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I’d like to treat my mum to a trip in either Club World or First – and she has to eat a gluten free diet. Does anyone have any experience of GF special meals onboard in BA First or business, and/or in the BA Galleries First lounge or Concorde Room. Many thanks
You can select a special meal via MMB; I can’t specifically remember if GF is an option, though you’d think so. Don’t expect it to be anything special, however, I’ve seen reports of people getting ham or cheese salad as the GF option! In the lounges you can ask for GF bread and then just compile your meal from ingredients which are GF in themselves. There are options in the CCR which can be GF like scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, or steak and chips.
Thanks for that – yep I checked and GF is an option for the special meals.
but, remember, they may mess it up so be prepared. they served me butter and dairy yogurt many times as I ordered vegan meal.
Gluten free is an option. They can mess it up and it doesn’t get loaded, so always take back-up food just in case as had been mentioned.
When I went in business class to Barbados pre-pandemic it was okay, but not special. Better than economy, but didn’t feel much of a step up from a long short haul flight. We had cold roast veg numerous times on the return flight, fruit salad twice, and were generally underwhelmed.
I imagine first class would be better. But don’t expect anything amazing, just okay, in CW.
My wife is gluten free and we used to specially request GF. The meals were very underwhelming and we stopped a while back. She now chooses something off the regular menu and checks the allergen list. She feels she ends up with better meals that way.
In the lounge she asks for a GF roll or bread and doesn’t usually have a problem.
My wife is gluten free and we used to specially request GF. The meals were very underwhelming and we stopped a while back. She now chooses something off the regular menu and checks the allergen list. She feels she ends up with better meals that way.
That’s what I ended up doing as the meal was almost always fish, which I don’t eat, but there was no way to tell them in advance .
Hi – I also must stick to a gluten free diet and I have to say the lounge experience is no problem – with rolls, fruit etc so has never been an issue.
On the plane my last experience was a Low Calorie meal – which technically ticked the box as being gluten free, but with all due respect to those on a low calorie diet, lacking in any carbs, cheese, and far from being tasteful.
However I have now realised that the Cabin Manager does have all the allergens for every aspect of the meals, and they can check if any of the alternatives are gluten free. In Club Europe you are relying on spare meals being loaded, or sitting as far forward as possible, in order that they can look at the alternatives and then pull one of the meals from the main service for you. On our last flight two weeks ago the vegetarian option was gluten free (apart from the crackers) and I had that instead of my low calorie meal as likewise I don’t eat fish.
I have complained to BA – and asked is there anyway to notify them that you don’t eat fish – still waiting for a response.
I always take sandwiches on board, and chicken slices if long haul, as I never risk the meal either being loaded or edible!
I’m vegetarian and gluten-free, and haven’t yet had a meal I can eat, as they’ve all been meat or fish based. Also had 1 instance out of 5 flights where the meal wasn’t loaded at all. And last trip, the second meal service (which I’d been told I could eat as it was veggie) they weren’t able to serve, as the refrigeration unit failed onboard, so they had to throw all the food away. Also last trip, was in business, explained I was also veggie, cabin staff consulted the allergen list and gave me something she’d got from first that was supposedly GF and vegetarian – ended up being glutened.
My advice – go armed with lots of food, and if you are served something you can actually eat, count it as a bonus!
In general the lounges at this end are pretty good, they all have allergy folders and there is a decent selection of stuff you can have. Really mixed experience abroad. Have to say the BA lounge at LAX was fab though on our trip home. Allergens highlighted, even got the chef out who then cooked us some separate fries (there was fish and chips out which weren’t gluten free) using the fryers in the First lounge (I think the kitchens were next to each other) as he knew they were safe.
I go with a full on picnic when starting the trip from this end, and make sure I have some GF noodle/rice pots packed that just need hot water for the way home, so at least I have something to eat.
I always complain to BA about the fact you can’t order a meal that is both gluten-free and vegetarian. Would be easy to make the vegan meal GF to cover all eventualities, as a lot of people who are coeliac also have issues with lactose. Every time I complain they bung me some points, but nothing ever changes.
It is ridiculous – how hard could it be to commission someone to produce a menu with dishes which took into account multiple allergies/other dietary requirements? It would save money in the long term as fewer individual options would have to be offered. If you’re paying BA prices, especially in premium cabins, you shouldn’t have to eat pot noodle from home!
I can’t eat gluten and have preselected the gluten free special meal when flying Club Europe, Club World and First a few times, but it’s something I no longer do because the meal is nearly always very disappointing. As I understand it, the special meals are the same no matter which cabin you’re in. So you’ll get the same GF special meal in First as the people in economy, it will just be plated nicely.
In my experience, your best bet is to ask for the “Chef’s Chat” information for the onboard menu. This shows you all the allergy information for each dish. I’ve always found there to be some gluten free options. Take some GF bread with you if you want bread.
If you’re able to preselect your main dish before departure you can see the allergy information online for the dishes.
I can’t eat gluten and have preselected the gluten free special meal when flying Club Europe, Club World and First a few times, but it’s something I no longer do because the meal is nearly always very disappointing. As I understand it, the special meals are the same no matter which cabin you’re in. So you’ll get the same GF special meal in First as the people in economy, it will just be plated nicely.
In my experience, your best bet is to ask for the “Chef’s Chat” information for the onboard menu. This shows you all the allergy information for each dish. I’ve always found there to be some gluten free options. Take some GF bread with you if you want bread.
If you’re able to preselect your main dish before departure you can see the allergy information online for the dishes.
Interesting. Might try that next time 👍
No problem in the CCR – most can be made GF. LGW Galleries also had a good gluten-free selection (so I assume other large lounges also have). Always best to ask. Note I am talking about GF (not Coeliac) as there can be cross-contamination.
My wife normally orders a GF meal in First/Club, but they are often lacklustre (and not a choice). On most long-haul First is usually well stocked and Club is often so large that you can take the GF meal and choose off the normal menu as well (mix/match). Take some GF crackers for the First cheese plate!
If you do end up flying in First, then you can request the menus from YouFirst in advance of the flight – they are usually released towards the end of the preceding month. This will help determine if she’ll be able to eat from the onboard menu or if you feel you need to pre-order a special meal.
Thank you chatGPT for hijacking this thread
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