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The following special meals are currently available:
| Types of meals | Description |
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| Asian vegetarian | Asian vegetarian meals contain foods from plant sources and exclude foods derived from animals (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, honey, eggs and dairy products or their by-products). |
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| Hindu (Indian) vegetarian | Hindu (Indian) meals follow vegetarian guidelines by excluding all meat and seafood, and are spicy in content. Special note: Hindu (Indian) vegetarian meals are offered as a standard choice on flights to and from India; therefore, it is not necessary to place a special vegetarian meal request for these flights. |
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| Vegan (strict) vegetarian | Vegan meals are available for those customers who exclude all foods derived from animals from their diets, including meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, honey, eggs and dairy products or their by-products. |
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| Child | This meal is available for children from 2 to 12 years of age, and includes food offerings which appeal to children. The meals planned for United follow Recommended Dietary Allowances for children. |
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| Gluten-intolerant | This meal is available for customers who are gluten-intolerant, and does not contain wheat, barley, rye or oats. |
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| Jain | Jain meals are prepared in Indian style and according to Jain customs that prohibit the consumption of animal products and root vegetables. Jain meals are available only on flights to and from Mumbai, India. |
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| Japanese | Traditional multi-course Japanese meals, served with steamed rice and Japanese tea, are available for pre-order by customers confirmed in United Global FirstSM or United BusinessFirst® on flights between the continental U.S. or Hawaii and Japan. |
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| Kosher | Kosher meals are prepared by Kosher caterers under strict Rabbinical supervision and may also incorporate fresh fruit or sealed items, such as individually packaged bagels that meet Kosher laws. Special Kosher for Passover meals are supplied during Passover. All Kosher meals provided for flights departing the U.S., and flights departing Tel Aviv, Israel, are Glatt Kosher. Customers departing from Moscow, Russia are required to provide Kosher meal requests at least 48 hours in advance of departure. |
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| Muslim | These meals exclude all products derived from pigs, such as pork, ham and bacon, and alcohol is not used for preparation. All meat products are prepared in accordance with the Halal method. |
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 How can I request a special meal?
 How can I request a special meal?
We offer special meals on select routes when a breakfast, lunch or dinner is scheduled. A special meal can be requested at the time of booking or by adding a request to an existing reservation.
If special meals are available on a flight, you will be able to make a special meals request during the booking process after signing in to your MileagePlus account. MileagePlus account holders can also add special meal preferences to their profiles for use with bookings made through united.com. When signed in to your MileagePlus account and making a reservation on united.com, if you have a special meal preference set in your profile, you should verify that the correct special meal has been assigned to the applicable traveler’s name prior to confirming the reservation.
If booking outside of united.com, a specific request must be made through the original booking channel for the available special meal to ensure it is included in the reservation, or by contacting United reservations.
How far in advance must I order my special meal?
How far in advance must I order my special meal?
At least 24 hours before departure, with the exception of Kosher meal requests on flights departing Moscow (DME). These special meals must be requested at least 48 hours in advance of travel.
Where does United offer special meals?
Where does United offer special meals?
International flights
Special meals are available on all international trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific, intra-Asia and Micronesia flights. Special meals are also available on South American flights to Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
U.S. flights
Special meals are available in premium cabins on domestic flights with scheduled meal service between:
- New York (JFK) and San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX)
- Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX)
- The continental U.S. and Hawaii
What will I receive?
What will I receive?
You will receive a meal comparable to the service scheduled for your confirmed flight based on the departure time of the flight, the length of the flight and the level of service offered.
Please note that some special meal choices may not be available on all routes.
May I request a special meal when traveling on a partner or codeshare airline?
May I request a special meal when traveling on a partner or codeshare airline?
United is able to request special meals on your behalf when you are traveling on a partner or codeshare airline. However, we cannot guarantee the availability of special meals on the partner airline. You may contact the other airline directly to determine the availability of special meals and to make your request.
What about customers with nut allergies?
What about customers with nut allergies?
United is committed to the safety of its customers, including customers with nut allergies. United does not board pre-packaged peanuts, but unfortunately we cannot guarantee that a flight will be free of nuts, including peanuts. Some inflight food offerings may include nuts or contain trace amounts of nut ingredients (including traces of peanuts), or may have been processed in facilities that handle nuts, including peanuts. It's not possible to ensure that customers will not bring food items onboard that contain nuts, and for a variety of operational reasons, we cannot guarantee nut-free flights, offer nut-free zones, or remove any onboard products based on individual customer requests. We encourage all passengers to review any health concerns with their physicians prior to flying.
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