Missing ingredient list on Cathay menu
Jun 19, 2017 | 9:08 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 2
Missing ingredient list on Cathay menu
Dear Flyertalk forum readers,
I wanted to point you to a situation I recently experienced on a Cathay Pacific flight from HKG to LAX in business class.
My girlfriend and I had originally booked flights with AA, but had to be rebooked on the last minute to CX due to flight delays... My girlfriend is severely allergic to peanuts, so we had made sure to order a special meal with AA before our flight. Due to the rebooking, though, the special meal request did not carry over. We made it to the CX flight on the last minute so we were also not able to buy an alternative meal. So my girlfriend had to choose a meal from the menu during the flight with CX. This would have been fine if CX had an ingredient list so we can double check whether she'd be fine with having any of the food options. But to our surprise, CX flight attendants told us that they do not have an ingredient list for any of their food offerings, and that they cannot guarantee that any of the meals is free of peanuts. They could not even tell us whether the catering company they supply from uses peanut oil or other oils... They were encouraging my girlfriend not to eat any of the items of the menu, and instead were offering to prepare rice with olive oil, or a salad without dressing (because the dressing may have peanut oil, they didn't feel safe with offering it). This was, of course, extremely disappointing.
While we certainly don't expect airlines to cater to peoples allergies, we do expect that an airline that offers an extensive food menu can tell us what ingredients are in the food they offer. All we were told they knew is what is in the printed menu that was given to passengers. That only said that the options were steak with potatoes, chicken with some sauce, and noodles with truffles... In the end, my girlfriend ended up eating the steak on a special bowl of rice that the flight attendants prepared for her because she insisted that she would risk it. Regardless, though, we would expect that an ingredient list is available upon request.
My goal with this post is to raise awareness about subtle issues that have a significant impact on the lives of people suffering with allergies. The key to dealing with allergies is making informed decisions and being prepared. When this is not possible, people with allergies are exposed to large risks. All CX needed to be able to do is provide us with an ingredient list so we could have made a conscious choice. Nothing happened in the end, but my girlfriend endured quite a lot of distress in the process.
If you feel that this is something worth raising awareness for, please feel free to share our story. I'd be happy to offer more details.
Gustavo
I wanted to point you to a situation I recently experienced on a Cathay Pacific flight from HKG to LAX in business class.
My girlfriend and I had originally booked flights with AA, but had to be rebooked on the last minute to CX due to flight delays... My girlfriend is severely allergic to peanuts, so we had made sure to order a special meal with AA before our flight. Due to the rebooking, though, the special meal request did not carry over. We made it to the CX flight on the last minute so we were also not able to buy an alternative meal. So my girlfriend had to choose a meal from the menu during the flight with CX. This would have been fine if CX had an ingredient list so we can double check whether she'd be fine with having any of the food options. But to our surprise, CX flight attendants told us that they do not have an ingredient list for any of their food offerings, and that they cannot guarantee that any of the meals is free of peanuts. They could not even tell us whether the catering company they supply from uses peanut oil or other oils... They were encouraging my girlfriend not to eat any of the items of the menu, and instead were offering to prepare rice with olive oil, or a salad without dressing (because the dressing may have peanut oil, they didn't feel safe with offering it). This was, of course, extremely disappointing.
While we certainly don't expect airlines to cater to peoples allergies, we do expect that an airline that offers an extensive food menu can tell us what ingredients are in the food they offer. All we were told they knew is what is in the printed menu that was given to passengers. That only said that the options were steak with potatoes, chicken with some sauce, and noodles with truffles... In the end, my girlfriend ended up eating the steak on a special bowl of rice that the flight attendants prepared for her because she insisted that she would risk it. Regardless, though, we would expect that an ingredient list is available upon request.
My goal with this post is to raise awareness about subtle issues that have a significant impact on the lives of people suffering with allergies. The key to dealing with allergies is making informed decisions and being prepared. When this is not possible, people with allergies are exposed to large risks. All CX needed to be able to do is provide us with an ingredient list so we could have made a conscious choice. Nothing happened in the end, but my girlfriend endured quite a lot of distress in the process.
If you feel that this is something worth raising awareness for, please feel free to share our story. I'd be happy to offer more details.
Gustavo
Last edited by Gustavo Schwenkler; Jun 19, 2017 at 9:09 am Reason: Missing icon
Jun 20, 2017 | 12:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Thailand, Phuket
Programs: Emirates, Thai, TK
Posts: 454
I'm sorry but i don't understand why you expect that the FA have a full ingredient list of all the food they serve on the plane and specially the information how the food is prepared in the kitchen.
I don't think that there is airline in the world where this detailed information is available for the FA during flights.
If somebody has such a food allergies they should make sure that they have there own food for there travel. There is always some minutes time before boarding to buy tyhe food on the airport or other place.
I don't think that there is airline in the world where this detailed information is available for the FA during flights.
If somebody has such a food allergies they should make sure that they have there own food for there travel. There is always some minutes time before boarding to buy tyhe food on the airport or other place.
Jun 21, 2017 | 6:44 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 2
We have had different experiences. We are Executive Platinum member with American Airlines, and the FA at AA are always able to look up an ingredient list for the food they provide. We have also had similar experiences with British Airways. So you are wrong in your belief that no airline in the world would be able to provide such a list. The FA may not know it from the top of their head, but it should be possible for them to look this up if necessary.
On your second comment about how people with allergies should always make sure to have their own food: It's impossible to always be 100% prepared 100% of the time. That's why people suffering with allergies need to know that they can rely on alternatives when possible. You wouldn't tell people in wheelchairs that they should always carry a lift around with them to get into places, right? Suffering under allergies is a disability like many others, and not expecting that airlines are prepared to deal with them is part of the problem. Having an ingredient list is not a big expectation. They have such lists at fast food restaurants that get all their food catered - why wouldn't an airline have it?
On your second comment about how people with allergies should always make sure to have their own food: It's impossible to always be 100% prepared 100% of the time. That's why people suffering with allergies need to know that they can rely on alternatives when possible. You wouldn't tell people in wheelchairs that they should always carry a lift around with them to get into places, right? Suffering under allergies is a disability like many others, and not expecting that airlines are prepared to deal with them is part of the problem. Having an ingredient list is not a big expectation. They have such lists at fast food restaurants that get all their food catered - why wouldn't an airline have it?