The most popular airlines have long focused on a wide range of passengers and offer on board not only special meals that meet medical indications and religious beliefs, but also suitable dishes for vegetarians, vegans and raw foodists.
The world's airlines are trying to provide their passengers with a wide range of food on the plane, going beyond the standard sets for the usual human diet. Complimentary meals on board scheduled flights include breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the flight is not long and only snacks are served, then you will not be able to order vegetarian meals. For long flights with multiple meals, the vegetarian meal may be the same. Although the rest of the passengers with a standard set can get a more varied ration of meals.
Despite the fact that each airline has its own menu, most of the food types correspond to special codes. The following in-flight meals are suitable for vegetarians:
AVML - Indian and Asian Hindu without meat and fish dishes with the possible presence of dairy products (yoghurt, cheese, milk, cream).
INVG - Indian curry with dairy products.
RVML - Raw food cuisine with dishes without heat treatment.
VGML - Vegan menu without the use of animal products.
VLML - Meals for ovo-lacto vegetarians using milk and eggs.
FPML - Fructorian menu with fresh and canned fruits and pastries.
JNML - Indian spice Jain food without root vegetables, onions and garlic.
VJML - Lean in-flight meal with vegetables, fruits, nuts, porridge and mushrooms. The presence of butter and milk is possible.
The conditions for ordering food on the plane differ from airlines. Therefore, for each flight, it is necessary to clarify the availability of special meals and the minimum time for its registration in the reservation system. After check-in, boarding tickets also contain confirmation of the passenger's food habits on board the aircraft.
For AEROFLOT, special meals must be ordered no later than 36 hours before departure. At the same time, you will not have to pay extra for food, since meals on board Aeroflot are free.
At TRANSAERO, the processing time for a vegetarian lunch or dinner can vary from 24 to 35 hours, depending on the flight. Meals on board Transaero are free. However, the company does not guarantee confirmation of a special menu and is ready to provide passengers with a standard set of dishes.
SWISS offers its passengers up to 18 types of special meals, which can be ordered one day before departure through the service center, a personal account on the airline's website or when booking a ticket. In addition to the classic vegetarian menu options, the airline offers passengers oriental dishes based on Chinese recipes without meat products.
For CATHAY PACIFIC airline, non-standard meals on board are issued at least one day before departure through the passenger's personal profile on the website or by calling the reservation offices.
Flights via BRITISH AIRWAYS with ordering lean and vegetarian menus are available one day before departure, and with vegan, fruit and raw food meals, at least two days in advance.
In LUFTHANSA airline, non-standard meals are issued after confirmation of the reservation at least one day before the departure of the flight. You can order food through the "My Bookings" section on the website or at the company's representative office. You will not need to pay extra for this additional option. Special meals are offered in Economy Class from 185 minutes and in Business Class from 75 minutes. The oriental-style vegetarian menu is only available from the Lufthansa Service Center. The company's onboard meals also include light snacks made from whole plant foods that are good for the human gastrointestinal tract.
