A Vegan Passenger Got Served Just A Banana In Japan Airlines Business Class

A business class traveler was shocked by the fact that he was served chopsticks and a banana on the inflight vegan menu.

Kris Chari flew business class from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Tokyo, Japan. Two meals were served during the seven-hour flight: a light snack, a small refreshment after takeoff, and lunch.

For non-vegan travelers, the food selection was seared tuna served with Moroccan-inspired eggplant salad and cheese served with salsa orange and a baguette per the airline’s menu.

But, Chari said he was offered a single banana as the vegan alternative. He wrote in a blog post on the aviation forum FlyerTalk:

Before takeoff, my flight attendant informed me that I had ordered VGML and that the breakfast I had included a banana, and I was a bit confused, thinking she meant breakfast included the banana. The banana was served following takeoff, and I thought it was an uninteresting snack; however, it was the entire meal! It was an excellent banana, one of the best I’ve had in recent times–but it isn’t a good idea to serve it for snacks. Are catering services made from CGK generally this uninteresting?

He said to Media:

It’s pretty offensive to receive a single banana when others are served an extensive and tasty menu. This is particularly relevant considering the increasing number of vegetarians and vegans.

A representative of Japan Airlines confirmed the snack and refreshment option available for any special meal on this particular flight was a banana. They also told the Insider:

We apologize for our inability to live up to our customer’s expectations. Our goal is to respond to our menus in light of the increasing demand and different needs of customers who want special meals. This includes the positive feedback of this particular customer.

Chari was served a mild spaghetti at his second vegan dinner.