Vegan and vegetarian airline meals on a flight tray

Vegan vs Vegetarian Meals on Flights

Vegan and vegetarian meals are not the same on flights, and choosing the wrong meal code can leave you disappointed at cruising altitude. A vegetarian meal usually avoids meat, poultry, fish, and seafood but may include dairy or eggs. A vegan meal goes further and avoids all animal-derived ingredients, including dairy, eggs, and honey.

Airlines use special meal codes such as VGML, VLML, AVML, VJML, VOML, and FPML to manage dietary requests. Understanding these codes before booking helps you get the right meal, whether you want a dairy-free vegan dish, an Indian-style vegetarian meal, a Jain meal, or a simple fruit platter.

Vegan vs Vegetarian Flight Meals
Airline Meal Codes Explained
VGML vs VLML vs AVML
Jain, Oriental, Raw, and Fruit Meals
Vegan and Vegetarian Meals by Airline
How to Book a Vegan or Vegetarian Special Meal
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Backup Food Tips for Vegetarian and Vegan Travelers
Related Airline Meal Guides
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s

Never Use ❌	Use Instead ✅
Requesting “vegetarian” without checking the meal code	Choose the exact code such as VGML, VLML, AVML, or VJML
Assuming a vegetarian meal is automatically vegan	Use VGML if you need no dairy, eggs, or animal products
Waiting until boarding to ask for a special meal	Request the meal during booking or at least 24–48 hours before departure
Assuming low-cost airlines always provide special meals	Check the airline menu and bring a backup snack if options are limited
Forgetting special meals on connecting flights	Confirm each flight segment separately, especially on partner airlines

Vegan vs Vegetarian Flight Meals

The main difference between vegan and vegetarian flight meals is dairy, eggs, honey, and other animal-derived ingredients. A vegetarian airline meal does not contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but it may include paneer, cheese, yogurt, milk, butter, cream, eggs, or baked goods made with dairy or eggs.

A vegan airline meal avoids all animal products. It is usually built around vegetables, grains, legumes, fruit, salads, bread, and plant-based sauces. This can be the safest option for strict vegans, but it may feel plain to passengers expecting a richer vegetarian meal with paneer, yogurt, or dairy-based curry.

Quick answer: Choose VGML if you want a vegan meal with no dairy or eggs. Choose AVML or VLML if you are vegetarian and comfortable with dairy, depending on airline availability and cuisine preference.

Airline Meal Codes Explained

Special meal codes help airlines prepare the right meals before the flight. These codes are especially important on international flights, long-haul routes, and full-service airlines. Low-cost airlines may not offer the same range of complimentary special meals, so always check before travel.

Meal Code	Meal Name	What It Usually Means
VGML	Vegan / Vegetarian Non-Dairy Meal	No meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, or honey
VLML	Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal	No meat or fish, but may include dairy and eggs
AVML	Asian Vegetarian Meal	Indian-style vegetarian meal, usually with no meat, fish, or eggs; may include dairy
VJML	Vegetarian Jain Meal	No meat, fish, eggs, or root vegetables; may vary by airline
VOML	Vegetarian Oriental Meal	Chinese or Oriental-style vegan meal with no animal products
RVML	Raw Vegetable Meal	Raw vegetables, salad, and simple uncooked plant foods
FPML	Fruit Platter Meal	Fresh fruit only, often used for light meals or fasting preferences

Important: Meal ingredients can vary by airline, airport caterer, route, and region. Always confirm the exact meal description with your airline if you have allergies, religious restrictions, or strict dietary needs.

VGML vs VLML vs AVML

These three codes cause the most confusion because all sound vegetarian, but they can be very different on the tray.

VGML: Vegan Meal

VGML is the best choice for strict vegans and passengers who avoid dairy, eggs, and animal-derived ingredients. It may include vegetables, rice, pasta, lentils, beans, fruit, bread, salad, or plant-based spreads. It should not include paneer, yogurt, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, honey, meat, fish, or poultry.

VLML: Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal

VLML is meant for vegetarians who avoid meat and fish but may eat dairy and eggs. This can be a better choice if you are vegetarian but not vegan and want a more traditional vegetarian airline meal with richer ingredients.

AVML: Asian Vegetarian Meal

AVML is especially popular with Indian vegetarian travelers. It usually contains Indian-style vegetarian food and often includes rice, dal, vegetables, roti, curry, yogurt, or paneer depending on the airline. It typically avoids meat, fish, and eggs, but may include dairy.

Best choice for Indian vegetarian travelers: If you eat dairy and want an Indian-style vegetarian meal, AVML is often a better request than VGML. If you are strictly vegan, choose VGML instead.

Jain, Oriental, Raw, and Fruit Meals

Beyond standard vegan and vegetarian meals, airlines may offer more specific choices for religious, cultural, or health preferences. Availability varies, so these should be requested early.

VJML: Jain Vegetarian Meal

VJML is designed for Jain dietary preferences. It usually avoids meat, fish, eggs, and root vegetables such as onion, garlic, potato, carrot, and beetroot. Some airlines may also avoid other ingredients based on regional interpretation, so strict travelers should confirm details before travel.

VOML: Vegetarian Oriental Meal

VOML is typically a Chinese or Oriental-style vegan meal. It is generally free from animal products and may include rice, noodles, stir-fried vegetables, tofu, fruit, or similar plant-based dishes.

RVML: Raw Vegetable Meal

RVML is usually a raw vegetable plate or salad-style meal. It may be useful for passengers who prefer uncooked foods, but it may not be filling enough for long flights.

FPML: Fruit Platter Meal

FPML contains fresh fruit and is often selected by passengers who want a light meal, fasting-friendly option, or simple backup when heavier meals are not suitable.

Allergy warning: Special meals are not always allergy-safe. If you have a serious allergy, contact the airline directly and carry safe backup food where permitted.

Vegan and Vegetarian Meals by Airline

Airline meal quality depends on route, cabin class, flight length, caterer, and whether meals are complimentary or buy-on-board. Full-service long-haul airlines generally offer more special meal options than domestic low-cost carriers.

Air India

Air India offers in-flight dining options that may vary by route and aircraft. For vegetarian travelers, AVML, VGML, and VJML-style requests may be relevant depending on flight availability and booking options. Use Air India’s official dining and booking pages to check meal availability for your route: Air India dining experience.

IndiGo

IndiGo is a low-cost airline, so meal choices may differ from full-service international airlines. Vegan availability can be limited, and meals may be purchased or pre-booked depending on the route and fare. If you are strict vegan, check the current menu and bring a permitted backup snack.

Middle Eastern and Asian-Pacific Airlines

Many Middle Eastern and Asian-Pacific airlines provide a wider range of special meals on international sectors, including VGML, VOML, AVML, VJML, and fruit meals. If you are connecting between carriers, request the meal for every segment, not just the first flight.

Route matters: A meal available on one airline’s international long-haul route may not be available on a short domestic sector, codeshare flight, or low-cost connection.

How to Book a Vegan or Vegetarian Special Meal

Special meals are prepared before departure, so the airline needs advance notice. Waiting until boarding is usually too late.

1. Select the Meal During Booking

When booking online, look for “special meal,” “meal preference,” or “manage meal” options. Choose the exact code, not just a general vegetarian label.

2. Confirm in Manage Booking

After booking, open the airline’s manage booking page and confirm that the meal code appears correctly for every passenger who needs it.

3. Request Early

Many airlines require special meal requests at least 24 to 48 hours before departure. Some may require more time for specific meal types.

4. Reconfirm After Schedule Changes

If your flight time, aircraft, or airline changes, reconfirm your meal. Special meal requests can sometimes disappear after rebooking.

5. Check Each Segment

For connecting flights, make sure the meal is requested for each leg. This is especially important when another airline operates a codeshare segment.

6. Confirm at Check-In or Boarding

Ask staff whether your special meal is loaded, especially on long-haul flights. Cabin crew may also confirm special meals after boarding.

For vegetarian traveler experiences and airline meal planning ideas, HappyCow’s airline meal guide is a useful resource: HappyCow airline meal options.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake is assuming that “vegetarian” means the same thing everywhere. In airline catering, a vegetarian passenger who eats dairy may want AVML or VLML, while a vegan passenger should request VGML. A Jain passenger may need VJML instead.

Smart Meal Request Habits

Use the correct airline meal code.
Request the meal at least 24–48 hours before travel.
Reconfirm after changes or upgrades.
Carry a permitted snack as backup.
Check whether your meal applies to every flight segment.
Ask crew before meal service if you have a strict dietary need.

Mistakes That Cause Meal Problems

Choosing VGML when you actually want paneer or dairy.
Choosing AVML when you need fully vegan food.
Assuming buy-on-board meals will include vegan options.
Forgetting to request meals on codeshare flights.
Waiting until the airport to request a special meal.
Expecting special meals to be allergy-certified.

Backup Food Tips for Vegetarian and Vegan Travelers

Even when you order correctly, a special meal can be missed, changed, or unavailable because of catering issues. Carrying a small backup snack can save the day, especially on long flights.

Good Backup Snacks

Energy bars with clearly labelled ingredients
Dry fruits and nuts if permitted and safe for your allergies
Crackers, roasted snacks, or sealed chips
Fruit that is allowed by airport and destination rules
Instant oats or dry cereal cups
Homemade food only when airline, security, and customs rules allow it

Be careful with international arrivals. Fresh fruit, homemade food, seeds, dairy, and certain agricultural items may be restricted by the destination country. Eat perishable snacks before landing or declare them where required.

Use these guides to compare in-flight meals, special meal codes, snacks, and food rules for India and international flights.

Special Meal Codes

Airline Food and Snacks

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s

What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan meals on flights?

Vegetarian meals avoid meat, poultry, fish, and seafood but may include dairy or eggs. Vegan meals avoid all animal products, including dairy, eggs, honey, meat, fish, and poultry.

What is the vegan meal code for airlines?

The common vegan meal code is VGML, often described as a vegan meal or vegetarian non-dairy meal. It is designed to exclude all animal products, including dairy and eggs.

What is the difference between VGML and VOML?

VGML is a standard vegan meal with no animal products. VOML is also generally vegan but prepared in a Chinese or Oriental style, depending on the airline and route.

What is the difference between AVML and VGML?

AVML is an Asian Vegetarian Meal, often Indian-style and may include dairy. VGML is a vegan meal and should not include dairy, eggs, honey, meat, fish, or poultry.

Does vegan automatically mean vegetarian?

Yes, vegan meals are vegetarian because they exclude meat and fish. However, vegetarian meals are not always vegan because they may include dairy, eggs, or honey.

Does a vegetarian eat eggs?

Some vegetarians eat eggs, especially lacto-ovo vegetarians. Others avoid eggs for religious, cultural, or personal reasons. If you do not eat eggs, choose your airline meal code carefully.

Does Air India serve vegan and vegetarian meals?

Air India may offer vegetarian and special meal options depending on route, aircraft, and catering availability. Check your booking or Air India’s dining information and request the correct meal code in advance.

Does IndiGo have vegan meals?

IndiGo meal availability can be limited compared with full-service long-haul airlines. Check the current menu before travel and bring a permitted backup snack if you follow a strict vegan diet.