Business Class Vegetarian meals
 

Hi Guys,

Had a lot of miss vegetarian meals in business class with the Hindu indian (vegetarian) meal. Was thinking of maybe doing Vegetarian lacto-ovo or Asian vegetarian. What have other people's experiences been and the type of food served? I wish United posted sample menus for what has been served recently (I guess this is a little too much to ask for). I have a long haul flight to Asia in a week.

The Asian Vegetarian option for international flights is OK. Do not order it on domestic flights!. The last 3 times I've done it, I got oatmeal. I could understand congee, perhaps. But oatmeal?? Since when is Oatmeal Asian?

Just remember, on United, any flight that even comes close to a morning hour (never mind that it arrives at 6:30 pm) gets breakfast. Why? Because it's dirt cheap. Of course, oatmeal is dirt cheapest of all. So that's what United wants to give you for your $2500 fare.

I've never pre-ordered a vegetarian meal in Business class before. But if I recall, every Biz class flight I've taken (especially long haul) has had a vegetarian option. For many years I ordered all kinds of special meals in coach. But they were never any good. The problem for me was that at least a few years ago, they equated vegetarian to bland: so they gave you some grass & leaves impersonating as salad, a rice-cake, a bread roll, margarine and a main dish whereas regulars got yogurt, butter, much better looking desserts, etc.

So I don't pre-order any more. I take a chance with the regular offering, especially in business. Given that they serve multiple courses, I find that in the worst case, I can fill myself up with the nuts, salad, peripheral items from one of the entrees, cheeses and dessert (although on a low carb diet, I consume all my poison in the form of desserts and avoid wheat and rice entirely). I supplement that when needed with a boiled egg or snacks I carry with me.

I'm a pescatarian so my experience is probably less helpful but after having been served an Asian vegetarian once when my flight was upgraded about 28 hrs before the flight, I make a point of getting the AVML request removed from all upgraded reservations. It was basically Y food on nicer plates. Depending on your ability to eat around things, you should be fine. Frankly, I should think that between the bread, cheese, salad, and desert, you should have more than enough food. I wouldn't, however, count on their being a vegetarian entree. At least on transpacs to/from Japan, there's invariably a meat main, a fish main, and a Japanese meal.

I don't pre-order either, but on most of the flights to/from Asia the past few years that I've been on, there have not been vegetarian options on the regular menu. I think it depends on your destination, YMMV. For the first time in recent memory, I was on flights that had vegetarian options both ways. This was on SFO-SIN-SFO, which I had not flown in several years. Indian vegetarian was offered as the first meal, both ways, butternut squash ravioli was the pre-landing meal on the outbound and I don't remember what the option was on the return. I do try to eat in the lounge before leaving, just in case, and like @theBarakonis, I will sometimes make do with the nuts, salad, fruit or snacks in my bag, and if I'm awake the ice cream sundae ;-). On the return flight I skipped both meals, but did have fruit and the grilled cheese mid flight.

I always order an AVML even in J. The food is pretty decent as far as airline meals go. Most of the time the main dish is pretty much the same as the Y AVML but the other courses are different and the presentation is much better. If you do find a better item on the regular menu (sometimes they have a nice ravioli) the FAs have been willing to swap it in as long as there is availability.

Also, the AVML is always an Indian dish as far as I have seen in close to 20 years on United.

My flight is to India (Mumbai) so hopefully there is something vegetarian in the mains even without requesting a special meal. Seems like if I go the special meal route I will likely end up with a plated version of what is being served in economy

ex-Europe I've had FAs approach me before meal service to ask if I want the vegetarian meal or if I want to order from the menu. I almost always go off the menu. The Asian vegetarian meals I have taken have been underwhelming and way fewer courses than what my seatmates get. I've even had FAs say that they don't think the vegetarian meals are good. ex-Asia I've never had an issue with vegetarian meals.

I've also got food poisoning from a vegetarian meal.

I had no problem selecting the vegetarian options on the menu on my last flight to Delhi in J.

I started ordering the strict VGL meal as I found it to be better. More and fresher veggies and more innovative. The Oco/Lacto ones are almost always Indian spiced...not bad...but I am not always in the mood for it. And the one larger issue is that invariably the morning breakfast meals on flights that have it is some curry Indian mini donut pastry thing with spicy beans. The absolute last thing I want. The strict veggie meal is usually fresh fruit and sometimes a nice porridge or something.

I just flew EWR-BOM recently in Polaris. There is an Indian option for both the dinner and breakfast. The indian options are usually (but not always) vegetarian. They rarely have a non-veg Indian option. I agree with other posters, don't pre-order, and just pick one of the veg options on the menu, usually far better.

they don't always have...especially domestic flights. Usually you can substitute for a "regular" meal by being nice and getting a little lucky.

I would recommend ordering one, if it HAS to be veggie. not the other way around.