A business class passenger on a flight to Japan who ordered a vegan breakfast was bemused when they were presented with a single banana and a pair of chopsticks.
The traveller, who was flying with Japan Airlines from Jakarta, Indonesia, received the underwhelming snack shortly after take-off.
Recounting their experience on aviation forum Flyertalk, they described the moment they were presented with the humble fruit.
“Before take-off today, my flight attendant confirmed that I ordered VGML (Vegetarian Vegan Meal) and that my breakfast was a banana, by which I mistakenly assumed she meant that breakfast included a banana,” they began.
“When she served the banana after take-off, I thought it was just an underwhelming appetiser, but it was in fact the entire meal service!”
The passenger added that it was in fact “a really good banana” – in fact, “one of the best” they’d recently eaten – “but it seems more appropriate as a snack”.
The “meal” was followed later by a lunch of “barely seasoned spaghetti”, but it was the yellow fruit that rankled.
It’s not the first time the vegan provision for airline passengers has been left wanting.
In 2022, a woman travelling with Air Canada was left “stunned” after requesting several vegan meals but only being served a bottle of water.
Miriam Porter, a travel blogger, shared her experience in a viral TikTok video that was viewed over one million times.
Ms Porter was eventually offered a makeshift meal a flight attendant cobbled together from leftover business class trays.
“Shout out to the kind flight attendant that got me fruit & dinner rolls from business class,” she wrote.
“I love fruit but also like entire meals!”
In 2020, a British Airways passenger who requested a vegan meal was served with butter and cheese, food products originating from animals.
Tweeting a picture of his meal, passenger Mark said: “15 years ago I would have expected it, but you’re *still* serving cheese and butter with VGMLs at a time when veganism has never been so popular and well catered for elsewhere.
“What happened to quality control and crew awareness?”
The Independent has contacted Japan Airlines for comment.
