I was pleasantly surprised that there was no smoking on my Alitalia flights, they were on time and my luggage wasn't lost. <BR> <BR>But warning: don't ever get the vegetarian meal. Just get the regular and eat the non meat items, unless you want to starve! I was given rice w. tomato sauce on it and some veggies. As the snack I was given a plate of veggies smaller than what I'd feed a rabbit, and they were inedible. Actually except for the eggplant I couldnt even ID them. <BR> <BR>I didnt realize the options would be meat OR fish, and I eat fish. But even if you eat no meat, the veggie meal will mean no cheese, no crackers, less fruit and no dessert (since when does no meat mean no dessert?!?!) <BR> <BR>Next time I'll bring snacks.

the food on alitalia is horrible all around. i found the regular food inedible leaving the US. Returning to the US (from Italy) it was barely edible. I usually have a good meal before boarding a long flight and bring snacks. i've given up on plane food.

A lot of the airlines serve horrible vegetarian meals. I have had plain rice with a side of unknown vegs, and I have had plain pasta-ish goop with tomato goop. And hardly ever dessert either. <BR>Now, I order salads.

Yes, Alitalia does have terrible food. Air India has fabulous vegetarian meals. You have to like your food spicey, however.

Molly, you're right. Even though I'm a vegetarian, I go for the regular meals now, too. Most airlines serve one boring and bland low-cal, low-fat, low-sodium diet for just about any special request. And what is the deal with not giving vegetarians dessert?!?

That sounds like a nastier than usual in-flight meal! <BR> <BR>When I was a vegatarian I used to order the Indian veg meals which was far superior to the regular meal. There is a large Indian population in Toronto, so there is obviously a market for it. Once, I made the mistake of ordering the regular veg meal and was presented with a plate of wilted green beans and a side order of glutenous rice! <BR> <BR>I think the airlines make the assumption that if you are a vegetarian you are a VEGAN which means no cheese or dairy products, which may explain the lack of desert which would probably have been dairy based. <BR> <BR>Regards

The quality of vegetarian meals on all the airlines dropped a few years ago. It used to be that the vegetarian meal was actually good. Now, it seems that every airline uses the same generic vegetarian/vegan/low-fat/diabetic/hypoglycemic/wheat allergy/ kosher/ etc/ etc. meal rather than several different special meals. Most recent vegetarain meals I've had were gross, difficult to identify, with no dessert, terrible 'diet' salad dressing, unripe fruit, and in general 'yucky.' (Unidentifiable, inedible, brown smelly glop for 'asian' vegetarian on recent NW flight comes to mind - bleecch!) And I don't understand the no dessert issue either. Now I just bring my own vegetarian carry-on meal and/or eat around the meat in the regular meal when possible. In fact, many airlines offer vegetarian standard pasta on a lot of their flights, making a special meal redudant.I can only imagine with budget cutbacks the special meals will get even worse then the previous sorry state.

As ger mentioned, the strictest vegetarians (vegans) won't eat milk (cheese, yogurt, etc.) nor will they eat eggs, which rules out pretty much all airline desserts such as cakes. They probably figured the fruit was the dessert.

On some airlines, they specify vegan or vegetarian. I have picked vegetarian and still don't get deserts.

I couldn't agree more about the poor quality of vegetarian meals on airlines. As for dessert, the last time I had a vegetarian airline meal, I was given a packet of dried fruit and a rice cake. You're probably right that they are trying to avoid any diary-based dessert items.

It's really not any of the airlines' fault. They contract out to catering companies for their meals. Did you know that Marriott Corporation is one of the largest food service companies to service the airlines?

Of course it's the airlines' fault. They hire the caterers!

Here is the scoop - my mom being a Vegetarian (60+ years) for life. If you are O-Lacto - you can have eggs and milk - Vegan No. Fish is NOT vegetarian. My mom would never eat a vegetable that touched meat or fish - therefore would never order the regular meal. No chicken broth in the soups or veggies either. I don't know who started the myth that Vegetarians eat fish. Sorry I'm so strong with this opinion, but I grew up getting teased because my Mom didn't eat meat.

Molly, <BR> <BR>Youre right, the true vegetarian eats no fish. I went totally meatless for 10 years, then got a horrible illness (not that my diet brought it on, but eating mostly pasta prob. didnt help matters), so since then I added fish. Based on my research veggie diets plus fish are healthier than strict veggie diets (Salmon is soooo good for you). So that's why I was bummed to find they had fish dinners bc i would have taken one.

Liz, you're right, a "vegetarian" really wouldn't eat fish, it's an animal of course. But I've run into an increasing number of people who claim that they are vegetarians, but who eat fish. <BR> <BR>I think there's a trend towards people taking a do-it-yourself attitude towards the moral type of vegetarianism. Fish are a "lower" type of life than birds or mammals, I guess. I know one person who "won't eat anything with a face." <BR> <BR>Incredibly, have run into more than one person who uses the term "vegetarian" but who will eat fish AND CHICKEN, just not red meat! I gues that's about as far as you could stretch the term, LOL.

I'm a vegetarian who eats fish. Is there a better way to phrase it than that? I occassionally eat fish because I like it. I never eat mammal flesh because I don't like it. I would only eat chicken if there was absolutely nothing else and I was starving (which rarely happens). Is there a proper term for that? <BR>My eating habits have nothing to do with morals. I don't like meat. It's not particularly good for one's health. Fish and veggies are much better for you.

Sorry, anon, as far as I know there are no real English terms other than vegetarian and vegan. Which is why people end up saying they are "vegetarians who eat (meat of various types)". <BR> <BR>Why must there be a specific term? Rather than a vegetarian who eats fish, more accurately you are a person who doesn't like to eat mammals and poultry.

I believe that the airline that serves good food is the rare case not the other way around. When flying I never expect much in the way of yummy food..you will notice on various info sites about staying well when traveling-don't use the blanket-don't use the pillow-don't eat the food! There have been enough cases of people getting sick from inferior food that this is a warning now-sort of the way you are risking your health at a outdoor corner food stand. <BR>I have not eaten meat in 30 yrs.my son has not eaten it in his entire life-nor has my husband.We have never gotten "sick" from our diets, and believe me-I am no gourmet vegetarian cook-pizza is a staple at our house..but-when traveling and we do not understand the menu well, fish and chicken have crept into our diets..we do not think of these as meat-regardless of the fact that chickens have faces and have lived to tell the tale~

veg, yes, you've brought up another shortcoming of English vocabulary. <BR> <BR>Some people use "meat" to mean only mammals, excluding fish and chicken, but there's no other term that includes them, since "meat" originally meant all flesh.

Joanne: Had to laugh when you said you know someone who won't eat anything "with a face." One of my vegetarian friends says she won't eat anything "that had parents."