Glossary
Definition: Special meal codes are 4-letter IATA designators for non-standard in-flight meals, ordered in advance to accommodate dietary, religious, or medical needs. Common codes include VGML (vegetarian), KSML (kosher), HNML (Hindu non-vegetarian), GFML (gluten-free), and DBML (diabetic).
Last updated
Term at a glance
| Term | Special Meal Codes (SPML) |
|---|---|
| One-liner | Special meal codes are 4-letter IATA designators for non-standard in-flight meals, ordered in advance to accommodate dietary, religious, or medical needs. Common codes include… |
| Where it matters | Premium-cabin booking decisions, fare-rules interpretation, airline-product comparison. |
| Related concepts | Book the Cook · Cabin Crew · Booking Reference · Dine on Demand · PNR |
| Last verified | 2026-05-07 |
Every airline subscribes to the IATA standard for special meal coding, which allows requests to flow seamlessly through the GDS booking pipeline. Order a special meal at booking time, the code travels with the PNR, and the catering provider at the departure station prepares the alternative tray.
The most commonly requested business class special meal codes: - VGML — Vegetarian (lacto-ovo, often the safest default) - VLML — Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal (more specific) - VOML — Vegetarian Vegan Meal (no animal products) - KSML — Kosher Meal - HNML — Hindu Non-Vegetarian Meal (no beef) - AVML — Asian Vegetarian (Indian-style, more flavorful) - MOML — Muslim Meal (halal) - GFML — Gluten-Free Meal - LCML — Low-Calorie Meal - LSML — Low-Salt Meal - DBML — Diabetic Meal - NLML — Non-Lactose Meal - SFML — Seafood Meal - CHML — Child Meal (ages 2-12) - BBML — Baby/Infant Meal
Order special meals at least 24-48 hours before departure (preferably at booking time). Some airlines impose a hard cutoff — typically 24 hours pre-flight for international and 12 hours for short-haul. Special meals are loaded by name (your PNR), not by row, so a missing meal is usually a galley-loading error rather than an unavailable item.
In premium cabins, many airlines also offer Book the Cook programs (Singapore Airlines is the originator and remains the gold standard) — pre-order from a chef-driven menu of restaurant-style dishes, prepared specifically for your seat. This is separate from the SPML code system and operates through the airline's own pre-flight portal rather than IATA codes.
In booking practice
At a Glance
| Term | Quick definition | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| SkyTeam | SkyTeam is a global airline alliance of 19 member airlines including Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, Korean… | Read |
| Staggered Configuration | A staggered configuration is a business class seat layout where seats in adjacent rows are positioned at… | Read |
| Seat Pitch | Seat pitch is the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front, measured in… | Read |
| Star Alliance | Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline alliance with 26 member airlines including Lufthansa, United… | Read |
| Seat Map | A seat map is a graphical layout of an aircraft cabin showing seat positions, numbering, lavatories, galleys,… | Read |
| Star Alliance Gold | The highest standard elite tier in the Star Alliance frequent-flyer ecosystem, accrued by reaching the… | Read |
Related Terms
SkyTeam is a global airline alliance of 19 member airlines including Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, Korean Air, and China Airlines, connecting passengers to over 1,000 destinations worldwide.
A staggered configuration is a business class seat layout where seats in adjacent rows are positioned at different distances from the aisle, creating a diagonal pattern that provides direct aisle access and varied seat widths.
Seat pitch is the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front, measured in inches. It is the primary indicator of legroom in an aircraft cabin.
Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline alliance with 26 member airlines including Lufthansa, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, ANA, and Turkish Airlines, serving over 1,200 destinations.
A seat map is a graphical layout of an aircraft cabin showing seat positions, numbering, lavatories, galleys, and emergency exits. Used during booking to select a specific seat, particularly important in business class where seat configuration varies dramatically (window vs aisle, facing forward vs reverse, throne seats, paired vs solo).
The highest standard elite tier in the Star Alliance frequent-flyer ecosystem, accrued by reaching the Gold-equivalent status on any Star Alliance member airline's programme (e.g. United Premier 1K, Lufthansa Senator, Singapore KrisFlyer Gold). Star Alliance Gold unlocks lounge access, priority benefits, and enhanced baggage allowance across all Star Alliance carriers.
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