‘Speciality meal’ - long haul flights

[MaterMetella]

Fully accept this is a first world problem. And (semi) light hearted.

But I’ve been vegetarian since I was 8. I’m not a particularly evangelical vegetarian- many people don’t even know. My husband and sons eat meat. But I’m (quietly) delighted to have seen vegetarianism become mainstream and in public consciousness . I’m also really glad we’ve moved on from the days where vegetarians needed to be ‘grateful’ for being given substandard food in restaurants and charged a fortune for it (thinking of my fried egg in a french Michelin starred restaurant, and (also France) the time they bought the cheese board out for every course for me). It is now so mainstream most airlines offer a vegetarian meal as a choice on their menus. This is relevant.

Typing this from the skies but this has happened on every long haul flight I’ve done ever. I pre-order a vegetarian meal*. Instead of setting aside a vegetarian meal on the normal menu for you, you become ‘speciality’. That speciality meal is - IMHO - always inferior. It is generic and trying to cover all bases (vegan, gluten free, lactose intolerant, low fat, Asian vegetarian) and misses a lot of components a vegetarian can eat. You don’t get butter, milk or cheese and usually not even pudding, only fruit.

i have just been refused the (vegan) ‘wellness’ breakfast in Cathay Pacific (we shouted for business class as a huge treat if it makes a difference) off the extensive menu as I preordered a ‘vegetarian’ breakfast. So instead of bircher and fruits and a croissant I’m being given something neither the air hostess nor I could recognise- it looked like cubed courgette in tomato with a side of mash.

Is it too much to ask that if the airline offers a vegetarian meal on its regular menu, and I pre-order vegetarian that I can get one of those? AIBU?

What do other vegetarians do?

*I could just not order a vegetarian meal and just hope that I get my choice on the menu. But very occasionally there’s an airline that doesn’t have a vegetarian option (looking at you JAL!) so high risk. And of course where there is a vegetarian meal offered I might not get my choice.

Or you could have pre ordered as you are flying business class with CP?

a quick google of the major airlines either shows you the actual menu for your flight or several solid examples all of the CP have a veggie option.

The airline caters for your dietary preferences.

people with actual dietary restrictions can’t get ingredient lists and often can’t request safe meals at all.

That you don’t happen to like the meal on offer is a common experience while flying.

She preordered. That’s why she was refused the standard available on board ‘vegan’ meal.
OP in my experience there’s always a perfectly acceptable veg meal on board as an option; I haven’t flown JAL yet though.
maybe bring a sandwich/ small meal as a back up and hope for a veg meal option?

No I meant as in you can pre order from the actual menu not just selecting veggie/vegan/dietary.

flights.cathaypacific.com/en_GB/flying-with-us/inflight-dining/choose-my-meal.html

Ah, this is a good point. I thought you had to pre-book vegetarian further in advance than menus were available for your actual flight (i thought I looked and only got ‘sample menus’ but may well be user error!). Thank you! I’ll try this next time.

OP, I don’t often fly long haul, but last time I flew with BA, I asked for a low salt meal - and it was so disgusting that I took a picnic for the way back and didn’t bother with their food at all. I’ve never travelled business so I can’t comment, but once, airline food was a treat - now, not so much. And I completely agree with you over the fact that vegetarians and vegans seem to be lumped in together, so you have to have the ghastly ultra processed lump of coloured fat that is “vegan cheese”. As for vegetarianism in France, I recall being on a course with some vegetarians and vegans - they kept trying to give them ham and fish, amongst other things. As far as the French are concerned, vegetarianism just doesn’t compute!

I have an allergy so sometimes even fly part normal menu and then second leg vegan if it’s brekkie for example so I can avoid what I need to but still pick up what I like on others.

joy of business 🙂

Yes, in first and business, many (most?) airlines allow you to pre-choose your specific meal (from the full menu) in advance. Some, like Singapore, allow you to either choose from the flight's menu (i.e. items that will be on your flight whether you pre-order or not) or from their extensive "book the cook" menu which you can only get if you pre-order. Unlike the specialty meals, you see exactly what you are getting (at least for the main course) when you order.

I'd take the risk for economy flights, especially if the meal is breakfast. IME there is always a vegetarian breakfast option.

Even at lunch or dinner you will most likely have a vege option and if not, you should be able to eat part of the meal.

There used to be a lacto ovo version which would provide more animal protein without the meat

I think now the one ‘speciality’ meal covers all bases as I have tried ordering this before and still got ‘speciality’ which is almost always a plain-ish pasta or non-spicy chick pea curry. Plus plain crackers and fruit. Woop!

I was once given broccoli, plain rice and sliced almonds as the vegetarian option. Not good, especially as I was flying business class long haul which had cost a lot.

On the return flight I asked if I could have one of the standard meals instead as it was mushroom ravioli (if I remember correctly) with a tomato sauce. That was much nicer.

Airlines have very limited space, which is why they ask you to preorder. Yabu to expect you can change your mind in the air because you like the look of something else better. Also i didnt tbink you were allowed on the internet while, airborne?

Most airlines offer WiFi these days (either free or for purchase).

@marnieMiaou Planes have wifi now.

I've just returned from a trip abroad, flew business class with BA on the return leg. There was no Veggie option for a hot breakfast - I'm not vegetarian but don't eat bacon, and the only think on the menu was a breakfast roll with bacon, eggs and tomato. The alternative was fruit, which was lovely but not filling enough on it's own for breakfast! I was surprised there was no hot veggie option tbh, even porridge.

I used to order this as a veggie, not vegan. Rarely got it. I fly less now and normally take my own food on if short-haul. Its no longer the treat it used to be.

Shout out to Virgin Atlantic here. I'm coeliac so well versed in being served fruit for every meal - but had a transatlantic flight earlier this year where every meal and snack felt equivalent rather than vastly inferior. I actually can't recall whether it was coeliac specific or covering all the bases but it was amazing. (Admittedly based on previous experience flying as a coeliac my standards are fairly low).

I am not a vegetarian but I always order the vegetarian option because I dread to think about the meat in the meat option! It's going to be the worst quality meat cooked hours ago and sitting steaming in its own salmonella box.
I can do a long haul on mini pretzels and gin thank you very much.

I have to order the gf meal and it is usually covering all bases so you get vegan/ dairy free/ gluten free in one meal and as a result it is usually gross and sad looking. I now tend to eat well before the flight and then bring my own picnic on board to cover the rest.

At least you can chance it and just choose the vegetarian option from the normal menu. As a gf person, I am also forced to eat the substandard menu that you mentioned, and the normal options are unsafe.

Edit: I now see that my wheat free sisters have said basically the same 😅

Likewise I’m not a vegetarian but prefer a vegetarian option when flying/eating out generally. I’m getting increasingly sick of only vegan offerings being available in hotels/gastropub restaurants though. I can count on one hand the occasions where a vegan meal has been actually tasty.

This

I have a nut allergy. It's not severe. But, given the choice, I don't necessarily want to eat pesto salad. Quantas' attitude to people towards nut allergies is, basically, fuck you, we're not even going to try.

They are happy to cater for the ridiculous nonsense that is religious-based dietary restrictions though. Yes I am an atheist.

Had an amazing experience with JAL flying with allergic DC. We spoke to them ahead of time, they talked through the menu contents, etc. and the service on board for the precautions was great. That was in premium economy. Whilst the food maybe wasn't easy to identify, I think that was partly the japanese element considering what others had. We were mainly grateful for the care they showed and the fact that they were catering for allergies so thoughtfully. As others have said, I see vegetarianism as a lifestyle choice. In some cases it would be easy enough to pick the meat options and just not eat the meat (not in all cases). At least then you would get pudding, etc. From a family who have to regularly rely on their own food on a plane, I think that you are moaning a little too much. However, I can understand that you are comparing to 'normal' people, so yours might not feel as good as theirs. It's what happens as soon as you put restrictions on the food you will/can eat.

You dont have to preorder vegetarian food now as they carry a veggie option as part of their main offering. You can preorder lots of more specialised diets eg I always book south Asian vegetarian because unlike the horrible dried up chicken they typically offer meat eaters, it’s actually tasty (downside is you won’t get a chocolate gu dessert pot though I’ve always managed to persuade the cabin crew to give me the standard dessert)