vipul

<http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...t_id=73587>

INDIAN EXPRESS

Friday, July 01, 2005

National Network

Served fish in Hindu Meal, vegetarian may sue Virgin

US airline admits oversight in information provided on website, now introduces Asian Vegetarian Meals

ANUBHUTI VISHNOI

NEW DELHI, JUNE 30 Vegetarians travelling on Virgin Atlantic (VA) flights might have been misled into eating chicken and fish toppings served in the ‘Hindu Meal’ they ordered.
Vipul Shah, a vegetarian, was shocked when the Hindu meal he ordered on his VA Washington-Mumbai flight came topped with what he calls a ‘‘big smelly part.’’ The flight attendant informed Shah that it was probably fish or chicken. Other vegetarian passengers on that flight were stunned, too, when they heard about it, said Shah.

Shah, a Mumbai-based chartered accountant, is now considering a law suit against the airline and is in touch with US-based attorneys. ‘‘I will file a lawsuit either in Europe, where VA has its headquarters, or in the US,’’ Shah told The Indian Express.

Shah had taken the flight on April 26 this year after confirming that a ‘Hindu Meal’ offered on VA ‘‘contains no products derived from pork, beef or veal’’ and that ‘‘this meal is vegetarian’’ and ‘‘of spicy nature.’’ While this information was posted on the VA website, Shah confirmed the same with the VA desk agent on April 20 and was told that the Hindu Meal was vegetarian.

VA’s customer relations, however, argued that the information on their website was as per International Air Transport Association (IATA) norms even as they admitted their oversight in the matter.

‘‘In IATA guidelines, a Hindu Meal refers to a Hindu non-vegetarian meal. However, we have rectified the incorrectly displayed information on our website and have taken cognisance of this oversight on our part. We as an airline take extreme care of customer preferences and sensitivities and upgrade our in-flight catering services to serve them better,’’ said the VA spokesperson.

While VA has now updated its website to clarify that a Hindu Meal is non-vegetarian, they have listed another option called Asian Vegetarian Meal for vegetarians like Shah. This meal, the website mentions, is only available on Delhi/Mumbai-London flights and is vegetarian.

‘‘VA has hurt my religious sentiments. Vegetarian needs of Indians should be kept in mind by the premier airline,’’ said the angry passenger.



URL: <http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...t_id=73587>

BTilke

I have no comments on the merits of the case, but there is an error in the second headline:
"US airline admits..."
Virgin Atlantic is a *British* airline, not American, even though this particular flight originated in the U.S. After all, a VA flight originating in Mumbai wouldn't make it an "Indian" airline.
I hope the rest of the story was reported more accurately than the sub head.

vipul

slightly more detailed.

<http://in.news.yahoo.com/050630/43/5z5rw.html>

Virgin Atlantic may face lawsuit over meal goof-up

By Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, June 30 (IANS) An Indian chartered accountant plans to file a class action lawsuit in the US against the Virgin Atlantic for serving him non-vegetarian food despite ordering a vegetarian meal, an incident the airline has regretted.

Mumbai-based Vipul Shah is talking to attorneys in the US to act against the airline for serving him a meal "topped with chicken or fish" on a Washington-Mumbai flight April 26 even though he had ordered a "Hindu meal", an euphemism for vegetarian fare.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson regretted the incident and said "incorrect information" on its website about meals available on flights had been updated after the goof-up was brought to the airline's notice.

Shah, a strict vegetarian, told IANS: "The Hindu meal option on their website in itself gave the impression that the food will be completely vegetarian. The website clearly said the meal would be vegetarian and of a spicy nature.

"But despite this, I checked with their customer service as well as ground staff. They all confirmed that a Hindu Asian vegetarian meal with no eggs had been ordered for me.

"As we started eating the hot meal -- it had a big smelly part on top -- we didn't understand what it was but we sensed something wrong and asked the flight attendant what it was. She said it was chicken but to me it looked like fish.

"I was devastated because I had never eaten non-vegetarian food all my life. They accepted that they had faulted and made a mistake by misguiding me about whether their food was vegetarian or non-vegetarian."

When Shah lodged a protest with Virgin Atlantic after arriving in Mumbai, the airline said according to the International Air Transport Association, a Hindu meal referred to a Hindu non-vegetarian meal.

In an e-mail to Shah, Virgin Atlantic's customer services department said: "Due to an oversight on our part, this meal option has been described as a vegetarian meal on our website.

"I would like to apologise personally and on behalf of the airline for the incident that occurred. We are in the process of having the incorrect information removed from our website," it said.

The airline website now clearly says the Hindu meal is non-vegetarian. It has added another section on Asian vegetarian meals for Virgin Atlantic flights originating from Delhi and Mumbai.

Shah said as a "goodwill gesture", the airline offered him additional miles that would take his account balance up to 25,000 miles.

"The miles awarded to me are worth 100 pounds only, when passengers in Europe get much more for delayed flights. This shows how seriously they take the whole issue," he said.

"I am talking to attorneys in the US since the largest number of Virgin Atlantic flyers are to or from US destinations and they are bound to be most affected by the callous attitude.

"This case is similar to the McDonalds' fries case as here also Virgin Atlantic all along knew the meal was non-vegetarian and knowingly served it to vegetarians.

"Virgin Atlantic started flying to Mumbai only at end of March 2005, but has been flying to Delhi for the last two years and I believe a large number of New Delhi passengers must have unknowingly had meaty meals on board."

The Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: "We would like to state that this incident, though an isolated one, is of great significance to us and we apologise and regret this incident.

"We would also like to point out that the non-vegetarian meal served to the passenger was immediately replaced with a vegetarian meal the moment he brought it to our notice."

meetapd

I emailed airline to find out about meal as I was to take their flight from EWR to LHR, They are denying Indian Express story as UNTRUE and telling me that Mr Shah all along knew that meal was NON VEG meal. They didn't give any
explanation as to how they know Mr Shah knew. I think they are calling Mr Shah liar and he should sue airline for defaming him and trashing his reputation.

Also if airline knew that Mr Shah knew that it was NON VEG meal and still ordered it, why didn't they share this info with media (Indian Express, Hindustan Times, IANS etc)? they must have some evidence to that which they could have presented to media and may be confronted Mr Shah also with same.

I think here airline knows it seriously blundered and thats why they kept quiet with media (except comments like "we changed website after Mr Shah pointed out", and "we replaced his meal with veg meal&quot.

But privately to their passengers Virgin is telling different story that

1) Mr Shah is liar and Virgin didn't do anything wrong
2) It was one off incidence (implying either no passenger other then Mr Shah ever saw their website or ordered that particular meal or both).

ncgrrl

Well,

the ‘Hindu Meal’ offered on VA ‘‘contains no products derived from pork, beef or veal’’

was accurate, it had chicken or fish.

Maybe VA is Catholic vegetarian, where fish isn't considered meat.

I think a lawsuit is going overboard. I know in the heat of the moment I've said things I later didn't do. However, if I ordered a vegetarian meal I wouldn't want any meat (including that swimming vegetable known to some as fish).

BTilke

Vegetarians in India were already upset after learning the fries from McDonald's in India had small amounts of beef in the cooking oil (they no longer do) despite their being touted as a vegetarian option.
I have vegetarian in-laws so do understand some of the frustration, although I don't think this incident is lawsuit worthy. At most it merits some flight vouchers or a free upgrade, as well as a shift in corporate think about what "vegetarian" really means.
I know my mum-in-law sometimes get quietly annoyed if she tells a waitress/waiter that she's a vegetarian--the server says that the vegetable soup would be fine, and then my mum-in-law tastes it and discovers it's made with chicken or beef stock (French onion soup, for example, is NOT a vegetarian dish). At home she eats an almost-vegan diet; in restaurants, she's willing to stick with plain old garden variety vegetarian. Fortunately, they live in the Pacific NW and there are plenty of restaurants there that offer genuine vegetarian choices.

meetapd

Yes word Veg can mean different in different cultures. I can understand some restaurent in brazil or shangai or California making such mistakes as they would generally not know what vegetarians to Hindus in India mean.

But Virgin Atlantic was not some corner restaurent. It flies daily several flights to India. Also that particular Veg meal on its website was defined as Hindu meal and hence Airline had to figure out that in India chicken is never veg among Hindu population.

Here airline just blundered. Eventually it changed website to call it "Hindu Non veg meal" but for years it had it as "Veg meal". I don't think by mistake it was changed to veg meal but someone in VA put it on website as veg meal on day one when meal definitions was put up and no one at Virgin took note of it and passenegrs (affected) decided not to lock horns with airline (or quietly took free vouchers). First time someone made enough noise Virgin Atlantic was forced to take note of it. It appears Airline had offered this person in news miles worth 100 pound. And that person was so offended when he knew that even for few hours delay european carriers have to pay 200 pound per person and airline considers this insignificant.

FainaAgain

On my last flight I called 800 to order a vegetarian meal. Guess what: the guy on the phone didn't see a "vegetarian" meal on his drop-down menu! All were detailed: vegetarian non-dairy, strict vegetarian (whatever it means!), vegan, etc, etc... So I said, oh, just click on something, all I want is a no-meat meal.

About "Hindu meals" - why was it assumed it was vegetarian? For example, in Indian restaurants in USA they serve meat too, along with many vegetarian dishes on the menu.

meetapd

FainaAgain,
That guy didn't "assume" Hindu meal was vegetarian. It was Written on Virgin Atlantic website that it was veg meal, it was also confirmed by Virgin Atlantic by email and call center and ground staff. They may call meal any name (xyz) but if they say it is veg then passenger has no way of doubting or challenging that information till meal is served.

He is not objecting to meat being served in Hindu meal. He is objecting to Virgin Atlantic displaying it as veg meal at all points of information and then serving non veg meal.

Again he is the one to blow whistle but till now every one who flew Virgin Atlantic and saw website, or talked to call center, email staff heard it as veg meal and got non veg meal. It is just that most of them accepted 100 pound free vouchers and kept quiet, this guy decided to do tell world instead.