Is it still necessary to pre-request a vegetarian meal on intercontinental flights? [closed]

I've been a vegetarian for over 16 years and have been requesting vegetarian meals on intercontinental flights for a while. Unfortunately for hungry me, I often end up receiving a vegan meal. I suspect this happens in order for airlines to reduce the different types of meals to prepare. But my issue with receiving a vegan meal is that they typically don't have sufficient calories/protein for me.

On a recent Air France flight I noticed once on board that they offered multiple options for the dinner and, surprise, one of them was vegetarian! But, having pre-requested a vegetarian meal, what I ended up being served was vegan and I spent the meal looking longingly at the cheese and cheesecake my fellows were eating.

Returning from Europe I flew KLM, and I noticed when I checked in that there were options to pay more for specific meals (but not categories of meal) but no place to specify a dietary restriction (maybe too late in the process). When I asked at the counter they told me to check in with a flight attendant upon boarding and fortunately they did have a vegetarian option on the menu.

Is this typical of the SkyTeam airlines I fly to Europe with (Delta/KLM/Air France)? In order to get an actual vegetarian meal, should I stop pre-requesting a vegetarian meal and hope that I'll be able to get a vegetarian option aboard?

air-travel dietary-restrictions

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Is it still necessary to pre-request a vegetarian meal on intercontinental flights? [closed] - Closeup of green chopped stems of asparagus placed on wooden cutting board on white surface

Is it still necessary to pre-request a vegetarian meal on intercontinental flights? [closed] - Bunch of bright green fresh parsley in decorative glass vase placed on white table

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Do they serve food in international flights now?

Passengers on international flights can now be served hot meals and limited beverages \u2014 including alcoholic \u2014 instead of the packed food and cold non-alcoholic beverage and water bottles that were kept on seats to minimise crew-flyer interaction till now during the pandemic.

Do airlines offer vegetarian meals?

About 23 percent of American Airlines' customers choose to pre-order a vegan meal, according to information obtained in 2020. Grilled cauliflower with chili is just one example, but you might also find grilled vegetables served with a grilled eggplant caponata appetizer.

How do I know if my flight will serve a meal?

Check your flights itinerary and it'll either specify what, if any meals are served, or it will say "food for purchase." Non-alcoholic drinks are still free on airlines.

What is Hindu vegetarian meal in flight?

Hindu Vegetarian Meal (Asian) (AVML) This is a spicy, Asian-style vegetarian meal. It contains no meat, fish, eggs, lard, gelatin, or other animal-based ingredients.

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