If you have been looking through the special meal options available for an upcoming flight, you may have come across the airline meal code AVML. AVML means Asian Vegetarian Meal and is one of the special meal codes used by airlines to identify meals requested by passengers before travelling.
An AVML airline meal is a vegetarian meal prepared in an Asian style. It does not contain meat, fish or eggs but may contain dairy products.
In this guide, I explain what AVML means, what food you might receive, who an AVML meal is suitable for and how it differs from other vegetarian airline meals.
AVML Airline Meal Code Quick Wins
- AVML means Asian Vegetarian Meal.
- An AVML airline meal does not contain meat, fish or eggs.
- AVML meals may contain dairy products.
- Meals are usually prepared with ingredients and flavours associated with the Indian subcontinent.
- An AVML meal may include vegetables, rice, lentils, pulses, curries and dairy products.
- AVML is different from VGML, which does not contain meat, fish, dairy products or eggs.
- AVML is different from VLML, which may contain eggs as well as dairy products.
- An AVML meal is not automatically suitable for passengers with food allergies.
- Special meals usually need to be requested at least 24 to 48 hours before your flight.
- Always check that your AVML meal request has been confirmed before travelling.
- Consider carrying suitable snacks in case your special meal is unavailable or unsuitable.
What Does AVML Mean?
AVML stands for Asian Vegetarian Meal. It is a standard airline special meal code used to identify a vegetarian meal prepared in an Asian style. Despite the name, an AVML is generally associated specifically with food from the Indian subcontinent rather than all types of Asian cuisine.
The exact food served will vary between airlines, routes and catering providers.
What Is an AVML Airline Meal?
An AVML airline meal is a vegetarian meal that does not contain meat, fish or eggs. It is generally prepared using ingredients and flavours commonly associated with Indian and South Asian cuisine.
An AVML meal may contain dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, paneer or ghee. This means that AVML meals are suitable for many lacto-vegetarians but are not suitable for vegans or passengers who need to avoid dairy products.
What Food Is Included in an AVML Meal?
The exact contents of an AVML meal will depend on the airline and flight route.
You may receive foods such as:
- Vegetable curry
- Rice
- Lentils
- Dhal
- Chickpeas
- Beans and other pulses
- Paneer
- Cooked vegetables
- Indian-style breads
- Salad
- Fruit
- Dairy-based desserts
The meal may be mildly or heavily spiced depending on the airline and catering provider.
Passengers should not assume that every AVML meal will contain the same ingredients.
What Food Is Not Included in an AVML Meal?
An AVML meal should not contain:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Seafood
- Eggs
However, AVML meals may contain dairy products. If you avoid milk or other dairy ingredients, another special meal code may be more appropriate.
Is an AVML Meal Vegan?
No. An AVML airline meal is not necessarily vegan. Although AVML meals do not contain meat, fish or eggs, they may contain dairy products. This could include ingredients such as milk, butter, yoghurt, cheese, paneer or ghee.
Passengers following a vegan diet may prefer to request a VGML meal, which means Vegetarian Vegan Meal.
Is an AVML Meal Suitable for Vegetarians?
Yes. AVML meals are designed for passengers following a vegetarian diet. They do not contain meat, poultry, fish, seafood or eggs. However, they may contain dairy products and are therefore generally most suitable for passengers following a lacto-vegetarian diet.
Does an AVML Airline Meal Contain Eggs?
An AVML meal should not contain eggs. This is one of the differences between AVML and some other vegetarian airline meal options. For example, a VLML, or Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal, may contain both dairy products and eggs.
Does an AVML Special Meal Contain Dairy?
Yes. An AVML meal may contain dairy products. Depending on the meal, this could include milk, yoghurt, cheese, paneer, butter or ghee.
Passengers with a milk allergy or those following a dairy-free diet should not assume that an AVML meal will be suitable. If you are travelling with an allergy, or with a child who has an allergy you can find a whole range of travel tips and recommendations in my travelling with allergies guide.
Is an AVML Asian Vegetarian Meal Spicy?
An AVML meal may contain spices, but this does not necessarily mean that the food will be very hot. The meals are generally prepared using flavours and ingredients associated with the Indian subcontinent. The level of spice can vary significantly between airlines and catering providers.
If you or your child struggles with spicy foods or unfamiliar flavours, you may want to consider whether another special meal option would be more suitable.
What Is the Difference Between AVML and VGML?
The main difference between AVML and VGML is that an AVML meal may contain dairy products.
AVML means Asian Vegetarian Meal. It does not contain meat, fish or eggs but may contain dairy products.
VGML means Vegetarian Vegan Meal. It should not contain meat, fish, eggs, dairy products or other animal-derived ingredients.
The style of food may also differ. AVML meals are generally based on cuisine from the Indian subcontinent, while VGML meals can include a much wider variety of dishes. Learn more about the VGML special airline meal in my guide.
What Is the Difference Between AVML and VLML?
AVML and VLML are both vegetarian airline meals, but there are some important differences.
AVML means Asian Vegetarian Meal. An AVML food option does not contain meat, fish or eggs. It may contain dairy products.
VLML means Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal. The VLML special airline meal may contain both dairy products and eggs.
The meals may also differ in style. AVML meals are generally inspired by cuisine from the Indian subcontinent, while VLML meals are not restricted to a particular cuisine. Learn more about the VLML special meal in my guide.
Is an AVML Meal Suitable for Food Allergies?
An AVML meal is not automatically suitable for passengers with food allergies.
Special meal codes usually describe a dietary preference or meal type rather than guaranteeing that a meal is free from allergens or cross-contamination.
An AVML meal could contain allergens including milk, gluten, nuts, peanuts, sesame or other ingredients.
If you or your child has a food allergy, contact the airline directly to discuss its allergy policies and catering procedures before travelling.
It can also be helpful to carry suitable food and snacks in case the airline meal is unavailable or does not meet your dietary requirements. If you have to travel with food because of a medical reason like an allergy you may be entitled to bring a medical bag with you. You can learn more about medical luggage in my guide to what medical baggage is.
How Do I Request an AVML Meal?
The process for requesting an AVML meal varies between airlines.
You may be able to request one:
- When booking your flight
- Through the manage booking section of the airline’s website or app
- By contacting the airline
- Through your travel agent
Special meals generally need to be requested in advance. Many airlines require requests to be made at least 24 to 48 hours before departure, although the exact deadline varies.
Should I Check My AVML Airline Meal Request Before Flying?
Yes. It is worth checking that your special meal request has been added to your booking before you travel. You can usually check through the airline’s website, app or customer service team. You may also want to confirm your special meal request when checking in and again with the cabin crew after boarding.
Even when an AVML meal has been requested correctly, mistakes and catering problems can happen.
For this reason, I always recommend carrying suitable snacks, particularly when travelling with autistic children, passengers with restricted diets or anyone who may struggle if their expected meal is unavailable. If you want to learn more about travelling with someone who is autistic, I have a guide to travelling with autistic children that explains the type of travel support you can recieve, has travel destination guides, travel tips and so much more.
Other Airline Meal Codes
AVML is just one of many special meal codes you may see when booking a flight.
Other vegetarian airline meal codes include:
- VGML – Vegetarian Vegan Meal (learn more about the VGML meal)
- VLML – Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal (learn more about the VLML meal)
- VJML – Vegetarian Jain Meal (learn more about the VJML meal)
- VOML – Vegetarian Oriental Meal (learn more about the VOML meal)
- RVML – Raw Vegetarian Meal
- FPML – Fruit Platter Meal
You can download a copy of my complete list of airline meal codes to help you understand the different special meals available when flying.
AVML Airline Meal Code FAQs
What does AVML stand for?
AVML stands for Asian Vegetarian Meal. It is a special airline meal designed for passengers who want a vegetarian meal prepared in an Asian style.
What is included in an AVML meal?
An AVML meal may include vegetables, rice, lentils, pulses, curries, paneer, Indian-style breads, fruit and dairy-based products.
Does an AVML meal contain meat?
No. An AVML meal should not contain meat, poultry, fish or seafood.
Does an AVML meal contain eggs?
No. AVML meals should not contain eggs.
Can an AVML meal contain dairy products?
Yes. AVML meals may contain dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, paneer, butter or ghee.
How far in advance should I order an AVML meal?
The deadline varies between airlines, but special meals often need to be requested at least 24 to 48 hours before departure. Check directly with your airline for its specific requirements.
AVML means Asian Vegetarian Meal and is a special airline meal designed for passengers who prefer vegetarian food prepared in the style of cuisine from the Indian subcontinent. AVML meals do not contain meat, fish or eggs but may contain dairy products. Typical meals may include rice, vegetable curries, lentils, pulses, paneer and Indian-style breads. The exact meal you receive will depend on the airline, route and catering provider.
If you request an AVML meal, check that it has been added to your booking before travelling and consider carrying suitable snacks in case your requested meal is unavailable or unsuitable.
Resources for Vegetarian Travellers
If you follow a vegetarian diet, a little extra planning can make travelling much easier. I have put together some useful resources below to help vegetarian travellers find suitable food, understand different dietary options and prepare for trips. These guides can be particularly helpful when flying, visiting unfamiliar destinations or travelling somewhere where language barriers may make explaining dietary requirements more difficult.
- Read vegetarian restaurant recommendations and so much more from Soumya at Travel, Books & Food
- Learn about everything vegetarian travel from HappyCow
- Download the HappyCow app to find veg-friendly restaurants
- Watch NonStopDan for veg-friendly reviews of airlines, restaurants and hotels
Continue Learning About Airline Meal Codes
Airlines use a wide range of four-letter meal codes to identify special meals for passengers with different dietary, religious and medical requirements.
Continue learning about airline meal codes with my other guides:
- What does HNML mean?
- What does JNML mean?
- What does KSML mean?
- What does VOML mean?
- What does CHML mean?
- What does VGML mean?
- Airline meal codes and what they mean
- Codes used by airports and airlines
Understanding the different airline meal codes can make it easier to choose the most appropriate meal for yourself or your family before your next flight.
Continue Planning Your Trip With an Allergy
- Start at the beginning – learn about travelling with an allergy from my main guide
- Learn about airline meal codes and what they stand for so you can be sure your meal is allergen free
- Accommodations airlines can make for travellers with allergies
- Find out what is in my babies allergy travel bag so you can save yourself the headache of packing without a list
- Explore what it means to fly with medical luggage as an allergy travellers
- Download and print some free allergy translation cards before your trip
- Find out what Equal Eats allergy translation cards are and how to use them to travel safer
- Learn why it is important to learn important phrases related to your allergy before you travel and downloaed the free accessible travel translations eBook
- Figure out what to include on a doctors travel letter for medication so you can get it right the first time
- Find out more about flying with EpiPens so you can travel with confidence
- Airport special assistance links for airports around the world
Continue Planning Your Accessible Travels Using My Guides
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