Christchurch resident Manvir Parhar was flying with Air New Zealand when what he believed to be a vegetarian meal turned out to contain meat, an incident he says has deeply offended him and his community, Stuff has reported.
Parhar, a member of New Zealand’s Sikh community, said members were prohibited from consuming meat products, and he expressed his frustration over the mistake. He had pre-booked a Hindu vegetarian meal on his flight from Hong Kong to Auckland. However, he claims he was served a chicken dish instead.
“As per our religion, this is a big no for us. This has offended me and my community,” he told Stuff in an email on Thursday.
The flight was part of Parhar’s return journey from India, where he had attended his father’s funeral. His itinerary with Air New Zealand included flights from Delhi to Hong Kong, then to Auckland, before reaching Christchurch.
While waiting at Auckland Airport, he contacted Stuff, sharing a screenshot from his Air New Zealand app confirming his request for a ‘vegetarian Hindu meal’ on that leg of the journey.
Served Meat Instead of Vegetarian Meal
Parhar recalled that when his meal was served, a crew member assured him it was vegetarian.
“I opened it. I ate it. And then I didn’t.”
Feeling unsure, he rang the bell and questioned the crew, expressing doubts about the meal’s contents. He initially thought it might be soy but was reassured it was vegetarian.
After eating a little more, he raised concerns again.
“This dude came and I was like, this does not look vegetarian. Can you please have a look?," he told Stuff.
It was then that the crew admitted the meal was a child’s dish containing meat. A replacement was provided, but it was an Asian vegetarian meal, not the Hindu vegetarian meal he had specifically requested.
Photo: Supplied
No Apology from Crew
Asked whether the crew apologised, Parhar said, “No. Not at all.”
“The air steward informed the ground staff, but he didn’t apologise at all and neither did the other crew,” said Parhar, who works in hospitality.
“Nothing was asked, nothing was offered” as compensation for the mistake.
He also claimed that Air New Zealand staff were surprised to learn that a Hindu vegetarian meal had been requested on the flight.
Air New Zealand Responds
Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer, Alex Marren, acknowledged the incident and issued an apology.
“We apologise Mr Parhar received the wrong meal onboard. We by no means meant any offence but understand how distressing it would have been for him. We have reached out to him directly to apologise and to ensure this doesn’t happen for any future flights he has with us,” Stuff quoted.
Parhar hopes the airline will take more caution in handling pre-booked meals to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
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