Qatar Airways special meals

Qatar Airways special meals are requested at booking or later in Manage Booking, and must be in the system at least 24 hours before departure — 48 hours for the Kosher Meal (KSML), which is bought in pre-packed and double-wrapped. Every meal Qatar serves on board is halal. Airlaza can add the request to a ticket we issued: +1-888-890-4009, 24/7.

*Last reviewed August 2026.*

How and when to order a Qatar Airways special meal

There are two moments to do this. The first is during booking, where the special meal selector sits alongside seat and baggage options. The second is afterwards, in Manage Booking on qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways app, where you retrieve the reservation with your surname and six-character booking reference and add the request per passenger and per sector.

Qatar's deadline is 24 hours before departure for the general range, with the Kosher Meal carrying a 48-hour lead time because it is sourced pre-packed from outside caterers rather than produced in a Qatar Airways kitchen. Add the request per traveller — a family of four does not inherit one person's selection — and check that it survived a reissue, because changing flights can drop ancillary requests that were attached to the original coupons.

Vegetarian, vegan and religious meals on Qatar Airways

This is the group with the most codes and the most confusion, because four of them are all called "vegetarian" and they exclude very different things. The distinction between AVML and VJML matters if you keep Jain dietary rules; the distinction between VGML and VLML matters if you eat dairy.

The two that generate the most search traffic are HNML and KSML, and both are widely misread. The Hindu meal on Qatar Airways is not a vegetarian meal — it is a non-vegetarian Indian-style meal built around the exclusion of beef. If you want Indian-style vegetarian food, AVML is the code. And KSML arrives double-wrapped precisely so it can be heated in an aircraft oven that is not itself kosher; if you unwrap it early, you have defeated the point of the packaging.

Every Qatar Airways meal is halal — and what that means for MOML

Qatar Airways states that all meals served on board are halal, across every cabin and every route. That is a network-wide catering standard rather than a request you make, and it is why you will not find a Muslim Meal (MOML) code on Qatar's special meal list: the standard tray already meets the requirement, so there is nothing to opt into.

Two practical consequences follow. If you keep halal and are choosing between carriers, Qatar removes the request step entirely — there is no deadline to miss and no risk of an unfilled request on a reissued ticket. And if you are fasting or need a light option, the Fruit Platter Meal (FPML) is the code Qatar carries for that purpose rather than a religious meal code.

Pork does not appear on Qatar Airways menus as a consequence of the same standard. Alcohol is a separate matter and is served on board on most routes, subject to local law and the operating conditions of individual flights.

Medical and dietary meals

The medical range is the group people order for a genuine clinical reason, and each code is defined by what it removes rather than by a cuisine.

A gluten-free meal is a dietary meal, not an allergy accommodation. GFML removes gluten-containing ingredients from the tray you are handed; it does not change what is prepared beside it, what other passengers eat, or what is in the galley. If your requirement is coeliac disease or a diagnosed allergy rather than a preference, read the allergy section below before you rely on a meal code alone.

Children, infants and fasting passengers

Qatar carries three codes that are not about diet at all but about who is eating.

Two notes worth having. A child booked on a child fare is not automatically served a child meal on every airline, so if your eight-year-old will refuse an adult tray, request CHML explicitly rather than assuming. And if a child has a dietary or religious requirement as well, you are choosing between codes — one special meal request applies per passenger, so a vegetarian child gets either CHML or a vegetarian code, not both stacked.

Qatar Airways' allergy policy, stated as Qatar states it

This is the section to read properly, because Qatar's published position is more restrictive than passengers assume.

Qatar Airways does not provide nut-free meals, and does not guarantee against cross-contamination of nuts anywhere in its in-flight catering network. Where a dietary requirement is confirmed for a food-related allergy, the requested meal is served — but Qatar states it cannot be guaranteed to be 100% allergen-free. Nor can Qatar guarantee an allergen-free cabin: flights are open to the public, other passengers may carry nuts, nut oils and nut products, and traces can transfer to seats, armrests and aisles.

Qatar's own recommendation to allergy passengers is to bring their own food, choosing items that need no chilling and no reheating. Qatar also publishes an Indemnity and Waiver of Liability form, which it requires to be signed for allergies of all severities except on flights to and from the United States, where a separate Request for Information — Customers with Allergy form applies instead. The waiver releases Qatar Airways from liability for medical intervention or consequential loss arising from allergen exposure.

Qatar does not publish a nut-free buffer zone or an announcement policy. If you carry adrenaline auto-injectors, carry them in the cabin, in labelled original packaging, with a prescription or letter.

Dining in Business and First: Dine on Demand and Pre-Select

The premium cabins do not run a fixed meal service. Qatar's à la carte "Dine on Demand" model lets First and Business passengers order from the menu at whatever point in the flight suits them, rather than eating when the trolley reaches them.

Pre-Select Dining was introduced by Qatar for premium passengers and extended progressively across regions, so availability still depends on the route and the direction of travel — it appears in My Trips when your flight qualifies, and not otherwise. One trade-off is worth knowing before you order: a special meal code is a fixed tray. Requesting one in Business or First generally means you receive that meal rather than choosing from the à la carte menu on board, so if your requirement is a preference rather than a necessity, the à la carte menu is usually the better meal.

Codeshares, partner flights and agent-issued tickets

A Qatar Airways flight number does not always mean a Qatar Airways galley. On codeshare sectors operated by a partner airline, the catering, the meal code range and the deadline all belong to the operating carrier, and a request keyed into Qatar's system does not automatically travel across. If your itinerary shows a QR flight number with "operated by" underneath it, confirm the meal against that airline's own list.

Where Airlaza issued the ticket, this is part of what we do rather than something you chase. We add the special meal request per passenger and per sector at the time of ticketing, re-add it after any reissue — the point at which requests most often disappear — and tell you plainly where a partner-operated sector means the request has to be raised with the operating airline instead. Where Qatar Airways sold the ticket directly, Manage Booking on qatarairways.com is the right place to add it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I request a special meal on Qatar Airways?

Select it during booking, or add it afterwards in Manage Booking on qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways app using your surname and six-character booking reference. Requests are made per passenger and per flight sector, and must be in Qatar's system at least 24 hours before departure.

What is the deadline for a Qatar Airways special meal?

At least 24 hours before departure for the general range. The Kosher Meal is the exception at 48 hours, because Qatar buys it in pre-packed rather than preparing it. Requests can drop off when a ticket is reissued, so re-check after any flight change.

Is the Hindu meal on Qatar Airways vegetarian?

No. Qatar's Hindu Meal, code HNML, is a non-vegetarian Indian-style meal, mildly spiced, and prepared without beef or any beef-derived product. It may include lamb, goat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. If you want Indian-style vegetarian food, request the Asian Vegetarian Meal, code AVML.

Does Qatar Airways serve kosher meals?

Yes. The Kosher Meal, code KSML, is prepared to Jewish dietary law and purchased pre-packed from outside manufacturers. It arrives double-wrapped so it can be heated in an aircraft oven that is not kosher, and it must be requested at least 48 hours before departure rather than 24.

Is all food on Qatar Airways halal?

Yes. Qatar Airways states that every meal served on board is halal, across all cabins and routes. That is why there is no Muslim Meal code on Qatar's special meal list — the standard service already meets the requirement, so no advance request is needed and no deadline applies.

Can Qatar Airways provide a nut-free meal?

No. Qatar Airways states it does not provide nut-free meals and does not guarantee against cross-contamination of nuts in its catering network, nor an allergen-free cabin, since other passengers may carry nut products. Qatar's own advice is to bring food that needs no chilling or reheating.

Which vegetarian meal should I choose on Qatar Airways?

It depends on what you exclude. VGML is fully vegan, with no eggs, dairy or honey. VLML includes eggs and dairy. AVML is Indian-style vegetarian. VOML is prepared without animal products, eggs or dairy. VJML follows Jain practice, and RVML is raw fruit and vegetables only.

Do I get a special meal in Qatar Airways Business Class?

You can, but weigh it up. First and Business run an à la carte Dine on Demand service where you order at any point in the flight. A special meal code is a fixed tray served in place of that choice, so it is worth requesting for a genuine dietary need rather than a mild preference.

Can I choose my main course before a Qatar Airways flight?

On qualifying First and Business flights, yes. Qatar's Pre-Select Dining lets you choose one main course from the à la carte menu between 14 days and 24 hours before departure, through My Trips or the app. Availability depends on route and direction, so it appears only when eligible.

What if my special meal is missing on board?

Tell the cabin crew as soon as boarding completes rather than at the meal service, so they can check the loading manifest and find alternatives while options exist. If Airlaza issued your ticket, we can confirm what was actually filed in the booking and raise it with Qatar Airways afterwards.

Airlaza is an independent travel agency, IATA and ARC accredited. We are not Qatar Airways and do not represent it. For Qatar's own special meal list, allergy policy and forms, go to qatarairways.com. Airlaza is the independent option if you want a written quote with the fare rules attached, or want the meal and assistance requests handled on a ticket we issued.