I was a little nervous about my flight to the USA. I hadn’t flown long-haul since diagnosis and after hearing that a flight “forgot” my mum’s gluten-free meal, I had loaded up on snacks and spare sandwiches… JUST IN CASE.
Virgin Atlantic has a good reputation, and upon booking I could immediately choose my meal selection. They had quite a large variety of options, but it looked like it could be complicated for those with more than one allergy or intolerance. I selected gluten-free and it showed up next to my booking confirmation.
When I checked in at the booth at Heathrow, a little notice came while my boarding cards were being printed that said “Your meal request has been acknowledged”, so I relaxed and “enjoyed” browsing around the terminal. Does anyone actually buy anything other than travel essentials at airports? Prices don’t really seem that cheap, so they must be targeting people who simply must buy something when they see a shop. I don’t know, it baffles me. After feeling up some silk Ted Baker floaty dress thingy, I boarded the flight.
Airlines will generally serve the special meals first, so when you see the attendants bringing out a small number of meals and distributing them in a non-linear fashion, that’s when you can start elongating your neck, meerkat style, and giving the flight attendants sad, hungry eyes. On the outbound flight, the attendants were great. The food was mixed.
First up was the hot meal:
Hot meal on outbound Virgin Atlantic flight to New York
Sorry for the picture quality but I had to surreptitiously take it with my phone, because I hadn’t anticipated how embarrassing it would be to whip out my camera and start snapping AIRLINE food. It’s different in restaurants, but I felt totally crazy wanting to photograph my sad little meal. THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU GUYS…!
In addition to the hot meal, there was a salad, a bread roll and some cold dessert which I think was supposed to be apple crumble. It was inedible, but the salad and bread roll were pretty decent. Here’s what was in the hot meal:
Gluten-free mush
Yes, that’s a chicken breast hiding under the potatoes, with what appears to be mushy jelly. I can’t pretend it was very nice, it had a whiff of early 90s school dinners, but at least I got fed. Furthermore, the normal passengers seemed to get an almost identical mushy chicken/potato/bean combo, so I didn’t miss out!
For the second meal things started looking up:
Things are looking up!
Honeybuns on a flight!!! I was in heaven, although it tasted rather stale (and I’ve tasted fresh Honeybuns, which is nowhere near stale!). The bread roll was also pretty decent, although I can’t remember the filling – I think an egg salad of some kind. I wished they had given me that instead of the mush earlier.
On the flight back I saw the special meals being distributed, but the attendants forgot about me so I had to ask them for my meal. Thankfully it was there, so I have no idea why they didn’t give it to me.
Breakfast was this:
Gluten-free breakfast on Virgin Atlantic
That’s orange juice, fruit and a brioche type thing which was rather good.
Lunch – the best meal of both flights
My last meal was hands down the best meal I had with Virgin Atlantic. Chicken and vegetables on a bed of tasty rice, rice cakes and a fresh salad. Om nom nom.
My main concerns before flying were that I would be forgotten, and not provided for, but the staff were very good. There was actually another gluten-free person on one of the flights – I kind of wanted to go over and say hi, but I realise that might have seemed a little weird. (But no weirder than taking pictures of airline food!)
The meals varied, but the quality was much better than I had expected – except the disgusting apple crumble. Virgin Atlantic, if you’re listening, scrap the crumble!
That sounds better than Emirates. Their gf meals were poor!
What did you get?
I am very disappointed with airline meals my husband not coeliac gets a lovely piece of cake or a yoghurt with his meal on a recent flight with Thomas Cook, I on the other had got an apple not that I don’t like fruit but it’s no substitute for cake. Then he gets two sandwiches a yoghurt crackers and cheese and they give me a gluten free roll and butter and a pot of apple sauce in apple juice what is that all about I wish they would get someone who is coeliac on the board to sort out in flight meals I get so annoyed and can find nowhere to complain they even woke me o a long flighf to give me the apple sauce lol.
Having travelled in the past on numerous flight s anything booked shorter than a 4 hour flight I have given up on bothering ordering a meal and will take my own or find a Glutenfree option in Airport ( can be difficult getting food through customs understandably, many inconsistencies, Flight delay’s will cause hunger). I have also travelled with virgin Airlines to America and was pleasantly surprised and fed which by past experience made flight pass quicker and felt inclusion with rest of travellers. I am talking approx 8-10 yrs back so I hope Virgin are going to take note of your blog and ensure food is fresh and edible! I am hoping in next 5 yrs to go to Australia so would be interested in others experience with Airline carriers Glutenfree service as I don’t think I can go with out food for 24 hous, need energy to drag bags after long flight and lover of food. ? I also have a vague recollection of being given apple crumble.
I haven’t been to Australia, but I have heard their gluten-free food is good. Would be interested to hear whether any other readers have been and which airline they took?
Getting food onto the plane has never been an issue for me, since I try and eat it (or throw it away) before I go through customs.
I think in general, airlines and service providers around the world are wising up to dietary restrictions – things are moving in the right direction!
The last time I flew to Australia it was booked with Qantas but turned out to be code-share with BA so I got to experience both airlines. It was a special holiday so we treated ourselves to Business Class and although the ‘normal’ food on Qantas was excellent, the gluten free offering was pathetic and clearly there was no upgrade in the food from the standard Economy meal. There were things on the Business Class menu that probably were gluten free but as there was no information whatsoever and the staff had no idea about the food I couldn’t afford to take the risk (apart from the fresh strawberries!). We flew via Singapore and the catering on the Singapore-Sydney leg was without a doubt the worst I’ve experienced on any airline, even cheap charter flights! Slimy yet dried-out salad with a rice cake was impossible to eat, meanwhile the rest of the family enjoyed a lovely meal.
The return leg was a BA flight and this time all the food was dreadful, not just the gluten free!! Singapore-London I had exactly the same meal as Singapore-Sydney, and it was just as foul. The BA staff were generally rude and when we asked if there was anything else to eat they just commented that they only heat the stuff up so can’t help if it’s horrible.
That sounds awful! It seems to be very hit and miss on long haul!
Try Singapore Airlines – they are the best airline in the world for a reason! I always have great gluten free meals with them
I shall do the next time I require a flight out that way!
I travelled on Emirates to Australia in February and back in March and thought the GF food was reasonable for airline food. I had taken reserve snacks but certainly didn’t need them. I just wish they gave butter with the bread instead of the axle-grease margarine that they assume coeliacs need. Australia is good for coeliacs. The choice in the supermarkets and restaurants/cafes is good but they do have a slightly take it or leave it attitude to cross contamination. Lots of people say they know someone with it or a relative has it.
Thank you so much for sharing this! Great write-up and it made me laugh. But, seriously, I wondered what I was going to do in connection with gluten-free eating!