Vegan Passenger Slams Airline For ‘Joke’ Meal Of Only Fruit & Nuts On 6-Hour Flight

May 18, 2023 by apost team

Depending on the person, you may find flying on an airplane incredibly fun as you travel to your next adventure, or you might find it very stressful as it can come with unpredictable circumstances. One passenger named Juanita Headley encountered a frustrating flight in April 2023 when she traveled for six hours on a plane from Ghana to Amsterdam.

Most people expect a nice meal during a long flight, although it can vary depending on the airline. However, in the past, some passengers have experienced struggles receiving a proper meal that meets their dietary needs. While flying with KLM, Headley believed that she would receive a hot meal as her flight was six hours long. However, that was not the case.

The passenger only received fruit and nuts as she needed a vegan meal, and the airline did not have any to offer her at the time. Headley, who is an attorney, author and public speaker, has been following a vegan diet for 13 years as she is allergic to many animal products. This meant that she couldn’t eat any other meal that the plane had if it wasn’t vegan.

Headley had unexpectedly been moved to the KLM flight after her original flight to London via Kenya Airways was delayed by more than six hours. She told Business Insider she didn’t have time to get her own snacks prior to the flight but didn’t think it would be an issue since she had pre-ordered a vegan meal on the Kenya Airways flight.

But after the flights switched, Headley lost out on the vegan meal despite staff assuring her there would be food available for her. Sadly, all she received was some fruit and nuts.

Headley explained:

"I was sitting on a plane, hungry, and while everyone was eating hot food I got nuts, about seven pieces of tangerine, and four pieces of pineapple. That's what I was served as a hot meal.”

She continued:

"The second meal was a banana, about six pieces of pineapple, and nuts," she added. "The staff gave me very attentive personalized service and made me feel very special. But the makeshift meal was a joke."

According to KLM, vegan meals are only guaranteed if a passenger requests them more than 24 hours ahead of time. Unfortunately, Headley did not have this time as her flight was switched at the last minute.

"I understand these things can happen because I was not on that original flight," Headley explained. "But this wouldn't be an issue if they put a couple of extra vegan meals on the plane." She called the whole ordeal “unacceptable” and said airlines could resolve issues like this by offering a vegetarian meal that is also vegan, especially since “veganism isn’t a new phenomenon.”

A representative for KLM issued a statement on the matter and said, "Due to an unforeseen situation, there was no vegan meal available for this passenger on the flight. We regret that this happened and would like to offer our sincere apologies.” The representative added, "Our customer care department will be in contact with this passenger to see how we can make up for this."

Others weighed in on the matter and called it “simply outrageous.” One person said, “Looks like an afterthought. I’m sorry.” Others advised Headley to always carry her own vegan food “just in case.”

apost.com

What would you do if you were in this plane passenger’s situation? Have you ever had a bad experience while flying? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.