How to request a gluten-free meal on a flight

The gluten-free special meal uses the IATA code GFML. Requesting it takes two minutes, but the rules (deadline, which flights and cabins qualify, how to ask) differ by airline. Here is the checklist, then the official rules we have read airline by airline.

Always confirm with the airline. Menus, caterers and policies change. Reports below are individual experiences, not guarantees and not medical advice. Pack backup food on every flight.

The 5-step checklist

Request GFML when you book, in the special-meal field of the booking or in "manage booking". If there is no field, call or message the airline.
Check the deadline. The official pages we read ask for at least 24 hours (SWISS, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, LATAM); some travellers ask earlier to be safe.
Check that your flight qualifies. Some airlines only cater special meals on longer flights or in certain cabins (for example Iberia: Business over 90 minutes, Economy over 4.5 hours; LATAM: international flights over 3.5 hours).
Re-check after any change. Seat changes, rebookings and codeshares can drop the request. On a codeshare, the operating airline caters the meal.
Confirm on board and read every label, and always pack backup food: several airlines say they cannot guarantee the absence of gluten traces.

Official rules by airline (read October 2026)

Airline	What the airline says	Source
SWISS	SWISS offers a "gluten intolerant meal", prepared without wheat, rye, barley, oats or starch. Special meals are available in all classes on long-haul flights, but in Europe only in SWISS Business on selected flights. Order it when you book on swiss.com, or later through your online profile or the Service Center up to 24 hours before departure.	SWISS: Special meals (official) SWISS FAQ: Food & Beverage (official)
Iberia	Iberia offers a gluten-free meal that excludes wheat, barley, rye and oats; request it in "Manage your booking" at least 24 hours before departure. Special meals are served in Business on flights over 90 minutes and in Economy on flights over 4.5 hours (not on short Air Nostrum domestic flights). Iberia says it cannot guarantee the complete absence of gluten traces, asks people with coeliac disease to take this into account, and recommends bringing your own meal if you have an allergy.	Iberia: On-board menu and special meals (official) Iberia FAQ: In-flight services (official)
Cathay Pacific	Cathay Pacific offers a "Gluten Intolerant Meal" (GFML); request it through Manage Booking or Customer Care at least 24 hours before your flight. In First and long-haul Business you can also preselect your meal with Choose My Meal, from 10 days up to 24 hours before departure.	Cathay Pacific: Special dietary requirements (official) Cathay Pacific FAQ: Can I request special meals on my flight? (official)
LATAM Airlines	LATAM offers special meals, including a low-gluten option, only on international flights longer than 3.5 hours (and on Santiago–Easter Island). Request it free of charge through the Contact Center after booking, up to 24 hours before the flight.	LATAM help centre: Special meal request for a flight (official) LATAM help centre: Do you offer low-gluten food on board? (official)

Official rules change: open the source and check before you travel.

For every other airline, open its report card: each one has the general steps and traveller reports. Airlines →

Report a flight

How to request a gluten-free meal on a flight

The 5-step checklist

Official rules by airline (read October 2026)

The monthly FlyCeliac report card