Special Meal

Submit a request for a special meal

If you are unable to eat regular meals due to health, religious, or age-related reasons, please request a special meal at least 24 hours before departure.

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Information by meal type

Children’s meals are served first to allow caregivers to assist them during mealtime. Information on baby/child meals Baby/child meals

We offer a variety of customized vegetarian meals for our vegetarian passengers. Information on vegetarian meals Vegetarian meals

We offer special meals for passengers with special dietary needs. Information on meals for special dietary needs Meals for special dietary needs

We offer in-flight meals tailored to a variety of passenger preferences. Information on special meals Other special meals

We carefully prepare and serve in-flight meals for passengers of various religious backgrounds. Information on religious meals Religious meals

What you should know

  • For flights departing from overseas, certain meals may be limited or substituted depending on the circumstances of local catering suppliers.
  • Please note that certain special meals may be restricted on short-haul routes.
  • For codeshare flights, requests must be made at least 48 hours before departure. However, some menu items may be limited or require additional preparation time, so please contact the airline for more information.
  • If you’ve requested in-flight meals in advance, you won’t be able to make changes on board.
  • You cannot request both a regular meal and a special meal. When a special meal is requested, all meals for the entire itinerary will be provided as special meals.
  • If you have peanut allergies, please refer to the following: [In-flight Experience > In-flight Travel Tips > In-flight Environment].
  • Special meals are provided free of charge for passengers who cannot eat regular meals for health, religious, or age-related reasons.

Information on baby/child meals

We serve special meals for infants and children. Children’s meals are served first so their caregivers can help them eat.

Baby meals

  • We offer puréed, ready-to-eat baby food and juice for infants under 2 years of age.

Infant child meals

  • Provided for infants under 2 years of age who are able to eat child meals.
  • For flights departing from Korea, you can choose from stir-fried bulgogi, BBQ chicken and croquette, and Soft Rice. For flights departing from overseas, you can choose from spaghetti, pizza, and hot dogs.

Child meals

  • Available for children ages 2 to under 12.
  • For flights departing from Korea, you can choose from stir-fried bulgogi, spaghetti, BBQ chicken, and croquettes, and for flights departing from overseas, you can choose from spaghetti, pizza, and hot dogs.

Notice

  • Baby formula is not provided on board, so please prepare it in advance. Warm water for preparing formula is available upon request.
  • Baby food prepared for infants can be warmed in a hot water bath. However, this service may not be available depending on the material or size of the container.
  • Some flights departing from Japan, China, and Southeast Asia offer the same menu as flights departing from Korea, and sandwiches are provided on short-haul flights.

Information on vegetarian meals

We offer a variety of customized vegetarian meal options for our vegetarian passengers.

Korean vegan meal

  • We offer Korean-style vegan meals that do not contain any meat (including fish and poultry), animal fats, gelatin, eggs, or dairy products.

Vegetarian lacto-ovo meal

 

  • We offer Western-style vegetarian meals that do not use any meat (including fish and poultry), animal fats, or gelatin but do include eggs and dairy products.

Vegetarian vegan meal

  • We offer strict Western-style vegetarian meals that do not use any kind of meat, including fish and poultry, animal fats, gelatin, eggs, or dairy products. It is made using grains, fruits, and vegetables and is prepared with vegetable oils.

Vegetarian Hindu meal

  • We offer Indian vegetarian meals that do not use any eggs and meat, including fish and poultry, but do include dairy products.

Vegetarian Jain meal

  • We offer strict Indian vegetarian meals that do not use any animal products, including all types of meat such as fish and poultry, eggs, and dairy products, as well as root vegetables such as onions, garlic, and ginger.

East Asian vegetarian meal

  • We offer East Asian-style vegetarian meals that do not use any animal products, including all types of meat such as fish and poultry, eggs, and dairy products, but use root vegetables like onions, garlic, and ginger.

Raw vegetarian meal

  • We offer vegan meals that use raw vegetables, raw fruits, and raw fruit and raw vegetable juices, dairy products, and bread, which do not contain any caffeinated beverages, preservatives, additives, or processed foods. 

Information on meals for special dietary needs

We provide medically and nutritionally designed meals for passengers who require a customized diet for health reasons.

Bland meal

  • This meal is designed for passengers with delicate or sensitive digestion.

  • Strong spices, vegetables that can cause gas, and fatty foods have been taken out, and instead, lean meats and white fish are included.

Diabetic meal

  • This meal is designed to help control calorie, protein, fat, and sugar intake by limiting saturated fats and adjusting portion sizes.
  • Depending on the route, low-fat dairy products and whole-grain breads and cereals may be provided.

Gluten-intolerant meal

  • We strictly limit meals containing gluten.
  • We do not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, or malt, which contain gluten. Instead, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and soy are used as alternatives.
  • Passengers with gluten allergies should request this meal in advance.

Low-calorie meal

  • We offer a calorie-restricted meal for weight management purposes.
  • We avoid deep-fried dishes, use minimal amounts of fat in cooking, and do not serve high-fat sauces or rich desserts. Low-fat meats and dairy products are used instead.

Low-fat meal

  • We offer a meal that includes low-fat meat or low-fat fish without using high-fat meat, concentrated broth, egg yolk, or shellfish that are high in cholesterol.
  • We use cooking methods such as steaming and baking instead of frying and sautéing, and use vegetable oils such as olive or corn oil within the permitted low-fat range to ensure adequate essential fatty acid intake.

Low-salt meal

  • This meal is for passengers who are on a sodium-restricted diet.
  • Smoked and salted products are not used. Butter and margarine are unsalted. Condiments such as ketchup and mustard are used only within the permitted sodium limits.

Low-lactose meal

  • We offer a meal that strictly limits all lactose-containing dairy products including milk, cream, and powdered milk.
  • We do not use foods containing dairy or egg dishes, chocolate, and caramel products. Instead, we use dairy-free cheese, yogurt, margarine, mayonnaise, along with meat, poultry, vegetables, and soy milk.
  • This meal is suitable for passengers with lactose intolerance who may experience digestive issues when consuming it but cannot be served to passengers with milk allergies. 

Information on other special meals

We offer special in-flight meals that cater to the different preferences of our passengers.

Fruit platter meal

  • For passengers who prefer a lighter option instead of the regular in-flight meal, we offer a fresh fruit platter.

Seafood meal

  • Fish and seafood are the main ingredients and are served with grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Allergen-free meal

  • For passengers who are allergic to certain ingredients, we offer allergen-free meals that exclude those ingredients.
  • If you have peanut allergies, please refer to the following: [In-flight Experience > In-flight Environment and Health] .
  • Please request allergen-free meals at the Service Center, on the website/mobile app, or through your ticket reservation office. (Requests can be made up to 24 hours prior to departure.)

Information on religious meals

Korean Air prepares and serves special in-flight meals for passengers who observe religious diets.

Hindu Meal

  • We offer non-vegetarian Indian meals that do not use beef, veal, pork, raw or smoked fish  but include lamb, poultry, seafood, and cooked fish.

Kosher Meal

  • This meal is prepared in accordance with the laws of Judaism, sealed before loading, and opened by the flight attendant only after confirming with the passenger.

Muslim meal

  • This meal does not contain alcohol, pork, ham, bacon, gelatin, or any foods containing pork by-products, and is prepared in accordance with Islamic dietary laws using ingredients such as beef, lamb, and poultry.