It is very easy for celiacs to become paranoid about leaving their homes. Just because their kitchen is gluten-free does not mean that they'll find similar situations anywhere else. While it is hard enough for some to be persuaded to eat at a restaurant or someone else's home, travel poses an additional problem. When traveling by air, you can be stuck far from a kitchen (yours or anyone else's) for quite a while. However, there are some airlines which offer gluten-free meals.
The meals must be requested in advance and are sometimes only available in certain cabins. However, with the general lack of awareness of celiac disease, it's wonderful to see that some companies are going out of their way to make our lives a little bit easier. Also, you can carry on gluten-free meals and snacks. The only limits are the size of your bag and what you're willing to carry. Listed below are airlines that offer GF meals, along with a link to the information available on their website. When the information on the website is not clear, I encourage you to contact the carrier for more information.
One other note: sometimes when booking a code-share flight, the airline you booked with may not be able to request a gluten-free meal from the airline operating the flight. Be aware that this process may involve a lot of phone calls and be wary of code-shares.
Be careful. Sometimes when you get a gluten-free meal on board, it may have gluten-containing items.
- ANA (All Nippon Airways) - not clear whether 5 Allergen-Free meal is GF
- British Airways
- Japan Airlines – called "no gluten" meals
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Thai Airways – have medical meals, but specifics not listed
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic