Ordering a halal meal with British Airways, step by step

What British Airways offers and how to ask

British Airways lists a halal meal among its special meals. The airline states that it is prepared under halal guidelines with halal meat and contains no pork, alcohol or derivatives of either. The page does not publish a route list for this meal, but it warns generally that the airline cannot cater to every dietary requirement on all flights.

The request is made online through Manage My Booking, which becomes available once you have a confirmed booking. British Airways asks travellers to make dietary requests as soon as possible after booking, rather than waiting for the deadline.

The rest of this page covers the details that most often cause a missed meal: the two different deadlines, the short-haul exception, partner flights and the fact that listed meals cannot be modified.

Two deadlines, depending on direction

British Airways applies a different latest time depending on where the flight is heading. The published deadlines are:

• Flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick: 24 hours before departure.
• Flights to London Heathrow or Gatwick: 36 hours before departure.

The longer cutoff applies to the return direction, so a simple rule of thumb of one day before can miss the inbound catering window.

Worked example

Suppose you fly out of Heathrow on a Monday morning and return on the following Sunday evening. The outbound request must be in 24 hours before the Monday departure. The return request must be in 36 hours before the Sunday departure, which means by Saturday morning. Because these are separate catering cut-offs, calculate each leg on its own and put both dates in your diary.

The easiest approach is to ask well ahead of either deadline. Requesting at booking removes the arithmetic altogether.

Step-by-step request in Manage My Booking

1. Open Manage My Booking and enter your booking reference and surname.
2. Choose the option to request a meal for each passenger.
3. Select the halal meal from the special-meal list and read its description.
4. Repeat for every flight in the itinerary and for every traveller, including children.
5. Save, then check that the booking now displays the meal against each name and sector.

A regular dish chosen from a cabin menu, such as a fish or vegetarian main, is a different selection and does not carry the halal meal designation. If you want the halal meal, use the special-meal list specifically.

Keep the confirmation. If your booking later changes, for example after a rebooking, look again at each sector to see whether the request has carried across.

Euro Traveller is a different service

British Airways says meals for specific dietary requirements are not available in Euro Traveller, its short-haul economy cabin. No complimentary meal is served in that cabin. Instead, food and drink are sold through the High Life Café, which can be ordered online before travelling and delivered to your seat during the flight.

The consequence for Muslim travellers is that a long-haul halal request does not extend to a short-haul connection in Euro Traveller. If your journey includes a short-haul leg in that cabin, plan separately for it. The café menu is a purchase option, not a halal-certified service, so check ingredients on each item and consider carrying your own food for that sector.

Dining by cabin on long-haul flights

On long-haul flights the regular service varies by cabin. In First, British Airways describes an à la carte Dine Anytime menu from which passengers create their own meal. In Club World, you choose a main course served with a starter, dessert and cheese, with snacks and drinks delivered to your seat during the flight, and a signature afternoon tea on some routes.

A special meal replaces the standard choice, so it is worth thinking about how you want the experience to work. Some travellers prefer to choose the halal meal formally in the booking so that it is recorded, rather than trying to select a halal-suitable dish from the regular menu, because the regular dishes are not described as halal.

Premium cabins are covered in a separate guide on this site.

Partner-operated flights

If part of your trip is operated by another airline, British Airways' booking FAQ explains that you should go to that airline's website, enter your booking reference and request a special meal there. If you cannot find the reference or need help, contact the airline you booked with.

This matters for itineraries sold by British Airways but flown by a partner. A request in your British Airways record does not automatically guarantee that the operating airline has it. Check each operating carrier's own special-meal page, deadline and process.

• Look at the operating airline shown against each flight number.
• Use that airline's manage-booking tool with your booking reference.
• Ask whether its meal is halal-prepared or simply pork-free, as definitions vary.

No variations on listed meals

British Airways says that listed special meals cannot be modified, and that items such as lobster, steak, caviar or a fruit plate made to your preference are not available. Meals may also contain allergens such as tree nuts or sesame, and may not suit passengers with severe or multiple food allergies.

If you need the halal meal and also have an allergy or another restriction, the single-category system may not satisfy both. Contact British Airways before travelling to ask what is possible, and plan a back-up that you can safely eat. Do not expect crew to rebuild a tray onboard.

Checklist and what to do if the meal does not appear

1. Request the halal meal in Manage My Booking soon after booking.
2. Work out each deadline: 24 hours from London, 36 hours to London.
3. Request for every passenger and every sector.
4. Plan separately for any Euro Traveller leg.
5. Check partner-operated flights with the operating airline.
6. Recheck the booking a few days before departure.
7. Pack dry snacks such as dates and nuts as a back-up.

If it goes wrong

If the meal is not shown in your booking and you are past the deadline, contact British Airways at once and ask what can be done, but accept that late requests may not be met. Politely tell the cabin crew early in the flight, and ask what pork-free, alcohol-free choices exist. Eat from your own supplies if nothing is suitable. A scholar can advise on what to do when no halal option is available.

Frequently asked questions