How to Select Meal Options On Etihad Airways?

Etihad Airways is a national carrier serving the people of UAE and other travelers in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. It is best known for its service, and Meals on Board is one of its main highlighted services, which is why people love to travel with Etihad. 

This is a guide about Etihad Airways meal options, what they are, how to request them, and other important information. It would not be wrong if you say meals are the key to your flight experience, and on Etihad, you will surely get an exceptional experience through their meals. 

Introduction to Etihad Airways Meal Selection

Etihad Airways has some great meal options on flights. Meals are important when traveling on long-haul flights. Etihad also offers complementary foods and drinks on flights lasting more than three hours; however, if you have special dietary requirements, you can pay a service charge for some meals. 

Why meal selection is important for your flight experience

Meals play a crucial role in your flight experience. You never want to fly with an empty stomach; meals are the saviors onboard. You can enjoy your flight more with a glass of champagne or premium wine. 

Overview of meal options available on Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways offers a range of meal options based on preferences such as medical or dietary requirements based on religious sentiments, and there are special foods for babies and children. 

• Medical & Dietary meals: 

  • Asian Vegetarian (AVML)- Does not contain meat, fish, or eggs and strictly follows a vegetarian diet. 
  • Bland meal (BLML)- Does not contain spices, onion, or garlic. It contains food that is easily digested.
  • Diabetic Meal (DBML)- It contains low-salt, low-fat food. Simply cooked vegetables and fruit are given. 
  • Gluten-Free (GFML)- Includes Gluten-free food items. 
  • Vegan meal (VGML)- Strictly vegan items are served to the guests. 

• Religious Meals:

  • Hindu Meal (Non-vegetarian)--(HNML)- Doesn't contain beef, may have poultry, fish, lamb, and dairy products. 
  • Kosher Meal (KSML)- It contains kosher meat from a certified Kosher kitchen. 

• Meals for babies or Children: 

  • Baby Meal (BBML)- Branded packed foods are available. Parents can carry out milk and baby meals. 
  • Child meal (Non0vegetarian) (CHML)- A light food that doesn't contain spicy flavors but may contain pasta, meatballs, dairy products, and dessert.

Selecting Meals During Flight Booking

Etihad Airways allows passengers to preselect their meal at the time of booking or at any time 24 hours before the flight departure. 

• Choosing Your Meal at the Time of Booking- Follow the standard booking process and then add your meal of choice as per the availability on your flight route and class of service. You can also make special dietary requests like diabetic, kosher meal to your ticket. 
• How to confirm your meal choice via email or SMS after booking-After booking, you can confirm your email choice in various ways. Just go to your flight itinerary and find out about your meal choices. When you preselect your meal, Etihad sends you confirmation via email and SMS to notify you that your meal selection for your flight was successful. 

Know About: Standard Meal in Etihad Airways

Meal Options on Etihad Airways

• Economy Class Meal Options—On any flight, you can Choose from fresh food options, including vegetarian and non-veg snacks. 
  • Longer flights include more options, such as vegetarian food, fresh rolls, and desserts. 
  • Make customized food options for specific dietary needs like gluten-free, diabetic, or low-salt.
• Business and First Class Meal Options—More exclusive meals are added for extra luxury. 
  • à la carte menu, a glass of Champagne or fresh juice, etc.
  • Travelers will be having a full-fledged restaurant experience onboard. 
• Child and Infant Meal Options—Don't worry if you are traveling with an infant or kid. Etihad has special meal options made just for little cuties. 
  • Special meals for children like dairy products.
  • You can request meals for infants or carry your baby food on the plane.

How to Request Special Meals

Special meals are requested on Etihad Airways by contacting my booking portal. Meals onboard may not be suitable for you, and if you think like that, then request special meals that meet your dietary requirements. Special "Meal requests Etihad Airways" are available on flights for more than two hours and 50 minutes; lesser-duration flights are limited to diabetic, gluten-intolerant, or low-lactose meal options.

• Types of Special Meals Available: More than 12 special meals, including Gluten-free, vegetarian, halal, and kosher options, are available on Etihad. Check out their MEALS ON BOARD page and note the Meal code to add your meal of choice to your ticket. 
• Requesting Special Meals During Booking
  • To add your special diet meal, visit my trip management page at least 24 hours before the departure.
  • Enter your flight details and select your flight to manage your options. 
  • Go to the add meal option and enter the meal code to search for the meal. 
  • Choose your meal, add it, and finish your process. 
• How to ensure dietary needs are met with special requests: Etihad offers a range of special meals, and they have described them properly. Crew members ensure each traveler gets their special meal, including optimizing the food-making process and accommodating them onboard. 

Are Beverages Included with Meals?

Yes, a variety of beverages, such as tea, coffee, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, are included in your meals as complementary. 

• Beverages Available in Economy Class: Every Etihad flight offers free beverages. Economy passengers can choose from soft drinks, tea, coffee, juice, and more, but the choices can be limited depending on the flight route and cabin class. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase only. 
• Beverages Available in Business Class: To refresh and relax throughout the journey, enjoy a glass of premium wine or a cup of herbal tea. 
• Beverages Available in First Class: A glass of Champagne will be served on board to welcome you. Choose a pair of beverages and a meal from the menu. The range extends to the premium segments, and you can pick from several options, from Alcoholic Beverages to non-alcoholic ones. 

Selecting Beverages with Meals

Etihad allows passengers to add beverages to their preferred meal options to make the perfect dining combo. Adding beverages during meal selection is pretty easy; just go to Manage My Booking and then bang on the add meal option. Explore the meals and then select your preferred food options. Next, you can opt for the beverage section and add a variety of beverages to your meal, finishing the process by following the screen steps. 

Meal Selection for Passengers with Allergies

Allergies can easily ruin your trip, and most commonly, people have allergies to edibles such as peanuts, milk, etc. Etihad Airways has indicated properly on its meals that it includes allergens. 

How can you indicate food allergies during booking?

When you make a flight booking, you can find an option to describe your food allergies while selecting a meal on Etihad Airways. You can provide information about your allergies, like which food items you are allergic to, and Etihad will keep note of it. When you are seated on the flight, crew members will serve an allergen-free meal. 

What Happens If a Meal Contains Allergens?

In case you have not selected a meal and found a meal on board that contains allergens. You must be aware that Etihad can't guarantee an allergen-free environment on board, so any allergic reaction on a plane can happen due to traces of allergens present in the cabin atmosphere. Etihad doesn't accept responsibility for that. 

• How Etihad ensures safe meal options for passengers with allergies—Etihad can ensure providing forest aid on board. The cabin crew may try to find you a safe place by asking any fellow passenger for a seat exchange. It is strongly advised to consult with your doctor before you travel. 
• Contacting customer service for allergy-related meal concerns—If you have any questions about your meal queries, Etihad Airways customer service is available to resolve them. You can contact them at any time, but it would be best if you contact them before selecting your meal and ask about allergy-related meal concerns at 1800 123 3901.

Conclusion and Final Tips

Finally, no matter which cabin class you prefer, Etihad always cares for you even if you don't carry meals onboard. Etihad has various meal options for each kind of traveler, and if meals on the menu don't suit you well, you can customize them to your taste. 

Tips

• Travelers should customize their meals at least 48 hours in advance so that the airline can make all the arrangements on board. 
• It would be worth it if you customize your meal because you will not only minimize food waste but also guarantee meal choices and operational ease. Crew can serve passengers more easily. 
• When you book a flight at the last minute, issues with selecting meal options appear, but by preselecting the meal, these issues can easily be avoided. 
• Kindly check out the meal codes before selecting a meal. Any confusion with meal codes can lead to an unsuitable meal, ultimately leading to a bad flight experience. 

Hopefully, this guide has helped you gain all the important information about "special meals Etihad," the meal selection process, etc. If you have any more queries, feel free to contact its customer service or browse the help page.