FlyerTalk Forums - Guide: AA SPML - Special Meal (vegetarian, gluten intolerant, child, etc.)

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:

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

Other special meal codes may be viewed at AirlinesMeals.com here.

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)