Flight terms

Special meal codes such as MOML explained

You want a Muslim meal on the plane, and the booking page shows a code.

A special meal code is the short label an airline uses to record a dietary request for your seat. MOML is the code for a Muslim meal. Once it is on your booking, the airline’s kitchen knows to prepare a different tray from the standard one.

How will you meet it on the trip?

You will meet it on the booking page or in the “manage booking” section, as a drop-down list of meal choices. Pick it when you book or soon after, because the request is set up before the flight, not on the plane.

The code is a request, not a certificate. The meal comes from the airline’s own description and its caterer. In the language of our five halal claim states, treat it as operator-declared until you see evidence.

A tip: order, reconfirm, ask

First, order the meal for each traveller, including children. Second, reconfirm with the airline before you fly, and keep the reply. Third, mention it to the crew when you board. Use the dietary enquiry brief generator to write the message with your own rule included.

Carry a snack that meets your rule in case the tray does not come.

To see how the airline meal fits into a whole trip of meals, use the meal-assurance comparison tool. More terms are in the halal labels and evidence hub.

If your family flies with different meal rules, send us the flights and the rules and we will help you write one clear request for each seat.

Ask about your flight

Common questions

What does MOML mean?

MOML is a short code in airline booking systems for a Muslim meal request. Each airline decides what goes into that meal. The code tells the kitchen to prepare something different from the standard tray, but it does not show who certified the ingredients or the caterer.

Is an airline Muslim meal the same as a halal-certified meal?

Not automatically. The request is a claim made by the airline, so treat it as operator-declared until you see evidence. Ask the airline how it describes the meal and whether the caterer holds a certificate, and decide by your own standard.

What if my special meal does not arrive on the plane?

Tell the cabin crew early and politely, and show your booking confirmation. Carry a small snack that meets your own rule, so a missed meal does not leave you hungry. Reconfirm the request with the airline before you fly to reduce the chance.

Keep planning

Halal, Muslim-owned, pork-free: what each claim meansYou see a sign that says halal, and you are not sure what it is actually saying.Meal-assurance comparison toolTwo offers both say halal meals included, and you cannot tell which one actually proves it.Dietary enquiry brief generatorYou need to ask a kitchen about pork, lard and alcohol, and you do not share a language.Which arrangements must be confirmed in writing?You cannot chase every small promise, so you want to know which ones really need a paper trail.