What's it like flying with Air Transat as a vegan? I've followed a vegan diet and lifestyle since 2009, so I'm always seeking the best plant-based meals wherever I go.
You can select a vegan meal on most airlines by requesting the "VGML" meal in advance. This is a bit confusing because sometimes it's called "Vegetarian Non-Dairy" by the airlines, but it does mean that it is an entirely vegan meal.
On this trip to Italy, we flew with Air Transat. On the way there, Justin and I flew from Toronto to Venice, and flew from Rome to Toronto on the way home.
This was actually one of our very first flights to Europe from back in the day, and we've learned some great tips since this one! We're going to give our full review of Air Transat and what it's like ordering the vegan meals.
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Air Transat Review: Seat Selection
We chose to sit at the very back of the plane (seats 31 A and C). It always costs more to select your seats ahead of time, and it's even more expensive to choose the premium seats or the emergency exit aisle seats.
Justin and I thought it was a good idea to sit at the back of the plane, mostly because it was the only spot with two seats beside one another instead of three. No middle seat? Sweet!
We also figured that there wouldn't be anyone behind us to kick our seats, and we could recline as far back as we wanted without worrying about reclining into someone.
With that said, we do not recommend choosing these seats for any overnight flights.
I tried my best to fall asleep. I had a sleepy time tea, a comfy neck pillow, and even a glass of wine to help soothe me into resting. The wine is complimentary.
Nothing could save us from the dreaded bathroom that was located at the back of the plane. Throughout the night, there were constant line-ups, the sounds of toilets flushing, people tugging at the backs of our chairs, and heavy footsteps back and forth past our seats.
The location of the bathroom was one of the elements that made it impossible to sleep. I was also freezing cold throughout the whole flight because Air Transat does not supply blankets to use for free. You have to buy a blanket to use (I did this on the way home).
On the flight to Venice, it was awful because my body felt tired, my eyes felt very tired, and I really could feel myself wanting to sleep...except the noise and movement around my seat kept me awake.
On the way home, our flight from Rome was at 2:00pm and we were arriving in Toronto at 5:45pm, so there really wasn't any need to sleep. In this case, I didn't mind these seats at all.
It was nice having a little bit of extra leg room, having just the two of us beside one another, having no seats behind us, and all of the other reasons that I listed above. However, if you want to get any rest, don't choose these seats.
Air Transat Staff
We found the staff on board to be quite pleasant and helpful. Particularly on our flight home, the staff were very friendly and understanding.
They always had a positive and upbeat attitude. We didn't even seem to mind the line-up of people by the bathroom on the flight home, yet the airline stewards were extra apologetic for any inconvenience this may have caused us.
They offered us some snacks for free that you normally would have to pay for. It's the small things sometimes that leave a lasting positive impression.
Vegan Meals with Air Transat
I always bring extra snacks just in case the airline forgets my vegan meal or it ends up tasting bad. The vegan meals on Air Transat weren't bad at all and actually quite decent for an airline meal.
In both cases (flights to Venice and flights from Rome), the meals consisted of an entree, a small green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a little baguette, a glass of water, and a small fruit salad.
The entree on our flight to Venice was spiced quinoa and sweet potatoes. On our flight from Rome, our meal was basmati rice with spicy bean masala. Both meals were satisfying and tasty.
Flying to Venice
After hours of trying to sleep and being unable, I decided to open my airplane window screen to peer outside. To my surprise, the bright light spilled into the cabin. It seemed like moments ago it was nighttime, and suddenly, it was the middle of the day.
Flying across time zones really does mess with your mind! Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I was in awe of the beautiful view as we were flying over the Alps.
My first glimpses of Venice were far less spectacular. Of course, the scene around the airport isn't at all what you picture when you think of Venice as it is located outside of the city core.
Our plane landed and we were in Venice at last. And this is where the adventures truly begin. Check out all of our Italy travel guides for blog posts and itineraries in this amazing country.
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Jake says
For the vegan meal, did you just go with "VEGETARIAN, WITHOUT DAIRY PRODUCTS" and risk it, or did you explicitly ask for vegan when you called?
Lauren says
Hi Jake. That's exactly what we chose. That's their way of labeling a vegan meal....even though it doesn't specify no animal products, you'll receive a vegan meal if you request that. On the phone, they might not know what it means if you ask "is it vegan?" but in our experiences flying there and back from Italy, "vegetarian without dairy products" = vegan. Hope that helps!
karen says
I do not have restrictions but want tastiest, healthy not sure if Vegan or veg would be better and better than their standard meals ;-) Thankyou for your post
Lauren Yakiwchuk says
Hi Karen, I'm not sure since I've only ever had the vegan meal on flights. It's always hit or miss. Sometimes you'll get a really delicious vegan meal and sometimes it's pretty bland. Just like every airplane meal, I suppose!
Charlene says
I'm just back from Venice and it is such fun to read about it from another persons view! I'll be reading all your posts!
You did have a sad view flying in ... my view was a gorgeous shot of St Marks Square! I was surprised to be able to see it when coming in for a landing!
Will & Laura @ Bottled Air says
OMG we love plane meals! And we love how easy it is now to get vegan food on airplanes, we think most airlines have that option, right? It's nice when you're travelling in a country where it's hard to find vegan food, then you get on a plane and...well, you can finally eat. Great post and nice photos! Good to see other vegans travel. Happy travels :)
antonette - we12travel says
This looks very tasty I have to say. A couple of months ago I flew to South America and somehow they got me a vegan meal (I'm not a vegan). Which turned out to be dry rice and beans plus a tasteless roll of bread so needless to say I wasn't too happy, but Air Transat seems to do a much better deal. I flew with them to Canada a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the flight!
Lauren says
That sounds awful! I wonder how you ended up with a vegan meal...so strange! Thankfully, our meals were far from gross or tasteless! :)
Ruth - Exploramum says
Well I think you make me want to go and take a flight - you have great photography and reading this made me hungry. Venice from the air - awesome!
Lauren says
Thanks so much, Ruth!! While flights can be really tiring and uncomfortable, we definitely made the best of it here. I wouldn't hesitate to board a plane right now if it meant going somewhere as awesome as Italy :)
Andrea says
oooh the Alps look amazing! I've never even heard of that airline but hey- I hope Italy was amazing! Can't wait to read about it.
Lauren says
I think it's a Canadian airline! :) We'll be writing all about Italy for the next while...I have MANY stories. Stay tuned :)
Sammi Wanderlustin' says
*If* I book seats I always choose an aisle seat about half way down the plane, just behind the emergency exits. I just had to book seats with Norwegian and was pleased to get aisle seats. Even with my short legs I like the space of the aisle seat, and won't swap for a centre seat.
Do you travel with a sarong usually? That's usually an awesome way to keep warm on a plane and not need a blanket ;)
It's great that you guys managed to get fully vegan meals on your flight :) so good when the airline can comply like that :)
Lauren says
I had a sarong...but I had checked it on the way! Whoops. That's a great idea though!
Allison says
Thanks for this post. Our youngest is allergic to eggs and most meat products so we try to stick with Vegan dishes when out to avoid an allergic reaction. Good to know you had tasty vegan friendly options!
Lauren says
Your youngest will definitely have no problem here! Woohoo! :)
Jane M says
My least favourite thing about vegan airplane meals is that they always give you the "fresh" fruit for dessert. Everyone else gets some yummy cake or cookie and we're stuck eating crunchy, flavourless honeydew melon. Bleh. I always pack a vegan chocolate bar for the flight to avoid dessert envy.
Lauren says
It's kinda funny that you say that, sometimes I feel the same way...but I was seriously CRAVING that melon on the way home as I hadn't eaten too much fruit while in Italy! And the honeydew/strawberry/cantaloupe combo was actually really fresh tasting. I also like to pack vegan chocolate bars when possible, I always bring these yummy cookies from a local bakery when we fly on our way traveling somewhere! Yum!!!
Carmen | Carmen's Luxury Travel says
It's always a challenge getting a different meal in an airline. I know I have a pepper allergy and most of the time I can't eat anything they serve.
Lauren says
That would be so difficult. I imagine that pepper is in everything!! I suppose you could try calling and asking them to remove it from your meal, though sometimes it's best not to take that chance.
Amy says
I'm so glad to read this review today - we're flying Air Transat home from Venice to Toronto in a couple of weeks. I've been looking all over the internet to find blog posts or any sort of personal reviews of Air Transat but they seem to be few and far between. Aside from the sleep on the way over, I'm glad to hear you had a positive experience. This sets my mind at ease a bit!
Lauren says
I'm glad you found the review! We have no problems with Air Transat and wouldn't hesitate to fly with them again! We saved a lot of money by flying with them, too.
Sarah Lynn says
Can't wait to hear more about your Italian adventure!
I'm in Italy now (Elba Island) and am taking the train to explore Rome later this afternoon. Maybe we can compare notes. Lol.
Lauren says
Ooh sounds good to me. I hope that you had fun in Rome!! I'm hopping over to read your Venice post right now!
Tami says
Sometimes that back row of seats doesn't recline at all. It's backed up to a straight wall with no room to recline! So do be careful when choosing back seats!
Lauren says
This is true. Thanks for the reminder! :) Definitely recommend checking out Seatguru to see if your seats recline or not! Thankfully, ours weren't against a wall and they did recline.
Raphael Alexander Zoren says
Whoa, that view of the mountains is quite spectacular!!!! That's the reason I always choose window seat, well done!
Lauren says
I always choose the window seat, too. Justin is always nice and lets me have it! :)
The Adventure Ahead says
I had wondered about Vegan meals on flights. While we are not entirely vegan, it is great to see that there are some healthy options available. Your meals sounded delicious :)
Lauren says
It was easy to request a vegan meal, or a vegetarian meal, or a variety of other options on board. I'm glad to see that there's something for everyone!
Jenna says
I always love the back corner seats on planes--except for the bathroom traffic, it's always nice not having a middle seat and being able to recline as much as you can without having someone behind you. Glad they had the vegan meals for you and that they were tasty--sounds like great service!
Lauren says
There are good things and bad things about this spot on a plane. I'm not sure if I would book it again...but I wouldn't completely avoid it either. I'm torn!! :)