Vegan airplane food

[vegcurry]

Vegan airplane food: Is there such a mythical beastie?? I've always been disappointed as they never seem to get it 100% right but maybe I'm picky, at least they're giving it a try.

[Mahk]

I was thinking; maybe people ought to get email confirmation that a vegan meal is indeed set for their future flight. That way if they goof up, one could complain immediately upon landing (get the names of the flight attendants to corroborate your tale, re. lack of food) and I would think at the very least a partial refund would be in order.

[phact0rri]

As for the choice vs. religion thing - so frustrating! Religion is a choice, yeah? Even if it weren't! 'Choices' should be honored regardless of what they are based on. People are even so much more tolerant when you say you have allergies, rather than it's a choice... I would just tell them that I'm vegetarian, and just so happened to be lactose intolerant and allergic to eggs. lol!

Well I think its more like religion is a protected lifestyle choice underlaw.. they don't much care about unprotected lifestyle choices that they won't be sued about.

Course I suppose that could change with the right legal team.

[treaclemine]

Well I think its more like religion is a protected lifestyle choice underlaw.. they don't much care about unprotected lifestyle choices that they won't be sued about.

Course I suppose that could change with the right legal team.

Under the Equality Act in England and Wales, veganism is apparently protected under law (subject to testing in court).

[harpy]

I agree with phact0rri that airlines probably don't give a 4x about either veganism or religion, but are probably more aware of discrimination issues in the context of religion.

I seem to remember though that airlines have pointed out that they don't have a contractual obligation to supply any sort of food, and that the cabin crew are primarily there for safety reasons rather than for catering. So on that basis you probably couldn't get any redress for failure to produce a vegan (or kosher, etc) meal in-flight.

Where they might be on dodgier ground is in producing a supposedly vegan meal that has non-vegan items in it - perhaps it could be argued that that was some kind of misrepresentation.

There seems to be a trend to stop offering in-flight food on short-haul flights, which would simplify matters a bit

[Mahk]

^But when you agreed to buy your ticket they made a promise to feed you as well as transport you. No? If they fail to live up to part of that promise, due to your religion/ food sensitivity, they've broken that contract. That's how I see it at least.

[harpy]

ISTR the position of at least one airline was that they didn't actually promise to feed you, that it was just an extra service that they offered out of goodwill or whatever and subject to various provisos. This was a few years back but I doubt if they've changed their stance in the passengers' favour

(I notice that the BA web site says "If you have special dietary requirements, you can let us know in advance and we will do what we can to provide you with a suitable meal" on one page and then "If you have special dietary requirements, you can let us know in advance and we will provide you with a suitable meal" on another )

On the other hand it could be argued that feeding some passengers and not others is a form of discrimination, which is probably why they're more conscientious about kosher etc meals (if indeed they are) - because it's easier to prove discrimination on grounds of religion - although I vaguely remember reading about some EU directive that's trying to establish a similar status for non-religious "belief systems".

[phact0rri]

Under the Equality Act in England and Wales, veganism is apparently protected under law (subject to testing in court).

For serious, its rather ridiculous in the states. They will even deny servicemen and women vegan food, and they are giving their lives to support their country. When I eventually move back to the UK I'm sure its going to be this wonderland of things that weren't about when I was living there as a child.

[harpy]

When I eventually move back to the UK I'm sure its going to be this wonderland of things that weren't about when I was living there as a child.

Hmm, don't get too excited, phact0rri! It's true there is quite a lot of vegan stuff on offer but I wouldn't say the idea of veganism is exactly mainstream yet, unfortunately. Still, it depends how soon you're thinking of moving back

[phact0rri]

Hmm, don't get too excited, phact0rri! It's true there is quite a lot of vegan stuff on offer but I wouldn't say the idea of veganism is exactly mainstream yet, unfortunately. Still, it depends how soon you're thinking of moving back

Well I don't think veganism will be mainstream in my own lifetime, but you know if you could manage that before I move back in a few years that would be fantastique!

[harpy]

Right-o, we'll see what we can do

[sparklingsights]

Well I think its more like religion is a protected lifestyle choice underlaw.. they don't much care about unprotected lifestyle choices that they won't be sued about.

True enough...
So as I said, claim allergies! Surely you could sue for an "allergic reaction" after informing them of your dietary needs!

[Linxie]

I've just been looking into holidays for next year and I notice that Thomas Cook offer a vegan meal at the time of booking online. That surprised me. First Choice were rubbish last year, thought TC would be the same.

[Panzer]

when i flew in airplanes all I ever got was a packet of peanuts, lightly salted.

[sparklingsights]

^ Depends where you go. If all I got was peanuts when I flew to Africa I would have been pretty damn pissed, it's kind of a long flight.

[phact0rri]

too right SS. It depends how long your flight is, and if your flying at specific times. I get meals anytime I fly into another country which is roughly 75% of all my flights.

[bradders]

I've just been looking into holidays for next year and I notice that Thomas Cook offer a vegan meal at the time of booking online. That surprised me. First Choice were rubbish last year, thought TC would be the same.

first choice are bloody awful. They're agents are pretty useless anyway (cancelled my parents' food and drink on a 5 hour flight instead of putting through the diabetic meal she asked for. She asked for a hotel near the beach with no big hill or stairs to climb, she got one at the top of the hill with lots of stairs.

[MariaTrekker]

The Asian meals are great - brown and veggies. Breakfast is difficult as you never know of bagel is coated with egg. Stick with fruit salad.

Check my vegan world travel advice blog.

[ShariBlackVelvet]

Surprised I haven't posted in this thread - considering I fly a lot (think I've got enough airmiles for my second transatlantic flight now, yippee!).

Flew with Continental to Hawaii the other week. Had 2 flights there, 3 back. The NJ - Honolulu one and LA - NJ one both gave me awesome meals (well, the main part). I was amazed. Usually I have crap. Airlines pretty much always give me rice and I HATE rice with a passion. But on these 2 flights I got what looked like actual veggie burgers, almost. One was called a 'sandwich' and in a wrapper saying something 'VEGAN SANDWICH' on it. I wrote down the company that made it so I could look them up online when I got back - but dimwit me I think has thrown the paper away. Gutted. On the way back I had a similar one and it even had vegan cheese in. It had the ingredients and I was sooo impressed!

A lot of the times I get one of those Jyoti biscuits which always seems quite soft. Don't know if that's how they're made - but I wish they weren't so soft as it's like they've had them forever! On other flights I get the odd thing that does have some milk product or something in, which is annoying. I wish they'd just give us nice veggie burgers on every flight instead of rice or some other dodgy foreign food. Maybe because a large proportion of indians are veggie they think everyone will be hapy with rice - but it drives me nuts.

What really annoys me is when I get given something like an apple and other fruit and then the meat eaters get a nice packet of ready salted crisps! Waaahhhh!!! Why can't us vegans get the crisps too!?

I tend to pack a bunch of crisps and vegan choc bars in my carry-on bag. I also pack loads of crisps, choc bars and energy drinks in my suitcase to eat/drink over there! I always declare them in the customs sheet and sometimes they make me go to have the bag go through a second security thing which is annoying. I do tell them it's only crisps. They're ok with that - but just double check. One time the guy let me through without making me go and have it checked again, which was nice. I guess it depends who you get at the exit.

EDIT - Just been googling and found the one 'sandwich' which I had from LA - NJ. Someone has written about it and photographed the ingredients at: http://syntheticblog.com/?p=18

[hullabaloo]

I flew with Virgin Atlantic to Orlando. On the way there they changed the flight I was on but despite this they managed to arrange a vegan meal for me. However, on the way back they gave me a balsalmic vinegarette and a vegetable spread with the meal and both of these contained milk derivitives in them. I just hope the actual meal was okay because I had already eaten that before I thankfully instinctively read the ingredients labels. I think it's probably a case of the actual meal being vegan and the cabin crew adding on the little non-vegan extras without realising. Not everyone will be looking for whey as an ingredient I guess- though it did state it was from milk. I'll be sending them an email anyway.

I was also disappointed that there were no vegan snacks offered or a vegan breakfast alternative (we flew through the night on the return flight so got an evening meal and then breakfast- or rather everyone else did!). I mean some fruit would have been suffice for me and that's hardly difficult to provide!

[Keane]

I found the vegan meals on Air New Zealand that were brought on at Heathrow (outward) and Auckland (return) to be OK. The meals brought on at the Hong Kong stopover were not entirely vegan, though as my trip was the best part of four years ago, I can't remember the finer points of anything that was served, apart from the Chardonnay, which got the benefit of the doubt.

Zoom (RIP) to Montreal / from Toronto, the 'vegan' meal wasn't entirely, but for the bucket-shop price I paid for the ticket I wasn't too fussed. Ditto with travelling by Canadian Affair to/from Vancouver. For short-haul flights to continental Europe I'm not bothered what they serve as I wouldn't feel the need for a meal other than a snack I might have brought along myself beforehand.

[Hemlock]

I never fly anywhere - I hate planes and the pollution they cause but have got to make one flight next year to see my sisters new baby when it arrives.
I can't even be bothered with the hassle of ordering food. I'm hoping I'll be allowed to take a load of raw food bars on the plane as it's a 7 hour flight.
Are you allowed to take food bars on planes now?

[harpy]

I would imagine you'll be OK with food bars, Hemlock - it's liquids and pastes that they're worried about, so as long as they're not too squishy...

If I take a flight on which "free" food is provided (which it increasingly isn't) I generally request a vegan meal on the basis that it will lead them to order less meat, not sure if it really works that way but constant dripping and all that. Then I take my own food as well on the basis that they probably won't have the meal I asked for

[Hemlock]

Sounds like a plan Harpy

[ShariBlackVelvet]

That's good thinking Harpy. The more people requesting vegan meals the better as then it gets across to them that people want vegan food.

I'm wondering... do you think I can request 'no rice' - as well as just the vegan meal on my next flight? Drives me crazy when they give me some asian/indian crap... I went to Chicago in July and was given a crap meal both ways. Went with Air Canada who I'd never flown with. Only flew with them because it was a free flight with my Continental Airmiles as I'd collected enough for a free return trip to the USA - but there were no Continental flights available so I had to go via Canada (ugh). I think I was given a curry or something equally bad... I hate all eastern food. My friend who's an air hostess say you can say you're allergic to rice but I hate lying and would feel bad. But if it means I won't get given rice... I've got a flight later in the year, going with a different airline that I've never flown with so I'm contemplating how I can avoid rice.

[sandra]

I'm sure if you requested 'NO RICE' they wouldn't give you rice. I personally love rice and curry etc but I can see how annoying it would be if you didn't like it to be given it.
I nearly got a job as an air stewardess once.................wish I had now as I would be very open to ALL dietary needs on an aeroplane.

[harpy]

Not sure, I would be delighted with an Asian meal as long as it was vegan so I haven't tried.

You could ask but I suspect you probably have to pick one of their standard meals. This page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special...e_request_code lists some of the meal codes they use and one of them is a raw vegetarian meal so perhaps you could try asking for that as I imagine it must be vegan? Or there is a fruit plate. I don't know if all the airlines carry all the meal types though.

The other option would be to revert to plan A: request a vegan meal and take your own food in case it involves rice

Incidentally it used to be useful to know the codes (VGML is vegan) so you could check they had it printed on your boarding pass and complain to the check-in person if it wasn't, but I don't know whether it's as much use now everything is automated.

[Adena]

I'm not sure who I was flying with but I've had horrible experiences with plane food time and time again, to the point where I've cried O_o
Our flight had been delayed, so what should have been afternoon was early in the morning, so I was dressed in a strap top and shorts with flip flops and was frozen, I was absolutely exhausted, and so hungry since we'd been sat there for so long - we hadn't eaten lunch, thinking it'd be given to us on the plane, then didn't have dinner because there was nowhere to go, my brothers were also winding me up a treat, and I'd somehow been lumbered with the biggest case to pull along dispite being the smallest person there - and then we finally got on the plane and got to the point where we were being given our food - mine had been ordered as vegan - it came and it looked like everyone elses, who all eat meat, so my mum was like this isn't vegan is it? And they were like um... no? looking at us like we were stupid. Then so we said well it should be we ordered a vegan one, and they said oh, well it's been put down as a meat one so we'll have to wait until they've all been passed out to see if there is one left we can offer you - so I had to wait, watching everyone else on the plane dig into their food, then they came out all smiley saying they had a vegan one for me so I was finally extatic, they give it to me and it's got the same chocolate muffin as on everyone elses plate which i would bet money on wasnt vegan, and cheese on the pasta, and milk on the tray, and a roll with no ingredients on so again - questionable. So I said this has cheese on. And they were like yes? Vegetarian? And I was like no VEGAN. and they were just like oh.. And then looked at each other, and I was like vegetarians and vegans arent the same... and they were like yes, it is vegan cheese - they just changed their mind on the spot, didnt go to check or anything. They were acting like they just wanted to shut me up because I was causing hastle. I was so pissed off, so my mum bought me a banana and packet of ready salted crisps, but I was so frustrated by everything being so crap by that point that i just burst into tears and ended up falling asleep before I ate it!
I never go anywhere near an airport without my own food now!

[ShariBlackVelvet]

Thanks.

I do always pack a few packets of crisps to last the flight. It just sucks when you get your meal and hope for something good and end up disappointed. I mean, if some airlines can do a nice burger ('vegetarian sandwich') I don't see why they all can't. I did look at the different meals available and saw there was a raw vegetarian but I'm not that much of a raw food fan either (I'm the pickiest eater on earth, haha). I imagine with raw vegetarian they'd just give you a salad! I'd rather hope for a burger, I'd be happy with pasta, or some potatoes... it's not too much to ask! lol. Potatoes, carrots and brocoli and I'd be satisfied LOL. It's not like they'd be going out of their way if they just gave us potatoes and veg.

[harpy]

What a nuisance VeganBride.

I haven't flown much lately and when I have it's been on cheapo flights with no free food (which I actually prefer as you know what you're going to get, i.e. nothing). However ISTR that the past few times I did manage to get a vegan meal the main course was labeled VGML on the wrapping. So if you see that you're fairly safe as I think the companies that make those components do know the difference. The rest of the meal is usually a bit dodgy as discussed earlier in this thread because the cabin staff often don't know not to put non-vegan items on the tray, so personally I would tend to eat any fruit and shun the rest.

That reminds me we were on a shorthaul flight not so long ago where they had free sandwiches. My other half (who's lacto-veg) asked if they had any vegetarian ones and the person said "Chicken"?

ETA Shari, I would try and take something that you actually want to eat and then you can feel smug when everyone else is eating overcooked cr@p. If all else fails you can often get quite nice hummus sandwiches that are vegan in Starbucks I think.

[ShariBlackVelvet]

I'm not sure who I was flying with but I've had horrible experiences with plane food time and time again, to the point where I've cried O_o

Sorry you had such a bad experience!

Yeah, we learn as we go on. One trip I had my suitcase delayed a day so now I've learned to always pack at least one day's worth of clothes (sometimes two), plus nightwear, toiletries, and all my important things that I might need *just incase* the case gets lost/delayed in my hand luggage. Always means my hand luggage is bulging, but at least I know I'm safe and can get by (at least for a day) if my suitcase gets lost.

I always take crisps, some vegan bars like the Organica ones, a packet of Ricola cough sweets in my hand luggage and then loads more in my suitcase. I always buy an energy drink in the airport lounge so when the flight lands I can drink it and feel awake ready to go out! It's annoying that they don't stock them on the aeroplane.

[Hemlock]

I used to be an air hostess with Dan Air back in the late 80's. I got fired after 6 months for telling a passenger to go @@3$55^ after a day of numerous bottom pinchings, abusive passengers and puking drunks.
It was not the perfect career for me lol, I gladly went back to nursing as it was less stressful

[loveganism]

I booked a Costa Rica trip through First Choice a few months back and they changed our flight without updating our meal requirements.

[rainbow]

I almost always have rubbish experiences with airlines. (And I have never been upgraded despite having to fly fairly frequently for work and being a doctor (PhD not MD, but they don't know that!) - what am I doing wrong?!)
Virgin Atlantic are not as great as others have made them out to be, in my experience. One problem is that you just don't get enough food. The main course is typically vegetables with a small amount of rice - no protein, not much carbohydrate. This comes with a plain salad and some fresh fruit. It's not bad, but the whole meal is only about 200 kcal. For transatlantic flights, the second "meal" consists of something much more substantial for everyone else (and the others also get a much more filling first meal), whereas the vegan "snack" is a packet of sliced apple that states "40kcal" on the packet. Rubbish. Mindful of this, last time I flew Virgin (last September) I took a bagel with me to supplement my meal. Unfortunately, my flight was then delayed for three hours after we had boarded the plane. To compensate for this delay, they handed out non-vegan snacks, but nothing for me. So they served me a total of about 240kcal for a total of nearly 12 hours on the plane, and when you add on the time before and after in and getting to/from the airport, I was so hungry I nearly fainted. I had to get a taxi from the airport - normally I always get public transport, but I only had half an hour to get to town before all the shops shut and I was shaking with hunger. After forking out for a taxi, I discovered I had left my passport in the taxi - absent-minded due to being so hungry - and had to pay a second taxi fare to retrieve it. Not happy at all. The airline staff seemed to be genuinely surprised that my metabolism was the same as everyone else on the plane, despite being vegan. Since when does compassionate = anorexic? I was so cross that I haven't flown Virgin since.
I then flew to St Louis (from Paris) in May, with American Airlines. After the Virgin experience, I decided to take my entire day's worth of food with me and not to rely on the food provided. Ironically, this was the one time I actually received good vegan food on the plane - not enough in itself, but more than enough when combined with my own provisions. I ended up having to throw away a perfectly good apple because I couldn't take it into the US, which I felt bad about.
On the flight back, I was unable to procure any food beforehand for the journey, because I was staying somewhere with no shops; I was going to take a couple of bagels from breakfast, but they didn't serve them on a Sunday. My first flight was so delayed that I had to sprint to make my connection, leaving no time for scavenging in the airport. The "vegan" food on the flight back from Chicago was covered in cheese. I ended up going almost 24 hours without a meal. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
Now just flown to and from Seattle (from London) with Delta airlines. Going out, I took my own food with, just in case. Just as well - they denied all knowledge of my having booked a vegan meal, and had nothing whatsoever for me. Going back, I bought bagels to eat on the plane. The first meal was the usual 200 kcal (if that) fare - vegetables with a tiny amount of grain, salad, fruit. I was sleepy so left most of it. The second meal was a bagel served with non-vegan spread, and an "oats'n'honey" bar. The only thing I felt confident eating off that tray was the banana.
Once - can't remember if it was Virgin or BA - I got served a "breakfast" of a single dry rice cake and a tiny cup of orange juice, after a long haul flight. What a joke!

The moral of this story - I always take food with. Always. I order a vegan meal anyway, because I don't want a meat meal to go to waste, but I work on the assumption that I won't actually get it. I try to take a mixture of perishable and non-perishable food with me so that if the airline food is vegan, I can skip the non-perishable food knowing that it won't go to waste. For return trips, I have learned for future reference that it isn't always possible to get vegan food on the road, so I should always have a substantial supply of non-perishables with me to cover the flight back. It is common for about 25% of the space in my checked luggage and 40% of the space in my hand luggage to be taken up with food to help survive these stupid work trips!

I do resent it though. I pay the same amount as the next person for a meal I rarely receive, and I have to carry all this food around with me, just in case. I ought to complain, but it happens pretty much every bloody time so I don't always get round to it.

[BunkyVegan]

Rainbow, I'm sorry to hear about your aweful experiences with flying! I haven't had to fly yet since becoming a vegan, but I would be really upset about being shafted when you pay the same price for your ticket as all the omnis on the plane.

[Risker]

I ought to complain, but it happens pretty much every bloody time so I don't always get round to it.

You really should. They can't fix problems unless they know they exist.

[rainbow]

You really should. They can't fix problems unless they know they exist.

I know you're right. I always seem to bring a cold back with me from the US *blows nose* and then I have a backlog of work to do, and by the time I've got past the cold and the backlog, the immediate anger has passed and my attention shifts to other things. But you're right, it's not going to change as long as I let them get away with this rubbish.

[harpy]

You could just write a standard email and then fill in the blanks

Dear....I flew from...to....on ....and was very disappointed by the standard of the vegan catering. Yours, Dr Rainbow

When I went to America in the spring BA actually did manage to produce vegan meals in both directions - I think they were quite small but I don't like to eat too much in planes so that wasn't a problem for me.

In a way I'd just as soon they abolished in-flight meals altogether, and then you'd know where you stand. Apologies if I've already said that somewhere.

[FaerieSuzy]

I'm flying BA , Heathrow to Las Vegas in April, so I hope they've got their act together on my flight! I've already changed my meal order but after reading this thread I'm not holding out too much hope of getting it!

What kind of foods do you take on the plane? Do you have to buy it the other side of security or can you take food through to departures??

[harpy]

Suzy, when you check in (or possibly before) you can usually see from the website whether they've got your special meal down - I think it should say VGML for a vegan meal.

You can take dry foods like cereal bars, nuts, dried fruit etc through security no problem. I tend to leave buying fresh fruit and other wet stuff until I've been through security as I never know what's going to fall foul of the thing about liquids and pastes I think they sometimes have the odd vegan sandwich on sale in the departure lounge, possibly in Boots? But I wouldn't count on that.

[rainbow]

I've taken bread, sandwiches, fruit and salad through security, no problem. I'd avoid soups, stews or anything else with an obvious liquid component, as well as avoiding sauces and dressings, but I took a small pot of hoummous through security at Heathrow last week and no eyebrows were raised. And if, like me, you drink a lot of water on flights, you can save a fortune by taking empty plastic bottles with you and filling them at the water fountains after going through security, rather than paying premium rate to buy bottled water in the departure lounge.

[harpy]

That's interesting about the fruit and hummus rainbow - did you put the hummus in one of those little plastic bags with your toothpaste etc?

Suzy, I have remembered another thing that sometimes helps apart from checking the online details - and that's to tell the cabin staff near the beginning of the flight that you have asked for a "special meal" . That's because they have been known to give it to the wrong person (e.g. someone who wanted a vegetarian meal but didn't order it!). It's particularly important if you change seats for some reason.

[rainbow]

That's interesting about the fruit and hummus rainbow - did you put the hummus in one of those little plastic bags with your toothpaste etc?

Nope - to be honest I didn't even think of it. It was just sat in a little pot next to my bagels and salad, buried in my hand luggage. I don't think you should worry too much about these things. And fresh fruit is definitely ok (and bringing your own is almost certainly cheaper and nicer than what you could find in a departure lounge). Just remember that you have to eat all your fruit on your flight - you're not allowed to take it into the US (dried fruit is probably ok, but fresh fruit is strictly verboten).

[FaerieSuzy]

Awesome! Thanks for the advice! Luckily I've got a good while before I go but yes I'll keep checking and double checking hehe! (It'll drive my friend mad!) I was oh so tempted to change her meal option too..... as I had the go-ahead to do so, but she'd kill me! lol!

[Andy_T]

All advice that I can give here is ALWAYS call the airline 24 hours before the flight and make sure that your vegan food is there.

As they told me on a (business class) flight at US airways, "in 9 out of 10 cases when the special meal is not there, it is because the travel agent did not forward the information to the airline". I suggested to the friendly (but otherwise unfortunately incompetent) lady that if this occurs so often that they can make "9 out of 10" ratios, then maybe they should do something to remedy the process (e.g. pack spare vegan meals). My personal remedy, of course, is not to fly US airways ever again, but also to make sure with any airline to re-check before the flight. Lufthansa where I fly most is normally good in that respect (and they have my preferences stored in my frequent traveller card), but better safe than sorry.

When they have your vegan meal on board, it should be vegan - at least the main food. (It might be very strange, but that's a different thing. I am not sure that non-vegan airline meals are any less strange and/or more satisfying). The butter/spread/creamer/margarine etc. I normally do not look at at all - I would not expect to be vegan, there will be a "one size fits all" approach when they compose the complete tray in the airplane. To an omni, margarine is most likely vegan and s/he would be surprised to learn otherwise. And yes, pack something else to eat...

Best regards,
Andy

[DiaShel]

I've only flown with Air New Zealand on long enough flights to offer a meal (even the 6 hours for NY to LA don't!) but I've been really happy each time. They always offer mixed beans, grains, veggies, a roll with a spread which is marked vegan by the company that makes it, fruit, granola bar for dinner and I've had hot breakfasts or cereal with soy milk and lots of things on the side. They messed up once and had me down as vegetarian but when I told them they said it was no probably as they always have plenty of extra just in case. I'm so shocked to hear how the other airlines are so rubbish at it.

[Carla]

Hi Mystic. i haven't flown much and am new here so still learning. I am flying virgin in a couple of months- been saving all year and catn wait!!!! So i have checked out any articels. I found this which I hope is helpful:
http://veganbackpacker.com/blog/vega...ondo-heathrow/

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I present to you, The Virgin Atlantic Vegan Meal. The main was vegetables (baby corn, broccoli, peas, eggplant and cauliflower) and rice with a teriyaki sauce (I think). The sides, an iceberg lettuce salad, whole wheat roll, fruit cup and water. Both the Naturally Fresh salad dressing and Country Crock spread contained milk ingredients. The main was good, but the salad with it’s one lone tomato was lacking. Overall, I was happy and well fed but disappointed to find non vegan items in a meal that’s supposed to be for vegans.

All my best Cxx

[harpy]

Hello Carla - that blogger's experience is fairly typical I think.

As Andy also mentions a couple of messages up, airlines generally (but not invariably) seem to put the standard salad dressing, spread etc on the tray even if they have managed to get you some vegan main dishes. The assembly of the trays is done by the cabin crew whereas the main dishes are cooked by caterers, so there is probably a training issue re cabin crew (that's if they have vegan alternatives for the dressing and spread on board, not sure whether all airlines bother).

[Sgable84]

Wow...a vegan meal option is awesome! I never knew!

[AaronM]

Was a nightmare last I flew for this. Was down for a vegan meal before we even flew, the meal was a lettuce sandwich and 4 grapes. I got lucky though, one of the stewards got annoyed that it'd been done so stupidly and set out trying to find something a little more, substancial. Thankfully they keep spare vegetarian meals in on long haul flights, one of which was chana masala

Though they did manage to get a soy creamer for the tea/coffee at least. One which had milk in it...