tgtg

I'm a little frustrated here having non-vegetarians discuss what I should and should not accept or like regarding vegetarian meals. It is not unlike men discussing how women should handle their menstrual cycle.

The bottom line is that Delta advertises and offers a supposedly vegetarian option, several different in fact to handle different kinds of vegetarianism. They do not handle it well at all. That is a definite issue to be discussed on FT.

If you are not a vegetarian, then here is an opportunity to see what others go through in striving for a goal in their lives. If you are not supportive, then you are likely part of the struggle that these people endure.

It is likely that you have lifestyle choices (that you might not even realize you have) that are put at risk daily by conscious or unconscious decisions others make. I guarantee that if someone promised you X, and it was something important to you, and they delivered Y, you would not be happy...especially if they did this over and over.

We all are here at some level hoping to help improve Delta as we have a vested interest...we are all flying this airline on a regular basis. Perhaps their offering of vegetarian offerings makes no difference to you, but having WiFi or power outlets does. It might not make a difference to someone else, but would it help improve Delta if they told you that you should just deal with it?

Let's all work together to have a better airline and stop judging others.

-=tg=-

houserulz77

See Below
That was offensive, considering it has taken such a long thread to discuss the issue. I'm sure even you would agree it is complex.

As you can see I agreed with you.

I'm sure you do agree with the point that I was making in the post you quoted, that there is a difference between a product being vegetarian, and a product being prepared in a meat-free environment.

You were the one doing the judging. We were trying to isolate the cause of the issue, but you felt it necessary to step in a assert your misguided opinion as a fact, which I found rude.

But enough of you, I'm interested if OP has heard back from Delta yet. It's been several days, and I would think you should be getting some response.

Moebius01

For my 2 cents, I have no problem with those wanting to improve Delta's vegetarian offerings, but I did take some exception at all the legal banter flying around early in the thread, especially when there were minimal facts to confirm. With all deference to the OP, we still don't have anything conclusive as to what meal choice was requested, or a scan of the label, or anything else. So to be bantering around legal talk is rather ridiculous in my opinion.

tfox

Really good question, as I cannot find it to change it! I believe it is a holdover from my WorldPerks profile. As a WP member, I was just a vegetarian, but as a SM member it became "vegetarian, no dairy" which isn't correct. I can override it once I'm within about 2-3 days of the flight, so I do if it's not a morning flight.

patrickATX

My $0.02

As a long time vegetarian, I can understand the OPs frustration at having something non vegetarian in his meal. In the last 16 years, I have often found something that appeared to be vegetarian actually have a meat product in it. A good example is McDonalds french fries (they settled a case out of court for claiming their fries had no meat products).

However, I am also a realist. I know that not everyone realizes that small ingredients in something like salad dressing or yogurt might cause the item not to be vegetarian. in those case, I try to educate rather than blame. I have written several letters to Delta about gelatin in yogurt. I let them know that they did not serve me a vegetarian breakfast because gelatin in not vegetarian. Each time they apologize and give me a few thousand miles. I would rather they fix the problem and keep the miles.

Someone posted earlier about Delta being a global company. Delta needs to understand that personal and religious beliefs about diet are extremely important to people. They need to research and understand what each meal definition means, like vegetarian. If they are confused about what constitutes vegetarian because of people's confusing personal definitions of vegetarian, they should design a meal that plays it safe and meets everyone's definition. It is not difficult to just avoid using meat and meat products in the meal. Notice I did not say animal products, like eggs and milk. Meat products like chicken broth, gelatin, or fish involve the animal's death to get the meal. Avoid the meat products and you will be safe for all vegetarians.

Finally, to answer another question asked: I am a vegetarian because I feel better about my place in the world not eating animals. I have no problem what other people eat. It is my issue and belief and not theirs.

Moebius01

This is one point I'd have to disagree with you on. Having spent some time working in food service in my early days, these kinds of things can be very difficult, and expensive. If you have to run special lines to produce two different types of the same product (gelatin vs. non gelatin yogurt for example), it takes more staff, more equipment, and more cost. The downside is, those extra costs have to be accounted for somewhere, and 95% of the time they're passed on to the consumer.

tfox

Delta doesn't have to run two lines...they could choose to use Dannon or some other brand that doesn't contain gelatin, or they could just plain remove the yogurt from the "vegetarian" meals. Cottage cheese, applesauce....there are lots of alternatives. In any event, they might as well not give it to me, as it's going to get thrown away every time.

Moebius01

Remember, Delta's not running the lines, the catering service is, and there's usually a cost factor in place. If they have a negotiated buy contract with a supplier that happens to use a gelatin based yogurt product, then trying to switch, or add a second product is a cost change. Since they likely also have a contract with the airlines, they themselves would be eating the cost initially. In short, not gonna happen till their hand is forced.

I'm using the above as a hypothetical, but having spent some time in that industry (total non-sequitor, but I once had a party complain at a steak house I was a manager at because we didn't have a pure vegan offering), it's my initial guess.

HWGeeks

The problem with Vegiterians is that there are so many forms.

There are those who stick to strictist definition of a Vegiterian and eat no meat of any kind or eggs etc.

There are those who will eat eggs and drink milk

there are those who will eat fish

Can't please everyone especiallywhen you guys can't even decide what a vegiterian is and what isn't.

There are people in this thread saying Vegiterians can eat eggs etc. Yet the definition of vegiterian contradicts that.

Make up your minds on what you can and can't eat and maybe delta will do a better job

tfox

I'm taking my first domestic breakfast flight in about 2 months. I'm pleased to report that Delta is now serving vegetarian yogurt with breakfast! The brand is Upstate Farms. I'm very pleased, since security at MSP was such a bear this morning I didn't get my coffee/bagel in the SkyClub.

itsaboutthejourney

Much better than the Breyers stuff with the fake sweetener

dll

I had the strangest VGML breakfast today on MSP-LAX. Ordered a dairy VGML (dairy allowed) and got a Denver style omelette with fake ham and what appeared to be fake eggs plus two pieces of fake sausage and some potatoes that had a bacon flavor. Someone was having fun with the processed soy protein. Needless to say won't be ordering that again.

SamuelS

I believe you want to order VLML if you want dairy (Vegetarian Lacto Ovo Meal). VGML is supposed to be Vegan (no dairy). Though saying that, if you did order VGML instead of VLML, I doubt what you got was a Vegan meal!