lettuce with shredded carrots and red cabbage and came with a packet of oil and vinegar dressing on the side. The attractive entrée had rice noodles, a generous portion of sliced seitan, julienne red and green bell peppers, Chinese mushroom slices, diced carrots and whole snap peas in a slightly sweet Asian sauce. Dessert was a fresh fruit salad of honeydew, cantaloupe, and pineapple. The meal came with a white roll and canola margarine that was non-hydrogenated. For airline food it was outstanding!
Z.A. 7-15-03

Hello, I wanted to offer some feedback on my experience flying with Air Canada. I made my reservations on cheaptickets.com and specified my vegan meal preference. When it came time for meal service, the flight attendant came to my seat to make sure she knew where I was and that I had requested the special meal. I actually got served first, rather than the customary last! The meal was palatable but unspectacular, as airline food tends to be. It also came with margarine on the side, which was not vegan but easy enough not to eat. The return leg was just as pleasant. The entrees consisted of vegetables with rice and tofu on the way there and a rice noodle/vegetable/seitan (I think?) dish on the way back. I was very pleased that they were so accommodating.
A.D. 7-1-03

I flew Air France return from Paris to Tokyo in April 2008. The meals on the way to Tokyo were great. The curried salad even contained a French brand of smoked tofu I like. Everything was curried. Served with petit pain and fresh fruit for dessert. Unfortunately, while they did offer an open snack bar, this was limited to meat sandwiches, meat-flavored ramen noodles, and ice cream bars. The only snack offered that was vegan was the bags of snack mix. I was glad I had packed a sandwich. On the way back from Tokyo, it wasn't nice at all. My main meal was one cup of sticky white rice with 2 tiny florets each of broccoli and cauliflower, and 4 tiny button mushrooms. No protein whatsoever. After the first flight, it was a real let down. Not to mention that my light meal served later was a starter of fruit salad, and a main of green salad. I had not packed a sandwich for this flight and was extremely hungry. They had the same open snack bar with nothing for vegans, and only ice cream for vegetarians. The green salads are not served with dressing, only a lemon wedge. The margarine served is vegan.
K.C. 5-10-08

On my outgoing flight from Houston to Paris I was very impressed with Air France's service and (Indian) vegetarian meal. The meal consisted of curried chickpeas with peas and potatoes over yellow rice with a salad, roll, and fruit on the side. I requested a vegetarian meal when I purchased the ticket on travelocity.com, but when I arrived at the check-in counter I was told (after asking) that no such request was placed. Regardless, the agent was very accommodating and made sure a vegetarian meal was available for me. He told me to always call a day in advance to check that my meal was really requested.

HOWEVER, the first leg of my return flight to Houston was canceled, which was the beginning of many problems. I called to request a vegetarian meal for my new flight and I was told that there would be one for me, which was a blatant lie. During the flight, I was told that my name wasn't on the special meal list and was offered beef or chicken. I became angry and refused either of the meals, so for a 10+ hour flight (18 hours of traveling) all I had was a light snack. An Indian man seated in the same row also requested a vegetarian meal ahead of time and was not provided with one. This was a huge plane so it is very possible that they messed up more meal requests. The flight attendants offered no apologies and no meal vouchers.

It has been over three months since my flight was canceled, and I am still seeking financial compensation for the flight cancellation and the meal mistake. Air France has replied to my letters but refuses to take blame nor offer apologies or any sort of compensation; they clearly do not value their customers. It is a shame because I really enjoyed the outbound flight.

(PS: If you are ever angry with an airline, cause a big stink the moment they mess up. Don't wait and think you'll get compensation by being civil and directing your complaint in writing to people who are paid to handle complaints.)
A.F 5-1-08

My daughters travelled from New Zealand to Europe via LA recently on Air NewZealand, and their vege meals were just crap. While everybody else was having toast and peaches, they got pasta for breakfast.The next flight, for breakfast they were given Weetabix while the rest of the plane got muesli ! Can you believe that! I know that some airlines provide good vege meals; let's have the facts not the claims.
J.B. 3-18-02

We recently traveled on Alaska Airlines and were pleasantly surprised with the attention given to freshness and attractive presentation of the vegan meal we were served in economy class.

We had a perky salad with baby lettuces, sliced cucumber, and a large wedge of tomato. The savory dressing was Kraft Classics, Golden Italian. The package said non-dairy.

The entrée consisted of white rice on one side with stir-fried, tender crisp broccoli, carrots, onion, sliced celery, squares of red and green bell pepper, and several chunks of extra firm browned tofu. Though the dish was delicately seasoned the vegetables were truly tasty, an obvious sign of freshness.

The fruit salad dessert had chunks of fresh honeydew, watermelon, and pineapple. Not only were they sweet, but they had that freshness that told us they had been prepared shortly before take-off.

The meal was served with an attractive roll. Though not whole grain, it was covered with a variety of seeds including flax, sesame, millet, and sunflower with a few sunflower seeds inside as well. The margarine was cholesterol free and made by Canola Harvest. We were not sure if it was dairy-free and didn't use it.
Z.A. 6-15-02

I just wanted to share my experience with the Airline food. I flew on American Airlines from LAX to BOS on Jan. 16, 2002. I made my reservations on Orbitz. I indicated on the form that I wanted a non-dairy vegetarian meal for both legs. When I checked in, I inquired about my special meal. I was informed that it wasn't entered. However, the counter person entered the information for the return trip. The trip to Boston was early in the morning so they were serving light entrees. I was able to find something I could eat on the tray given to me. In fact, the options they had were a fruit tray or some meat thing. The options for lunch was pleasantly surprising.

The return leg was pleasant as well. When I got my vegan meal, I read the ingredients to double check that it was okay. I was very happy with my entree. It wasn't the best, but at least I know that I wasn't stuck with the heartburn that everyone else was going to get. My neighbor had something that looked interesting. It was interestingly disgusting. I observed how people devoured their food without batting an eye. I don't even think they wanted to taste their food. Anyway, my experience was pleasant.

The airlines still have room for improvement though. When they start serving tempeh, then I will know that they are making a strong effort to accommodate strict vegetarians.
E. S. 5-13-02

I've flown British Airways a few times in the last year and never had a problem getting a vegan meal. It is labeled vegetarian non-dairy, but I've been told by several members of staff that it is in fact, vegan. All of the packaged side items with listed ingredients that I've seen have been vegan. British Airways does offer special meals on their connecting flights in Europe if they're over a meal time or over a certain amount of hours. I get a full meal every time I fly between London and Athens--usually a nice one.
K.C. 5-10-08

British Airways DOESN'T provide vegan meals, only non-dairy vegetarian. They advertise vegan on their site, but when booking, the only options are Vegetarian-Non Dairy, Vegetarian Asian (May contain Dairy) and Vegetarian Ovo-Lacto. Upon mailing them, they CLAIM vegan meals are only available on "selected" flights. Well if London to NY and London to LA aren't on the list, I doubt there are any at all. Those are their two busiest lines to the US.

Maybe it's also interesting to know they won't provide "special "meals on connecting flight in Europe. You'll get e.g. in my case a cheese & ham sandwich. When I didn't want it, the attendent got grumpy, so I made it worse and said something in the line of "It already makes me feel really bad, knowing an animal had to suffer in order for BA to provide me with food I didn't request and will end up in the bin." She then put the plate on my table anyway and said, "I've been taught by my parents to eat what's being served."
S. 5-5-07

I believe that your members may be interested in my family's recent experience with British Airways.

As you show on your website, BA provides a range of special meal options. I am not a vegan but I also do not have egg / egg products, and certainly do not have fish or meat, so I have always gone for BA's Asian Vegetarian Meal, which they claim does not have fish, meat, eggs etc.

However, as strict vegetarians, my family was horrified to receive an Asian Vegetarian meal that included yoghurt that contained fish oils. Instead of apologising for this gross negligence, BA claims that although the Asian Vegetarian option does not include fish, meat or eggs, this does not exclude fish, meat or egg by-products. This is despite the fact that on the BA website it recommends that Hindus wanting a VEGETARIAN meal should go for the Asian Veg option. I am sure you will agree that BA is simply splitting hairs as regards fish by-products. People who opt for vegetarian meals are surely unlikely to want to eat meat by-products?

I am sure that you must have many members who travel by BA and not be aware that this airline is so grossly irresponsible as regards food provided. It is highly possible that they, like my mother, trusted in BA, and in so doing, compromised their beliefs.

I urge you to make the above known to your community, and even complain / boycott BA for being so grossly negligent. Being a strict vegetarian is an essential part of the faith of millions, and this should serve as a reminder to large (and small) companies that they should be more vigilant and responsible.
A. S. 4-23-07

British Airways vegan food is excellent. Even when they're just serving a snack, there's a vegan option--something like a hummus and veggie sandwich on fresh bread. And the meals are always pretty good (for airplane food). I've even had some vegan desserts.
K.C. 9-16-06

Yes, they do have special meals. But on "short" flights, they only have a snack, which is not a bag of peanuts or cookies or anything. It's a burger or other meat-filled sandwich. I asked for a vegetarian option and they said for the short flights, all they offer are the snacks. I was going from NY to Phoenix, which i don't think is that short of a flight. Really not happy with Continental's vegetarian options.
K.C. 1-11-08

On a couple of domestic connections, I was served an icy cold amy's burrito. Yikes! The first time I ate it as is... The second time I asked if it could be heated up a bit... The attendant did the best she could --she stuck it on top of the coffee machine for a few minutes. The slight improvement was much appreciated. No big deal, just kind of odd to eat a 1/2-frozen burrito.
I.G. 2-3-03

We ordered "Strict Vegetarian" meals on Continental. The first meal was French toast. I assumed that they had made this without eggs until I realized they had also served cream cheese with the bagel. On the return flight the meal was Amy's shepherds pie, which was great, but the salad dressing was made with buttermilk.
B.M.R. 8-24-02

Continental, SAN to EWR round-trip, 2001. Great meals overall, not bland like most institutional food. Only screw-up was that with breakfast, I got served milk, which was easy enough to overcome by eating it as dry cereal and returning the milk for some juice.
J.H.R. 6-2-02

The meal on my New York to Madrid trip consisted of a mixture of white beans, potatoes, carrots, and, I think, peas, with a salad (Italian dressing), a roll, and a fruit cup on the side. It felt very put together, but it wasn't bad.

On my Madrid to Atlanta flight the sides were the same (although the fruit was fairly tasteless) and the main dish was garbanzo beans with green beans and tomatoes. We were served a snack that was a veggie sandwich for me and pizza for everyone else. Again, it wasn't great, but wasn't bad.

I was very pleased with Delta's helpfulness toward vegetarians/vegans, intentional or not. You can print out your itinerary on Delta.com, and it has a note to the side if you've requested a special meal (so you know that it's been noted properly, and this leaves little room for mistakes). Not only that, but on both my outbound and inbound flights the regular meals offered were chicken or (I'm assuming vegetarian) pasta, which is good if you forget to order a vegetarian meal or if your special request slips through the cracks.
A.F. 6-4-08

Delta had early notice and appropriate notice we needed two vegan meals. Alas only one given and the other a terrible dairy-filled meal. The team traveling internationally, doctors and nurses, were famished when they reached overseas. Delta is careless and nonchalant on this reservation for vegan meal procedure.
K.G. 8-16-07

I flew with Delta a few times, and had pre-ordered my vegetarian meals. EACH time, they went around to every seat and gave people a choice of what to eat, and by the time they reached me ran out of vegetarian meals! One of the times I was actually offered turkey! This was extremely ignorant and offensive. What is the point of taking the trouble to wait on hold to pre-order a meal if they are going to give them away to people who never bothered to do it?
B.M. 12-30-06

I contacted Delta August 2 to request vegetarian meals for my family. I received this reply:

Thank you for your e-mail to Delta Air Lines.

Many special meals are available in First Class only. Please contact Delta Reservation Sales at 800-221-1212 to check availability.

We appreciate your interest in Delta Air Lines.

Sincerely,

Debrajo Elster Online Customer Support Desk http://www.delta.com

When I phoned the Delta Reservation Sales (a 15 minute call- the 1st 10 on hold!) I was told there would be no in-flight meal. If meals were to be available in coach they would be for sale- I requested yet was unable to get confirmation of veg. meal availability nor costs.
D. D. T. 9-7-04

The Delta flight vegan meal from Salt Lake City to Anchorage, Alaska was a joke. Our vegan meals were served on board while all the other passengers reached into a bin for their blue sack meals as they were boarding. My husband unwrapped his sandwich first and discovered a turkey sandwich, a packet of Hellman's mayonnaise, potato chips, and an apple. Mine was also a sandwich with a white bun filled with 2 thick slices of barely cooked yellow squash and a dried up piece of lettuce. In addition there was a little box of raisins, an apple, and a bag of potato chips. They held the plane to try to get a replacement for my husband's meal but were not able to, so I shared my "fabulous sandwich."
Z.A. 9-7-03

I flew on Delta December 24 and had a marvelous vegan breakfast ­ a mixed grains cooked cereal (I don't know what it was, except delicious), fruit, and a roll. Dinner on January 10 was also vegan and very good ­ beyond steamed veggies, only I can't remember what it was.
S.C. 2-3-03

I recently flew from Tel Aviv to Chicago and back to Tel Aviv. Because I wanted to be sure to receive meals that were both vegetarian and kosher, I flew El Al. The dinner meal from Tel Aviv was outstanding; it was a sort of blintzy thing filled with vegetables and topped with little bits of tofu and a tomato sauce. The side dishes were similar to the other flyers, but were fine -- it included roasted zuccini and eggplant that were very yummy. Everyone getting any kind of special meal was served first (of course I had requested vegetarian ahead of time and saw that it was listed on the computer at check-in).The breakfast was vegetarian-nondairy, and was also good; it, too, had something like a blintz, filled with lots of mushrooms and other vegetables. On the return flight, all the meals were brought aboard on the stop in Toronto. These meals were much less appealing, and so not memorable that I can't even remember what was provided, just that I wasn't interested in eating much of it.
Y.M. 1-11-07

The best ever Asian vegetarian. With all the Indians flying with them, they obviously make a real effort to cater to Hindu tastes. When the Bangladeshi woman next to me saw what I had, she asked the attendant to switch her normal (halal) meal for what I had. No problem: they obviously have extras on board.
C.V. 11-1-07

I have flown a number of times on Hawaiian Airlines in the last couple of years and requested a vegetarian meal through Orbitz. While they always have confirmed my special order on board and served me first, a couple of times I got a different special meal, such as kids or kosher (the former was truly scary, and I didn't notice the label until I had eaten a chicken tender, assuming it was fake). Moreover, the choice of a regular meal often included something vegetarian, such as pasta, that looked far more tasty than my bland squash stir-fry.
K.O. 3-12-05

Having flown cross country on other airlines and received rye crackers and an apple for dinner (*cough* Northwest *cough*), I felt the need to publicly praise Hawaiian Air for their Vegetarian/Vegan meal. This is one of the few non-veggie places I've ever eaten that understands vegetarian does not = bland.

Lunch on the way to the islands from the West Coast was a mildly spicy Thai inspired dish of mixed vegetables and rice, salad, and a roll. The return dinner meal comprised of couscous and sweet potato with mixed veggies, taro roll, salad, and a sweet-and-sour sauce to scatter where desired. Not only were both meals kind to the palate, but they were hot.

Kudos to Hawaiian! I have no qualms about leaving backup food behind.
S.B. 4-29-03

I flew Jet Airways, an Indian Airline, from London to India last year and had consistently fabulous Hindu vegetarian meals on their flights, both international and domestic. Tasty and flavorful: rice, lentils, bread, dessert, fruit. The kind of meal you would actually pay for if you had the choice! I can't recommend them enough.
J. C. 6-5-07

I flew from the US to Bahrain, an 18-hour flight, on KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines. Before leaving I specified vegetarian meals, with no dairy or egg. My first meal was steamed mixed vegetables with rice, not bad, and a dish of fresh mixed fruit (cantaloupe, grapes, honeydew). Following that I had pancakes for breakfast with fried potatoes, and a mixed fresh fruit dish. For lunch I had an Indian style lunch with seasoned rice, a coconut flavored curry with seasoned beans, a side order of a sweetened rice mixed with some type of seeds and raisins, and a strawberry pudding and a dish of fresh fruit for dessert.

The meal was very good. Following that, I was given a vegetable burrito for dinner. It was fresh made with sautéed onions, beans, corn. It was very good. Along the way, the stewardesses were constantly offering me orange juice, water, coffee, etc. All together, the food was great. I wouldn't mind eating it all the time.
D.P. 7-23-02

On a recent trip from Los Angeles round-trip to Germany, the vegan meals were small but excellent. The menu-planning chef treats vegetarian diners with respect. In eastern Germany, I had seen fresh wild mushrooms in the market (October is mushroom season), and two of the three meals featured mushrooms. My favorite meal was perfectly-cooked penne with diced black mushrooms and fresh herbs in a delicate sauce flavored with bits of red pepper and garnished with a tangle of shredded vegetables. The entree was accompanied by a diced vegetable salad with parboiled zucchini, celery and tofu, a (good) roll with margarine and a yeast-based pate-like spread, and a simple but delicious kanten (gelled with agar-agar) of peach nectar topped with a slice of kiwi fruit. I did find that all the meals were slightly undersalted and improved with a dusting of pepper and salt. Good coffee, and unlimited beer and wine. I also liked the snacks of smoked almonds and an Almond-Joy-like coconut bar. The only downside was, as with most fine-dining, the meals had relatively low protein/total calorie ratios. Bring an energy bar or some protein powder for each day you're flying.
D.O. 10-23-04

I wanted to share my experience when I flew Luftansa from the US to Barcelona:
The entrées were marked vegan, and they tasted decent, but the rest of the tray was questionable, even though it was different than everyone else's tray. They could not confirm what was in unlabeled items (like the croissant) and there was a vegetable spread on the tray that had dairy in it, even though I requested a vegan meal. As usual with most veg airline meals, no dessert, but they had nice fresh fruit. My suggestion is to bring snacks--the meals are small and not 100% vegan!
N. L. 5-14-02

If you do dairy, order the Asian vegetarian. Great Hindu food. Even the attendant was asking about it.
C.V. 11-1-07

Northwest domestic flights are pretty bland. Usually a veggie stuffed pita. By veggies I mean lettuce, tomato, and peppers. I've also had problems with them seeming to think that an instant oatmeal packet for breakfast was suitable for vegans if given hot water instead of milk. Too bad there's milk powder in all the varieties I've had offered! They never even apologize, although I've contacted the airline each and every time it's happened.
K.C. 9-16-06

Have to disagree with other peoples' comments about vegetarian meals on Qantas domestic flights. I often fly Sydney-Perth, and always get a good, healthy meal. Beats anything on any US airline for sure.
CV 11-1-07

There is significant different between Qantas domestic and international flights. The international flights offers good vegetarian meals, both dinner and breakfast which i enjoyed very much. On the domestic, it's only a packaged meals for short flight which i avoid completely as I a meal before or after flights.
RKM 11-10-06

I would like to make a comment on comments made on Qantas food on your website. The writer comments on a Sydney to Brisbane flight. I would like people outside Australia to know that this is only a 1 hour flight, and therefore they have cut down on so much food on these very short flights. Also, as far as domestic flights go, Qantas is the ONLY airline to still offer food for "free" (once you've bought your ticket) whereas other airlines have a little range of expensive snacks you can buy, mostly packet food like chips.
L.G. 9-3-05

Since I live in Oz and the flying kangaroo is my airline it has seemed natural for me to travel red and white whenever I move around for business and/or pleasure. Qantas vegan used to consist of a nice platter or hot meal that you could actually tell someone you had enjoyed. However, change has hit our national airline, and it's not been for the better.

Recently I flew to Sydney from Brisbane I was tossed a small cardbox inside which were a piece of honeydew melon, a piece of rockmelon (cantaloupe) a piece of watermelon and a small fruit juice. The sparcity was a disappointment, but all three pieces of food were completely tasteless. I would have preferred a packet of mixed nuts or rice crackers.

Speaking to other vegans, I find they have experienced the same level of poor food on Qantas of late. Vegetarian and omnivore friends also say they have found the lowering in food standards a reason to try other airlines in the future.
W.W. 7-22-02

The vegetarian meals on Singapore Airlines are very nice. They have a multitude of types depending on your needs. I had the "Asian style" meals and really enjoyed them. The breakfast was particularly appealing, although it was rice and so on due to being Asian style. They use a lot of TVP in their meals. I had a pleasant experience with their vegetarian meals; not good enough to order in a restaurant but certainly better than the average airline meal.
K. B. 4-7-04

My husband flew Swiss Air return from Switzerland to Tokyo in March/April 2008 and had nice, healthy vegan food on both flights. However, he's not truly vegan, and was able to indulge in the ice cream.
K.C. 5-10-08

I flew Swiss Air to and from Rome, Italy this past two weeks and was pleasantly surprised with my lacto-ovo meal. The entrees were varied: seitan in a creamy caper sauce with quinoa, seasoned spinach and peppers and fresh grapes, couscous with fresh vegetables. Everything was very flavorful, albeit small portions. I would recommend this food highly.

I requested the lacto-ovo option when I made my seat reservation and never had to double check with the flight staff. I was searched out on the plane and given my meals. On the flight home, I was served my meal before the general population.
N.B. 6-3-02

On a recent United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago there was, as is becoming the norm, food for sale. My partner and I had previously ordered vegetarian meals and these had been confirmed at check-in. However, once on the 4.5 hour flight, we were handed a menu with food to purchase listed and there was not a single vegetarian option! 4 meat options but nothing for vegetarians! I have contacted UAL but as yet not received a single reply! I will send you their reply should I ever receive one!

As much as I love the USA I am glad I live in Britain for the one reason that it is so easy to be vegetarian here! All food in shops and supermarkets is labelled as being suitable for vegetarians or vegans and in many cases the animal ingredients on non-vegetarian items are listed. In the USA it is impossible to buy vegetarian cheese! I hope things improve for you!
A.W. 9-6-04

About 10 years ago, while traveling on United from NY to Italy my (pre-requested) vegetarian meal arrived with a sticker on the lid that read: " This meal was prepared to meat your special dietary needs" How's that for irony? Thought you might enjoy it!
K.C. 4-19-03

I have to say that the meal I just received from United was useless to say the least: a container of mineral water, applesauce, a "now and zen" vegan cookie (good) and an old banana.

I used to get a better meal with them. I'll always bring my own from now on.

The other airlines I've flown lately do a much better job.
W.T. 8-26-02

I noticed the info. you provide on airlines, and wanted to send you some comments. My sister is an employee of United Airlines, so we travel very frequently. The meals we order are the fruit plate or the vegetarian-no dairy. It is very "hit or miss" with the vegetarian-no dairy option; the questionable part of the meal is usually the accompaniments.

The entree tends to always be OK, and it usually has a sticker on it, identifying it as a special meal. Sometimes everything else is fine too - vegan spread, bread with no eggs, and even a Now & Zen vegan cookie.

But other times, they give you the special entree and then serve you the same sides that everyone else on the plane is eating - dressing that isn't cool, a questionable roll, and a dessert with eggs in it.

My husband and I just took a trip to the east coast last week. On the way there, our entire meal was vegan. On the way back, we were served "Milano" cookies from Pepperidge Farms. They contain milk fat, nonfat milk, whole eggs, and egg whites.

The best tip I can offer is to "beware of the sides!"
M. S . 5-1-02

On a round trip between Philadelphia and Lisbon, Portugal (July 2007) we reqested "Asian Vegetarian" meals both ways. From Philly to Lisbon they served a delicious and spicy Indian curry with rice, provided by one of Philly's Indian restaurants. On the return trip it was some kind of an Asian stir-fry. Not quite as tasty but fine nonetheless.

The return flight was 3 hours late in leaving, so US Airways told us to go and get a free "meal" at one of the airport snack bars "after 10:30 a.m." So we waited until then, hungry, and when they started serving the "meals" we found out that we were limited to a ham sandwich or a cheese sandwich, or a couple of deep-fried (low-quality) seafood items. The cheese sandwich was offered to vegetarians. Vegans were out of luck.

Want to see the delectable cheese sandwich? (see attachment)

Yum.

We still have the cheese sandwich in our fridge and, sooner or later, will mail it to the president of US Airways.
C.S. 8-6-07

I was looking at your vegetarian airline food page again, and I think the US Airways info is a bit out of date. My boyfriend and I flew with them from London to Denver and Boston to London over the winter holidays and had a good experience. They have a vegan option now. That's what I requested, and I did ask on the plane as well because my meal was labeled vegetarian, but was told by the flight attendant that all the veggie meals they were serving were vegan. I believe them because 1) I'm allergic to dairy and egg and lactose intolerant, and didn't get sick and 2) all of the side items were vegan. The only meal I remember specifically included an Indian style rice dish with eggplant. It was pretty good, actually. I also got a special snack. Actually, I think the eggplant and rice was the snack. Sorry I can't remember more, but I remember it all being vegan (even the cookies), and decently tasty.
K. C. 5-7-07

US Airlines, PHL to SAN round-trip+, 2000. Unlike M.S., who apparently knew this was called the "vegetarian-no dairy" meal, I was led to believe it was full-vegan by all three of their employees with whom I either ordered or confirmed that the meal would be vegan. (Also, I had to call to get this option; perhaps they've updated their site, but this was not a clickable option at their website).

However, like M.S., I noted that several items weren't vegan, and some even contained dairy. I wrote a letter to the company and their reply was a $50 rebate; I used it for a one-way ticket between the same two cities, figuring it was way more valuable than any meal, so US Air simply wasn't benefitting from that purchase at all, whereupon I received (of course ;-) ) ANOTHER meal that was half-dairy.

That was, and will be, my last trip ever on US Air. And so my best tip is that if a company misrepresents itself, complain, and if they don't offer a vegan option but are at least honest about it, go with a competitive airline that does cater to vegans.

For most vegans, the whole point of being vegan is that no one should use animals, and therefore taking out the profit-incentive is paramount, and since they profit even more when vegans pay them for the cost of a non-vegan meal, but then ALSO allow them to keep and re-serve those meals, I simply don't do business with those who aren't willing to give me a fair deal (i.e., either the meals that I paid for within their all-inclusive charge or an option to bring my own meals for a reduced price), because they'll never offer vegan meals if we don't give them an incentive to (i.e. going with a vegan-friendly competitor and not letting them profit off vegans by simply counting on us to return the meals to them).
J.H.R. 6-2-02

I flew Virgin last June London to New York and had a great flight. Both my meal and snack were Indian-style (it seems vegan food is always Indian-style on international flights), and tasty. My cookies were very nice. The only slight complaint I had is that everybody else got ice cream snacks during the flight, and there wasn't anything for me. Surely they could offer a vegan cookie or something. I had a similar experience on the return flight from Washington to London.
K.C. 5-10-08

I frequently fly with Virgin Atlantic and their vegetarian food is always terrific. I often see carnivores peering over at my tray with envy. They do anything they can to accommodate passengers' needs, and I have never had an experience where they didn't have enough vegetarian meals for everyone who needed one.
B.M. 12-30-06

Homepage Our Mission The Nut Gourmet
Vegetarian Survival Kit News from the Nest
Recipe Index Los Angeles Vegetarian Restaurants
24 Carrot Award Vegetarian Basics 101
Protein Basics Calcium Basics Ask Aunt Nettie
VeggieTaster Report Vegetarian Reading
VegParadise Bookshelf Heirloom Gardening
Cooking with Zel Dining in Paradise
Cooking Beans & Grains On the Highest Perch
Road to Vegetaria Media Reviews
Words from Other Birds Using Your Bean
Ask the Vegan Athlete Airline Vegetarian Meals
Vegetarian Holiday Meals Great Produce Hunt
Farmers' Markets Natural Food Markets
Vegetarian Associations Directory
Links We Love VegParadise Yellow Pages
Vegetarian Food Companies Archive Index
Send us e-mail