SORRY - WARNING - LONG POST

OP never discussed suing the airline. She was simply curious about whether this incident qualified for any sort of compensation. She never berated the flight attendant. She never caused a ruckus onboard. It is unclear to me whether she was eventually served her special meal (ie: was this a mistake of the flight attendant plating or of the catering service not providing the special). It is also unclear if she had even ordered a special, asked for a vegetarian option, and was accidentally given the other meal option.

None of us really seem to know on compensation, so my best advice to OP is to email the airline and let them know. If nothing else, they should be aware of the issue. If they give him a few miles, great. If not, the airline gets a data point to learn from.

The flight attendant seemed genuinely upset over the mistake. That goes a long way. OP seems to understand it wasn't on purpose.

I’m a little surprised by some of the reactions here. I’ve read here about people filing compensation claims for broken reading lights, pajamas, and many things less weighty than this, and people complain regularly here about meal ordering processes and not getting their first choice.

To those who don’t understand why this is upsetting to a vegetarian, please remember that it is often a religious and cultural norm. This isn’t about an omnivore who decides to go vegetarian for health reasons. This is similar to someone keeping kosher or halal being upset by pork in a meal. If you don’t understand why this would be an issue, I don’t know what to say. Not the same religious connotations, but maybe it would be like an omnivore American realizing they had been served horse meat? I can imagine the discussions if that happened. (There are also possible health implications. People not used to meat can feel sick in many ways on first exposure.)

And, yes, on flights to and from certain countries it is expected (and even advertised and promulgated by the airlines) that meal options that make common sense adjustments for that country will be available. Kosher for Israel. No pork in anything to Turkey. Always a fish option to Japan. And vegetarian (and no pork) for India. And, I imagine, a "western" option on flights to the USA on non-US carriers.

To the person who asked about how a vegetarian would know there is meat. This is hard to describe. I am vegetarian and on occasion have been served a dish with meat in it. How do I suspect? There is a certain taste or texture that is very odd or unusual – something I’ve never tasted before; that’s usually a sign. I ask a dining companion or my wife to look at it or taste it to determine for me.

Some flyers are not as experienced as many of us on FT. When I board, I always identify myself as having ordered a special meal and asking the flight attendant (when they have a spare minute) to please verify that it was boarded. And if I was unable to secure a special (new United domestic first, for example), I ask the flight attendant if it is possible to reserve one of the vegetarian friendly meals for me. I also read the labels on the trays. However, in business or first they often plate the meals and take them out of the labeled containers, so it can be hard to tell.

That said, I have also been on a long-haul international flight and had the airline mess up my meal. It falls on a flight attendant to tell me that, yes, the manifest lists my special, but no, it isn’t going to be on the plane. Did I survive? Yes. Did I send an email to the airline to let them know? Yes, and I have received minor compensation in the past. This is a service issue, like any other.

These things do happen in the air and in restaurants. I do have the choice of carrying all my meals with me. For some strict Hindus that is the way to go, because any exposure to meat requires a lengthy set of religious rituals. I imagine many strict kosher and halal (and gluten free and peanut allergy) flyers do the same. Personally, I weigh the risks and carry power bars as a backup whenever I fly.