Jan 29, 2017, 11:30 am
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.)
Apr 29, 2015, 1:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: It's hot here
Posts: 4,284
Guide: AA SPML - Special Meal (vegetarian, gluten intolerant, child, etc.)
I've read some absolute horror stories about AA's veg meals in the past, has their been any improvement. Being a long-time resident of Atlanta, I didn't fly them much for a while and now that I am on AA more often, I am wondering about the meal service.
Have the options improved with being able to choose ahead?
Any recent reports on what they are serving?
Have the options improved with being able to choose ahead?
Any recent reports on what they are serving?
Apr 29, 2015, 3:02 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
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There are several pretty substantial threads on meals, both domestic and international.
Apr 29, 2015, 4:51 pm
#3
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
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Apr 29, 2015, 5:16 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: It's hot here
Posts: 4,284
There are several pretty substantial threads on meals, both domestic and international.
How did I not see this? I'll take a look. I just used a few basic searches and it didn't occur to me to search within the bigger threads
There was a very old thread about the horrible veg meals a few years ago, but didn't see anything recently that said anything specifically about meatless options. Thanks for the links.
Apr 29, 2015, 8:12 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
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But it doesn't explain to what degree you can count on one of the regular J longhaul meals itself being vegetarian (not vegan). For that, you have to consult other FTers (such as by reading the existing threads already linked here).
Last edited by sdsearch; Apr 29, 2015 at 8:21 pm
Dec 2, 2015, 10:31 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: YYZ (ex-LHR)
Programs: BA Silver, VS Red, OZ Silver
Posts: 446
Do I need to pre-order a vegetarian meal or are they normally catered?
I'm taking my first flights with AA this month: LHR-ORD in business, and ORD-MCI in First.
As a regular vegetarian (no meat, no seafood, yes to dairy and everything else) do I need to order a 'special meal' or is this catered for already? I tried asking AA on Facebook but I didn't get a reply.
It's a bit hit and miss as some airlines require a meal request, and others give me a vegan meal, which means I miss out on chocolate and get given fruit instead, and I would've been better off saying nothing.
Also, is there a meal service in AA domestic first?
As a regular vegetarian (no meat, no seafood, yes to dairy and everything else) do I need to order a 'special meal' or is this catered for already? I tried asking AA on Facebook but I didn't get a reply.
It's a bit hit and miss as some airlines require a meal request, and others give me a vegan meal, which means I miss out on chocolate and get given fruit instead, and I would've been better off saying nothing.
Also, is there a meal service in AA domestic first?
Dec 2, 2015, 10:38 am
#7
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you want a vegetarian meal, you must order it in advance.
Some domestic flights serve meals in F, but ORD-MCI might be too short to qualify for meal service.
If you want a vegetarian meal, you must order it in advance.
Some domestic flights serve meals in F, but ORD-MCI might be too short to qualify for meal service.
Dec 2, 2015, 10:41 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
The LHR-ORD flight will almost certainly have a vegetarian, non-vegan option on the regular menu (and it's fairly likely that the domestic leg will, as well). By calling AA, you can find out what the options are and pre-order.
Dec 2, 2015, 10:41 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,727
Call in and ask what the meal selections will be on your LHR-ORD flight and see if any of the options work for you. If they do, preorder that. If they don't, then order a vegetarian special meal (which yes unfortunately will probably also be a vegan meal, and a bland meal, etc as AA seems to try and make their special meals fit as many special meal categories as possible).
Dec 2, 2015, 10:47 am
#11
Join Date: May 2013
Location: LHR
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,032
Also vegetarian. I've found that in international J, regardless of catering station (LAX, GRU, DFW, JFK, ZRH, ICN, etc), the "vegetarian meal" is always much worse than the regular old pasta-option-that-happens-to-be-vegetarian; so for international, I'd just preorder the pasta option. Domestically you don't really have an option for a special meal but I've never not had a vegetarian pasta option available on my flight.
Dec 2, 2015, 12:21 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Alexandria, Va. USA
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, DL Silver, UA Gold, *A Gold, OW Emerald
Posts: 1,492
In my experience chocolate is usually diluted with milk according to the ingredient list. At home I purchase chocolate without the dairy.
Dec 2, 2015, 12:24 pm
#14
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
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Posts: 15,639
As a regular vegetarian (no meat, no seafood, yes to dairy and everything else) do I need to order a 'special meal' or is this catered for already? I tried asking AA on Facebook but I didn't get a reply.
It's a bit hit and miss as some airlines require a meal request, and others give me a vegan meal, which means I miss out on chocolate and get given fruit instead, and I would've been better off saying nothing.
It's a bit hit and miss as some airlines require a meal request, and others give me a vegan meal, which means I miss out on chocolate and get given fruit instead, and I would've been better off saying nothing.
Dec 2, 2015, 12:34 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Also vegetarian. I've found that in international J, regardless of catering station (LAX, GRU, DFW, JFK, ZRH, ICN, etc), the "vegetarian meal" is always much worse than the regular old pasta-option-that-happens-to-be-vegetarian; so for international, I'd just preorder the pasta option. Domestically you don't really have an option for a special meal but I've never not had a vegetarian pasta option available on my flight.
I don't believe AA allows ethnic meal requests. Under Hindu/Indian meal on their website - it simply says "may we suggest our vegetarian meal" - or at least it used to say that. I'm too lazy to check it at the moment.
As much as we all hate the new AA for a million reasons, it is nice that they consistently have one veg option on most of their flights though. That does make it a lot easier. Even as an omnivore I don't like to eat meat with every meal, so I definitely appreciate that most AA flights have a veg option.