How to get a Muslim meal on WestJet: routes, deadline and rules

Muslim meals on WestJet at a glance

WestJet lists a Muslim meal among its special meals, but the service is tied to aircraft and routes, not to the ticket alone. The airline's food and beverages page says special meals are available for Business guests on all Boeing 787 Dreamliner routes. For Economy, standard special meals are available on 787 flights to and from London Gatwick, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Narita and Incheon. Special meals are not available on 737 flights.

So the answer to "Can I get a Muslim meal?" is "it depends on your flight". Check three things before you assume: the aircraft type, the cabin you booked and whether your route is on the eligible list. Then make the request in good time.

What the Muslim meal contains

WestJet describes the Muslim meal as prepared without alcohol, pork, pig by-products, ham or bacon, and adds that preparation and cooking style may vary. That is a statement about exclusions. It is not a halal certification claim, and the page does not name a certifier or say how the meat was slaughtered.

What this means in practice

• You can expect no pork, no alcohol and no ham or bacon.
• You cannot assume that the meat comes from a halal-slaughtered animal.
• If sourcing matters to you, ask the airline what it can state about it before you travel, and note that the answer may differ by catering location.

Many travellers accept an exclusion-based meal, while others prefer a certified halal source. That is a personal decision, and a qualified scholar is the right person to advise on it. Neither position is a reason to skip the request.

Checking the aircraft and route

Because the whole scheme turns on the aircraft, check this first. Your booking shows the flight number, and the airline's aircraft information shows what type normally operates it. Aircraft can be swapped, so look again closer to departure.

1. Find the flight number and date in your booking.
2. Check whether the service is a 787 or a 737.
3. If it is a 787 in Economy, confirm that the route is one of the listed destinations.
4. If you travel in Business on a 787, the meal is available on all 787 routes.

On Europe and Asia 787 flights the airline says guests can pre-order a special meal. A shared fare name or a connection to an eligible route does not extend the offer to a 737 sector in the same journey, so check each flight separately.

The 24-hour rule and how to ask

WestJet asks guests to contact it at least 24 hours before departure so that its catering partners have time to prepare the meal. Treat that as a minimum. Making the request when you book, or soon after, leaves room for mistakes to be fixed.

Ways to contact WestJet

• Phone: the contact page lists a number for new and existing bookings, available at all hours.
• Live chat: available at all hours in several languages, and the page lists adding meals among the requests agents can help with.

Have your reservation code and the passenger name ready, and say clearly that you want the Muslim meal, not simply a general meal. Agents cannot help with every booking type: the page states that chat cannot handle partner airline or travel-agent bookings, so those may need to go through the original seller. Ask for a confirmation that the meal is noted on each flight in the journey.

Upgrades, changes and cancellations

The special-meal rules have three traps that catch passengers who have already done everything right.

Upgrading after check-in

WestJet says that if you upgrade to Premium or Business after check-in, it cannot accommodate a special-meal request, because meal orders are finalised closer to departure. If you want an upgrade, arrange the meal while the original booking is still inside the request window, or request the meal as part of the upgrade before check-in.

Cancelled or rescheduled flights

Requests do not transfer automatically. If your flight is cancelled or rescheduled, ask for the meal again on the new flight, and check that the replacement aircraft is eligible.

Combining dietary needs

Special meals cannot be customised or combined. If you need a Muslim meal and also a gluten-free or lactose-free one, the airline cannot merge them, so decide in advance how you will cover the second requirement yourself.

Children, infants and families

The airline lists a child meal for ages 2 to 7, but a child meal is a separate category, so it is not a Muslim meal for a child. Ask the airline how it handles a child who needs both, and bear in mind the rule that special meals cannot be combined.

Lap-held infants do not receive meals, so a parent flying with a baby should bring suitable food for them. The airline also says that guests whose dietary needs are not met by the options can bring their own meals and snacks, which is the fallback for any family member left without a suitable choice.

Bringing food in and out of Canada

If you pack your own halal food, remember the border. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency explains that travellers may bring food for personal use only if it is allowed and within the limits. Some foods are not allowed at all, for example pork products and stone fruit, and many allowed foods have a limit of 20 kg or 20 L per person. Limits apply per traveller and by category.

Other countries, including those in Europe and Asia on WestJet's 787 network, have their own import rules for meat, dairy and eggs. Finish animal-origin food before landing, carry dry or plant-based items where you can, and check the destination's official rules before you pack.

Checklist and what to do if the meal does not appear

• Confirm the aircraft is a 787 and your route or cabin qualifies.
• Request the Muslim meal at least 24 hours before departure, and earlier if possible.
• Quote your reservation code and name the Muslim category.
• Ask for confirmation for every flight in the journey.
• Request again after any cancellation, reschedule or aircraft change.
• Arrange the meal before check-in if you plan to upgrade.
• Pack your own halal food as a backup.

If it goes wrong

If the crew has no record of your meal, show the confirmation you saved and ask politely whether any alternative without pork or alcohol is available. Do not eat anything you are unsure about, and use your own food. Afterwards, send the airline your confirmation details and a description of what happened.

Frequently asked questions