Last edit by: Prospero
Special meals and nut allergies and Special meals and dietary requests
AA currently makes a number of “special meals” available on certain flights; they must be requested at least 24 hours in advance. Please see this page on AA.com for current information.
"Special meals are available on select flights with scheduled, complimentary meal service. Similar to scheduled meal service, they are based on departure time, destination and flight length. Menus vary monthly to ensure fresh and seasonal ingredients." See listing of special meals available from AA below.
How to request your special meal:
Contact Reservations (link)
For your interest, airline meal codes for SPML offerings on AA. The list of options may appear extensive but in practice the variety is much reduced due to duplication
From British Airways, definitions of these meals:
Archive of previous posts: ARCHIVE: Ordering SPML / Special Meal - how, what (consolidated)
AA currently makes a number of “special meals” available on certain flights; they must be requested at least 24 hours in advance. Please see this page on AA.com for current information.
"Special meals are available on select flights with scheduled, complimentary meal service. Similar to scheduled meal service, they are based on departure time, destination and flight length. Menus vary monthly to ensure fresh and seasonal ingredients." See listing of special meals available from AA below.
How to request your special meal:
- Make sure your flight has scheduled meal service
- Determine which specialty meal meets your need
- Call to order
- This option is available at least 24 hours before and up to 30 days in advance of your departure.
- Log into your AA account
- Select on Your Trips
- Select View/Change on your reservation
- Go down to Reserve a Meal.
- When you arrive at the airport, advise the gate agent and flight attendants that you ordered a special meal
- Call Reservations if you booked through American Airlines or contact your travel agent if you booked with an agency.
Contact Reservations (link)
For your interest, airline meal codes for SPML offerings on AA. The list of options may appear extensive but in practice the variety is much reduced due to duplication
- AVML - Asian Vegetarian Meal
- BBML - Baby / Infant Food
- BLML - Bland Meal
- CHML - Children’s Meal
- DBML - Diabetic Meal
- GFML - Gluten-free Meal
- HNML - Hindu Meal
- KSML - Kosher (Jewish) Meal
- LFML – Low Fat Meal
- LSML – Low Sodium Meal
- MOML - Muslim (Halal) Meal
- NLML – Non-Lactose Meal
- VGML - Vegetarian Meal (non-dairy)
- VLML – Vegetarian Lacto-ovo Meal
- VVML – Vegetarian Vegan Meal
From British Airways, definitions of these meals:
- Asian vegetarian - Does not contain fish, shellfish, meat, poultry or eggs. It is a meatless meal and spicy in content.
- Baby meal - ?
- Bland - For those with digestive tract and gut disorders. Excludes mustard, pickles, garlic, fried and fatty food.
- Child meal - Contains a combination of familiar and fun foods.
- Diabetic - For those who need to manage blood sugar levels. Foods excluded are sugars, syrups, jams, cakes and chocolate, unless specifically for diabetics.
- Gluten intolerant - Foods excluded are wheat or wheat flour, barley oats and rye, bread, cakes (unless wheat free), pastry, sausages or any flour based products.
- Hindu - Does not contain beef, beef derivatives, veal or pork, it is not a meatless meal.
- Kosher Meal - These meals are prepared to comply with Jewish dietary laws.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian - Does not contain meat, fish or seafood. May contain dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese and eggs etc.
- Low fat - High fibre meal with reduced amounts of fat.
- Low lactose - Excludes cheese, dairy products and their derivatives and lactose or milk products.
- Low salt - Excludes use of salt, MSG and baking soda/powder, instead herbs and spices are used to flavour the meal.
- Muslim Meal - Does not contain pork, by-products of pork or foodstuffs containing alcohol. All meats come from ritually slaughtered animals.
- Vegan vegetarian - Does not contain meat, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, dairy products or derivatives. If vegan is not specified, then a lacto ovo meal will be provided.
Archive of previous posts: ARCHIVE: Ordering SPML / Special Meal - how, what (consolidated)
Guide: AA SPML - Special Meal (vegetarian, gluten intolerant, child, etc.)
#61
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
One does not fly to eat
Whether in J or Y, nothing says you can't bring your own. And terminal D in DFW has some excellent choices.
#62
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
AA should do curries or a nice cous cous with garbanzo beans carrots tomatoes served with falafel hummus baba ganoush and pita bread. A orzo or tabouli salad.
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,291
AA should do curries or a nice cous cous with garbanzo beans carrots tomatoes served with falafel hummus baba ganoush and pita bread. A orzo or tabouli salad.
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
AA should do curries or a nice cous cous with garbanzo beans carrots tomatoes served with falafel hummus baba ganoush and pita bread. A orzo or tabouli salad.
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
Lifeways Kefir and for dessert an apple cake.
For breakfast apple crepes. Fruit Greek yoghurt granola strawberris blueberries .
Snack could be a cheese and sundried tomato baked ziti pasta with dolmades grape leaf salad and a vegan brownie.
Thoughts?
#67
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: AA, BA, B6, DL, D8, EI
Posts: 38
#68
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Sydney
Programs: SPG Plt, AA Exec Plt
Posts: 206
Special Meals
Hi,
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
Hi,
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
AA doesn't have special meals for every food intolerance. (My niece is allergic to citrus, and there's no "guaranteed-citrus-free" special meal.) They just have a handful of "catch-call" special meals. That's why a conversation with an AA agent may be necessary to figure out which kind of special meal would work best for you.
As to the SWU, I don't know whether it affects your upgrade chances. If you do get upgraded at the last minute, you might get asked by the FA whether you want to your special meal from the original cabin or a regular meal from your new cabin.
#70
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Hi,
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
I have placed a request in my booking for a special meal.
In managing my booking online, the option to reserve a meal comes up. In the options I get the meal (Roasted Duck Breast etc) and under that the "special meal" options appear. Am I right in assuming that these are the meals for everyone and not necessarily okay to eat with food intolerance? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank and my original request as is.
Also, does being on waitlist for SWU and having a special meal affect the chances of this going through?
Thanks!
Twitter might be your best way to request a SPML (read the Wikipost at the top of the page). If you’re upgraded, they will generally still cater your special meal; it may be useful to alert an FA you have a SPML and were upgraded, in that case.
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,991
Anyone know what the Asian Veg meal is on domestic, first flights? I am flying SFO-CLT, and sometimes you just get cereal (hardly fitting the spicy Asian Veg description). Any experiences?
#72
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: BA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,261
I had the Hindu Meal on a recent JFK-LHR flight. It was Indian food with rice and some veg curry and lentils(not the best, but surprised to see it on AA).
Morning breakfast was also a bit different than the regular box - fresh fruits (much better than flat top muffin) and a granola bar.
Morning breakfast was also a bit different than the regular box - fresh fruits (much better than flat top muffin) and a granola bar.
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
So don't rely on descriptions too much. The special meals are more about what's not included, than about what is included.
A true "Asian" Veg meal might only exist on routes to / from Asia. On other routes, they are more likely to substitute as "consolidated" meal. And they're especially likely to substitute an "consolidated" meal at breakfast, since they don't have enough imagination to think up different meals for breakfast.
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,291
#75
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,020
Hello. Not sure where best to ask this question:
I have two domestic flights coming up.
In one, a choice is the rotolo
In the other flight is pomodoro lasagna
Does anyone know if either of these items contain meat products? I know they contain a bunch of cheese
I cannot understand if the items are Vegetarian or not.
Any help appreciated.
The other choices on those flights definitely contain meat
I have two domestic flights coming up.
In one, a choice is the rotolo
In the other flight is pomodoro lasagna
Does anyone know if either of these items contain meat products? I know they contain a bunch of cheese
I cannot understand if the items are Vegetarian or not.
Any help appreciated.
The other choices on those flights definitely contain meat