A Muslim Singapore Airlines business class passenger is accusing the airline of a “deep personal and spiritual violation,” after he was served pork onboard a flight, despite trying to confirm the contents of the meal with the crew. The question is, what should the carrier’s liability be in a situation like this?
In this post:
Singapore Airlines passenger discovers that “prosciutto” is pork
This incident happened on July 7, 2025, on Singapore Airlines flight SQ24 from Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK). A Muslim Singapore permanent resident traveling in business class was served an appetizer after takeoff, labeled as “grilled Mediterranean salad with prosciutto.” He was unfamiliar with the term “prosciutto,” so he asked the crew if it contained bacon or pork.
According to his version of what happened, he was assured by two flight attendants that it was not in fact pork. Based on that assurance, he began eating the meal, though became troubled by the taste and texture. So he later researched the term, and was shocked to discover that prosciutto is in fact pork.
As a practicing Muslim of over 30 years, he was “in complete shock,” and the experience constituted a “deep personal and spiritual violation.” He reached out to Singapore Airlines customer relations after the flight, and they confirmed that the crew was “initially uncertain whether the prosciutto was pork,” but offered him alternatives after the mistake was realized.
The crew reportedly suggested that he may not have been heard clearly when asking about the dish’s content, which he describes as “dismissive,” stating it compounds his sense of distress.
Singapore Airlines advises passengers with special dietary needs to pre-select their meals. This particular passenger highlighted how he ordered a Muslim meal for one of the meal services, but not for the lunch service, for which he selected something from the “Book the Cook” program.
The airline initially offered him a voucher worth S$150, which he described as “saddening and insulting.” The airline later increased the offer to 15,000 KrisFlyer miles, and then 30,000 KrisFlyer miles.
The traveler has rejected all those offers, claiming that “no person of faith — Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise — would ever willingly break a sacred dietary law in exchange for 30,000 miles.” He also stated that “this was not a case of a simple service failure,” and that this “led to the first violation of [his] religious dietary practice in 30 years.”
In response to this incident, Singapore Airlines has issued the following statement:
Singapore Airlines (SIA) deeply regrets that a customer on flight SQ24 from Singapore to New York on 7 July 2025 was served an appetiser that contained pork. We sincerely apologise to the affected customer for the distress this has caused.
When our cabin crew members became aware that the customer does not consume pork, they immediately apologised, removed the dish, and offered an alternative. Following the incident, we have strengthened our cabin crew training and service procedures, with particular emphasis on ingredient awareness and clear communications with customers regarding food contents.
SIA remains in direct contact with the affected customer regarding this incident. SIA is deeply committed to respecting the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of all our customers. We advise customers with special dietary requirements, including religious needs, to pre-book their special meals for all meal services before their flights.
My take on this dietary restriction violation
Big picture, there’s probably a lesson to be learned here in terms of Singapore Airlines adding labels to its menus that show the contents of a particular dish. In fairness, most airlines don’t have these kinds of indicators on menus, so Singapore Airlines is hardly alone in that regard.
The crew should’ve probably done a better job in terms of giving the passenger correct information, though it also sounds like there might have been a miscommunication, with the crew claiming that his question may not have been heard clearly.
I think it’s reasonable for Singapore Airlines to provide some gesture of goodwill for the misunderstanding, as the airline did. However, personally I take issue with passengers in these kinds of situations essentially claiming this was a life changing event, and that they should be compensated accordingly (as is the case here, since the guy refused 30,000 KrisFlyer miles, and expects a lot more).
If a dietary restriction is truly life changing for you in terms of the religious impact, I think it’s also important to do everything in your power to prevent something like this from happening:
- The man chose not to order a special meal when he could have, which would have assured he didn’t get served pork
- The man ended up researching what prosciutto was after the meal, but if he was so uncertain that he asked the crew twice, maybe he should’ve also researched it before eating it, since clearly he was skeptical (Singapore Airlines business class passengers get free Wi-Fi)
So yeah, the crew should try to give him the right information. But I also think it’s not fair to turn something that amounts to a basic misunderstanding into a situation where he feels that the crew violated him in an unforgivable way. It’s not fair to shift that kind of a burden onto those in the service industry, in my opinion.
I don’t eat pork — not for religious reasons, but more for personal ethical reasons — and I get frustrated when I’m served pork despite specifically asking not to receive it. However, I just get mildly frustrated, and ultimately I try not to make it other peoples’ problem, because the world doesn’t revolve around me. At least that’s my take.
Bottom line
A Singapore Airlines business class passenger is furious, after he was served a “prosciutto” dish, which he later discovered contained pork. In fairness, he asked the crew about this, and they reportedly informed him that the dish didn’t have pork, or there was some misunderstanding.
The airline has apologized, has promised to learn from the incident, and has offered him a gesture of goodwill, but clearly he wants more, as he states this led to the first violation of his religious dietary practice in 30 years.
What do you make of this incident, and what kind of liability do you think the airline should have?
Some sources said the passenger has booked the menu beforehand. Definitely the airline is in the wrong ig. In this case the passenger even refused to be compensated, definitely not someone who seek for fortune over the incident imo. Better revise the article and see deeper into the case
He didn't ask to be compensated by the airlines. Instead he wanted them to better streamlined their SOP about passenger dietary restrictions. Ultimately, he forgave them without taking any compensation
I side with the passenger in the dispute. Not knowing what prosciutto is, being that he's not a pork connoisseur and is likely someone who lives in a country where prosciutto is not common (the Middle East), is a valid excuse. Researching stuff like this especially on a flight is not exactly the easiest thing and the FAs made the mistake of assuring him of misinformation.
On the other hand, as far as Islamic law...
I side with the passenger in the dispute. Not knowing what prosciutto is, being that he's not a pork connoisseur and is likely someone who lives in a country where prosciutto is not common (the Middle East), is a valid excuse. Researching stuff like this especially on a flight is not exactly the easiest thing and the FAs made the mistake of assuring him of misinformation.
On the other hand, as far as Islamic law is concerned, he is not at fault, because of his lack of knowledge.
I don't know what he wants from the airline and why but...yeah, he's become unreasonable in his excessive demands.
When in doubt, don’t eat.
I am a practicing Muslim and this is my simple formula.
The passenger was not extorting SQ; he simply wanted the halal meal system in SQ’s inflight catering to be improved. He had already ordered through the Book the Cook system, so there was no reason for him to be served non-halal food during the flight. This is truly a poor system for an airline of SQ’s caliber. SQ should also realize that if they still want to target Muslim passengers, for Muslims, eating pork is...
The passenger was not extorting SQ; he simply wanted the halal meal system in SQ’s inflight catering to be improved. He had already ordered through the Book the Cook system, so there was no reason for him to be served non-halal food during the flight. This is truly a poor system for an airline of SQ’s caliber. SQ should also realize that if they still want to target Muslim passengers, for Muslims, eating pork is often a sin that cannot be compromised — even for those who are otherwise non-observant or have criminal backgrounds.
Religion and demands aside, the crew should have a good understanding of what is in a dish or not.
What if instead of "religious violation" there was a severe allergy to a certain ingredient? Pork is hardly an obscure rare edge case when it comes to knowing ingredients in a dish.
He did not order the special meal or make notes when he ordered his meal. I agree with the other comments. No matter what was provided by the airline some people would have said it is not enough.
God said to Peter in the bible when he lower the sheet with different food from heaven, eat. Peter said but Lord how can I because of the variety of meat, hoofed and not. God said it is not what goes into your body but comes out that is vile. Those people that idolise that goes into their bodies are lost.If your heart is not with the true God Almighty you are lost. Amen
His fault, he should have pre-booked a meal. Probably did it on purpose to extortionate money from the airline.
I think this article is well written and covers my thoughts - if it was a big deal to the man, he should have looked up what prosciutto was. If I had strict food protocol I'd have. So tired of people not taking responsibility and 30,000 miles more than adequate compensation. I think his beliefs around food have not been violated as his eating pork was accidental. If his life was in jeopardy ie starving...
I think this article is well written and covers my thoughts - if it was a big deal to the man, he should have looked up what prosciutto was. If I had strict food protocol I'd have. So tired of people not taking responsibility and 30,000 miles more than adequate compensation. I think his beliefs around food have not been violated as his eating pork was accidental. If his life was in jeopardy ie starving I'd imagine his God would say it's OK to eat pork, yes? I sure hope so. Many real problems in the world, this not one of them. Next.
There was once I was in suites and ordered singapore chicken rice on book the cook. The crew, red uniform, put down a plate of beef rendang and said this is chicken rice. She even served it with the chicken rice chilli sauce on a side saucer (which for the unfamiliar people, is a fresh chili sauce with ginger and it only goes well with chicken rice). We are all singaporeans so we are totally...
There was once I was in suites and ordered singapore chicken rice on book the cook. The crew, red uniform, put down a plate of beef rendang and said this is chicken rice. She even served it with the chicken rice chilli sauce on a side saucer (which for the unfamiliar people, is a fresh chili sauce with ginger and it only goes well with chicken rice). We are all singaporeans so we are totally familiar with what chicken rice or beef rendang looks like.
I was baffled by how the crew just looked at it, served it with their signature big smile and introduced it as chicken rice without even thinking what she’s saying, like a robot?
I was totally wondering if it’s a pax who can’t take beef for religious reasons then what’s gonna happen? And this was a chief, not a junior stewardess.
That said I think most of the crew are faking their enthusiasm and they don’t really notice the details. If the passenger in question actually looked Malay and assuming the crew in question is Singaporean then there is really no reason to not know they can’t have pork. In Singapore, Malay is one of the main racial groups and they are Muslim and people in Singapore are aware of their restrictions. If it was a foreign cabin crew then perhaps it’s understandable why so that they are less aware of the dietary restrictions if they see a passenger who looks Malay (assuming the passenger is).
And that said, I don’t blame the passenger for not choosing muslim meal for every meal. On the ultra long haul there are 3 meals. The muslim meal option has no menu to view and they just serve whatever it is - it’s uncertain if you’re even going to get something you enjoy eating (eg. Sometimes they use lamb but not everyone likes the odor of lamb?). On the other hand the book the cook menu has options and some of them don’t contain pork. Why must the passenger be forced to only one random choice when they can choose something they want to try? The book the cook feature is also flawed at how they only let you select the main course but you don’t get to choose the appetisers. There’s just no way to indicate for a muslim meal appetisers but pair with a book the cook main course.
Bullshit. im muslim. I speak English. I didn't eat pork growing up in usa until my late 20s (the whole pork thing is a bit of a moot concept bc of why it came about in early times as a prevention from disease pigs and cloved hooves brought to folks which aint the case these days....but yeah still a huge deal to muslims and even more so to my jewish friends).....but from school lunches that...
Bullshit. im muslim. I speak English. I didn't eat pork growing up in usa until my late 20s (the whole pork thing is a bit of a moot concept bc of why it came about in early times as a prevention from disease pigs and cloved hooves brought to folks which aint the case these days....but yeah still a huge deal to muslims and even more so to my jewish friends).....but from school lunches that served only sausage pizza or hot dogs at vendors that were not totally beef to meatballs, its the consumers job to dictate the decision and if served to not eat it, its not malicious with no intent if accidentally served...peoiple aren't trying to traumatize folks with pork. this is not a life changing event and this man needs therapy. he should just pray the pork away lol
Ben your sensitivity is lacking in this case. If a Jewish or Orthodox person received pork unannounced or mistaken by the crew, it would be a big deal, much bigger than this situation.
If someone is devout in their religion, they deserve our respect. They don't deserve stupid answers like God will be Ok with it. How can anyone in this column answer for God, unless they are, for which they are not.
Its...
Ben your sensitivity is lacking in this case. If a Jewish or Orthodox person received pork unannounced or mistaken by the crew, it would be a big deal, much bigger than this situation.
If someone is devout in their religion, they deserve our respect. They don't deserve stupid answers like God will be Ok with it. How can anyone in this column answer for God, unless they are, for which they are not.
Its not the Muslim, its the belief one has and how devout and/or how much they sacrificed in their lives.
Don't make it a "Light" subject because its Muslim. And I am not Muslim, I don't agree with all, but I respect. That I believe is the most important, respect.
I entertained many Jewish clients in my business. In Asia, Chinese food was served. They loved the pork, made a small joke about their religion, maybe God didn't see them in. But if someone is devout, we should honor that.
We're you called being antisemitic for making Jewish consume pork?
Eating pork is a big deal but "honor killing"is perfectly fine!
Snother money grubbing parasite. Do not blame Singapore airlines or the cabin crew. Tell him to take his own sheeps head sandwiches next time
He can't eat sheep head, reminds him of his last date.
Another site reported that the man asked whether prosciutto was bacon, which of course it’s not, and was told no. Now the story seems to have changed. Regardless, SQ should leave it at 30k miles and move on. They should not be shamed into giving anything more.
What!!!!
So now I can always bait every CX crew by asking is this bacon for free miles?
Me pointing to a champagne, is that bacon?
I just drank alcohol, it's not kosher. My gods will banish me to eternal damnation. Now give me 30k miles. So I can fly 30 million miles using bacon certificates before I meet my maker.
In which the maker replied, I forbid you those food thousands of years...
What!!!!
So now I can always bait every CX crew by asking is this bacon for free miles?
Me pointing to a champagne, is that bacon?
I just drank alcohol, it's not kosher. My gods will banish me to eternal damnation. Now give me 30k miles. So I can fly 30 million miles using bacon certificates before I meet my maker.
In which the maker replied, I forbid you those food thousands of years ago because it would kill you.
You idiots still don't evolve, I would have forbid AR-15, TikTok, Bitcoins and opiods during your lifetime and allow all refrigerated meat and seafood.
If I'm not sure if a meal violates my religious food requirement, I play safe and don't eat it. Especially in Business Class, there's surely invariably an alternative?
Another site reported that the man asked whether prosciutto was bacon, which of course it’s not, and was told no. Now the story seems to have changed. Regardless, SQ should leave it at 30k miles and move on. They should not be shamed into giving anything more.
If he's so uncivilized that he doesn't know that Prosciutto is pork then he deserves it. Maybe using the money for education instead of Business class would be a better investment. Order a special meal!
But believing in a supreme being while carrying AR-15 or blocking food supply is civilized.
In my view ,this passenger should have ordered a special muslim meal . He cannot expect the Singapore Airlines staff to know all the ingredients in ordinary meals , some food is even cooked in pork fat or has bacon bits in it . It is his fault entirely .
And if he does not know what proscuitto is , he should travel economy .
DO NOT DISMISS HIS FEELING FOR BEING VIOLATED AS SOMETHING LAME LIKE TRYING TO LAY IT ON THE SERVICE STAFF! You are simply diabolically thick!
I've had the opposite experience, where SQ crew have been very worried that I don't know what's in the meal I'm choosing (they assumed some dietary restriction based on my facial hair), but were very nice about it.
For the subject of this story, it seems like if that person has strict religious restrictions, they should have pre-selected the meal. Presumably somebody flying Singapore business class (which is not cheap at cash prices, even on...
I've had the opposite experience, where SQ crew have been very worried that I don't know what's in the meal I'm choosing (they assumed some dietary restriction based on my facial hair), but were very nice about it.
For the subject of this story, it seems like if that person has strict religious restrictions, they should have pre-selected the meal. Presumably somebody flying Singapore business class (which is not cheap at cash prices, even on the shortest legs) knows flying well enough to know that's available? Very few "first time fliers" would have picked the giant $$$ price tag of business.
(that's apart from my feelings that religious dietary restrictions are silly at best)
Singapore did no wrong here.
This f___ing guy should go to hell, but not for dietary restriction reasons.
Different John here. I fly SQ frequently and I have nothing but admiration for the superlative cabin crew who must contend with myriad languages and thick accents. I could easily imagine a situation where the FAs misunderstood a pax enquiry. Oh, that's right...I don't have to 'imagine' it. I've seen it happen IRL.
I feel dumber everytime I read one of these articles.
He's not allergic to pork. Its not gonna make him sick..his religion forbids Jim knowingly eating it. He ate it by mistake. No harm no foul. No real God woild be angered by an honest mistake. End of story. He should STFU.
I agree.
And if he was so concerned about what he eats. He should have ordered the Halal meal....Period
Eskimooo is off the meds today (bummer). While Dim Tunn is sedated (yay!)
Accidents happen. Most people in the USA have eaten human meat. Yes, it's very true, sorry. There are mainstream news stories about human meat at the plants that supply ALL of the fast food restaurants. Recently in Phoenix there was a news story.
I know Jews and Muslims who eat pork on the sly, so yeah. I'm not a pork eater in general (its really awful if you knew the truth about its genetic makeup), but sometimes I will have a bite.
If people weren't so over the top obsessive over their religion we wouldn't have so many wars, persecutions and needless deaths. Ironic isn't one for a practice that is suppose to help people. But like so many things it's meant to only help like minded.
Somehow I feel like all this could have been avoided if consumption of pork would have resulted in immediate death of the individual.
You'd think that would work?
AR-15 would have resulted in immediate death of the individual.
Still widely available everywhere, nothing avoidable or preventable.
If you're so obsessively pious that eating a tiny piece of ham can precipitate an existential crisis, then you should seek out a psychologist or psychiatrist to discuss your disabling scrupulosity. And next time you fly, stick to the special meal category the airline offers. Booking the cook could have exposed him non-halal gelatin, or perhaps even small amounts of alcohol, both of which would've thrown Allah into a rage which would surely see the...
If you're so obsessively pious that eating a tiny piece of ham can precipitate an existential crisis, then you should seek out a psychologist or psychiatrist to discuss your disabling scrupulosity. And next time you fly, stick to the special meal category the airline offers. Booking the cook could have exposed him non-halal gelatin, or perhaps even small amounts of alcohol, both of which would've thrown Allah into a rage which would surely see the customer condemned to hell for all eternity.
Can you precipitate an existential crisis from eating bread and wine thinking it's flesh and blood?
I'm Muslim, and I've flown SQ a number of times. Additionally, SQ had a catering failure on a flight from SIN-IST last year, and few on board had their pre-ordered halal meals. They proactively offered us all $75 SQD vouchers, a sincere apology for the mixup, and promptly gave us a fish-based meal. I've encountered the same menu dilemma in J on a few airlines (AF/VS), and it was a simple matter to look it...
I'm Muslim, and I've flown SQ a number of times. Additionally, SQ had a catering failure on a flight from SIN-IST last year, and few on board had their pre-ordered halal meals. They proactively offered us all $75 SQD vouchers, a sincere apology for the mixup, and promptly gave us a fish-based meal. I've encountered the same menu dilemma in J on a few airlines (AF/VS), and it was a simple matter to look it up as a no-go. Same goes for that other Italian "P", prosecco. The general principle is that all meat is guilty until proven innocent, as strictly observant Jews understand all too well. If one can't readily identify an item as fit for consumption, then it's "masbooh", and always better to err on the side of caution. No honest Muslim, Jew, Hindu, etc will eat it FIRST, cry foul afterward, and throw this highly accommodating flight crew under the bus. That's not their responsibility to know in-depth religious food guidelines for all faiths, nor the ingredients of the airline's menu...it's a plus if they do, but not requisite. I learned halal and kashrut rules as a matter of taking ownership. Although eating pork is akin to noshing on smoked human flesh (it's appalling), it's neither traumatic nor sinful done unintentionally or if one is starving to death.
Vegan/vegetarian is generally permissible in all major religions, usually healthier, and always plentiful. An inability in knowing how to posit queries with AI chatbots or run basic searches in 2025 is one's own fault, to say nothing about just having that knowledge memorized. He should take the L (and the points), a lesson to pre-order for the future, and move on. I'm with the flight crew on this one.
When you outsource personal responsibility, expect bacon breath.
TL;DR
Mmmmmm bacon breath...
I'm sorry you worship someone who *graped* a child. It's really a dog religion.
You mean daddy propaganda machine trying to cover up *grape* by their priests?
Or do you also use *gclergy* to replace orgy.
Beef ham. Taste very average.
Sad to hear the victim mentality is in Singapore, just like the U.S.
Singapore should apologize for the MISCOMMUNICATION and keep it moving.
He probably does this a lot, which is why he didn’t pre order.
It’s actually not unusual for Singaporeans to complain like this.
Singapore is also next to Malaysia and near Indonesia, which have very large Muslim populations. They are one of the world's best airlines. It is a reasonable expectation in my opinion for them to ensure this doesn't happen by educating their crews and better labeling their menus. Growing up, I also didn't know what prosciutto is and almost made that mistake myself.
I am a Muslim, and if this happened to me, I would...
Singapore is also next to Malaysia and near Indonesia, which have very large Muslim populations. They are one of the world's best airlines. It is a reasonable expectation in my opinion for them to ensure this doesn't happen by educating their crews and better labeling their menus. Growing up, I also didn't know what prosciutto is and almost made that mistake myself.
I am a Muslim, and if this happened to me, I would be upset at myself. Nowadays, I would bring it to the attention of the crew to help ensure it doesn't happen again (I used to be much more shy and passive in the past though). However, I would never claim compensation.
As other comments have said, unintentionally eating foods that are not allowed in Islam is okay. The rule is to not eat it intentionally. If it occurs by accident, it is not held against you.
He said that “no person of faith — Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise — would ever willingly break a sacred dietary law in exchange for 30,000 miles.” But, that's not what happened, is it? He wasn't oferred a trsde; he was oferred reparations. As we've seen, his religion dictates he did nothing sinful. So, zero reparations are needed.
Yes he is not asking and maybe not taking. But don’t insult with the goodwill, I suppose that’s his view. Airline or SQ typically lowball- case in point the turbulence incident. He is not doing the American litigation route just to be clear and fair.
Nor did he willingly break a sacred dietary law. He may have unknowingly done so after having made a reasonable inquiry. SQ should tell him to get stuffed.
This is crap. Either he is overdoing it or looking for 2 mins of fame and some compensation. Not apples to apples, but as a practicing Hindu, I have had beef served to me by Burger King and especially Taco Bell. They are worse at this. Luckily I have never had a bite, because, I still double check the burger/chalupa to ensure there isn't any meat. Its frustrating, but everyone makes mistakes.
If he wasn't...
This is crap. Either he is overdoing it or looking for 2 mins of fame and some compensation. Not apples to apples, but as a practicing Hindu, I have had beef served to me by Burger King and especially Taco Bell. They are worse at this. Luckily I have never had a bite, because, I still double check the burger/chalupa to ensure there isn't any meat. Its frustrating, but everyone makes mistakes.
If he wasn't sure, should have googled rather than asking FA what it is. Do you own freaking job, take some ownership and accountability for your own beliefs and customs. It isn't others responsibility to do it for you.
Did you enjoy any hotdogs in America?
I hope I didn't ruin it for you Mohan.
American hotdogs can contain meat from an animal’s head, feet, liver, fatty tissue, and lower grade muscle. Icelandic hot dogs, on the other hand, contain lamb which in Iceland is free range, and may contain pork or beef. They are truly delicious. People with dietary restrictions may not be able to enjoy either. I hope my description of American hotdogs has not ruined the taste experience for anyone. It is worth it to go to Iceland simply for the hotdogs.
What Hindu 'rule' forbids you from eating beef?
Coming from a fellow Hindu.
You guys have turned India into a monstrosity. (I have never lived there but of course visit). 'Keeping up with the Jones'. The Muslims with their rules.
You're free to not eat beef, but the fact that people like you have systemically outlawed it - state by state in India is ridiculous.
Hinduism doesn't have 'rules'.
Guy looking for a payday. Probably not all that devout or he would have ordered Halal to begin with.
What kind of meat did he think it could have been when he decided to give it a try, exactly? Sure as hell doesn’t look like chicken or beef
Based on Quran (33:5) , eating pork by mistake is not a sin because Allah will forgive him.
So it is not a big deal
Based on John LL, no compensation from a mistake is a sin.
Complain on Wednesday and seek extortion help from clinic.
You must get cash for a broken light bulb in a hotel.
It's a big deal.
But maybe Allah wants his 'cut' this time ...
Due to economic climate, no more 'free' dispensations !
... lol
I don't give two flying f's about what that weak book says.
That little weak man can fly booga airlines next time.
I thought prosciutto was an Italian prosecutor who specializes in prosecuting thr mob.
No it's an Italian prostitute firing a gun.
Hysterical!!!
Actually I think it's an armed Italian mob prosecutor moonlighting as a prostitute ...
..lol
The guy is really trying to milk the compensation. However I think it signals a fault on Singapore airlines process. They should have labelled common dietary restrictions on the menu and/or make sure the crew can access easily that information (pork, shellfish, nut allergy, gluten, vegan/vegetarian etc..).
Special meals do exist for a reason, true, however they often don't compare to the regular menu, especially in premium cabins. I can understand the decision to...
The guy is really trying to milk the compensation. However I think it signals a fault on Singapore airlines process. They should have labelled common dietary restrictions on the menu and/or make sure the crew can access easily that information (pork, shellfish, nut allergy, gluten, vegan/vegetarian etc..).
Special meals do exist for a reason, true, however they often don't compare to the regular menu, especially in premium cabins. I can understand the decision to try and navigate what should be a generous menu offering.
Many non frequent flyers would also not really know how to do special meals : some older folks that are not computer literate for example would find it difficult to (1) know about it and (2) order it.
I disagree with Lemony. It is impossible to list all food items in an airline dish so that the airline crew will know and answer questions correctly . They cannot be expected to be experts on nutrition and food. It is up to a passenger to order a special meal or to carry their own food
My 2 year old knows what prosciutto is. Don’t know what the food is? Google it before you eat or just don’t eat it.
You teach a 2 year old what is a prosciutto?
Your kid has other serious issues.
Like having a parent teaching a 2 year old what is a prosciutto.
My kids enjoy eating everything and are curious about food so yes they know what a prosciutto and enjoy it a lot.
@Eskimo
Seriously.
@Aaron
I live among snowflakes, I'm getting assimilated.
Sounds like you just have no culture
Be kind to Eskimo, he was raised by Jimmy Buffet.
Nope, I wasn't raised by all-you-can-eat Jimmy
But being raised by uncle Warren and cousin Jimmy would be nice.
Eskimo …. one is eternally grateful that one does not have to get “Assimilated” by living among racists like you bro.
If you care about animals/don't want to eat pigs order a vegan meal and don't eat items you don't recognize.
If your logic works.
Truman Hitler Bush Obama Trump Putin Zelensky Netanyahu are all cannibals.
Dr. Lecter would make a great president.
Another entitled, "My sky daddy is angry at me..." sob story.
What about the millions who find incessant public displays of religious practice, symbology, entitlement, and (far too often) violence, deeply offensive to our rational, scientific, and non-war-mongering minds?
How do you know it's not sky mommy.
You're insulting the feminists.
Maybe SG could avoid sprinkling a perfectly good vegetarian side with dead pig. In all seriousness, the side dishes that come with special meals usually leave to be desired, so I can understand wanting to navigate the regular menu while staying within dietary requirements. Really, I don’t think I’ve ever been served a normal dessert with a special ordered meal. The risk is that the airline tries to be fancy by putting a shrimp or...
Maybe SG could avoid sprinkling a perfectly good vegetarian side with dead pig. In all seriousness, the side dishes that come with special meals usually leave to be desired, so I can understand wanting to navigate the regular menu while staying within dietary requirements. Really, I don’t think I’ve ever been served a normal dessert with a special ordered meal. The risk is that the airline tries to be fancy by putting a shrimp or some ham on the salad. For me, this is a risk I will take to avoid the unripe, tasteless fruit pretending to be dessert.
Its appalling how bad cabin crew are with dietary stuff but no law has been broken.
If I dont trust something on a plane meal, I dont eat it.
At least this guy had the option of not eating it. We dont have the option of getting non-halal food for example.
Non-halal/non-kosher food is available everywhere you look, and characterizing that as an option is weird. Halal and Kosher food is just tasty non-vermin animals slaughtered properly and humanely, and you wouldn't know/taste the difference unless told.
A Singaporean flying to Ameirca?
We just infected Singapore with Karen-woke-snowflake syndrome.
Hypocrites are the most vulnerable to this disease.
Or maybe this person is just afraid of seeing a Star of David on his pre order meal?
We just had a similar controversy few days ago.
Did... did... did he survive?
Muslims are absolute snowflakes. They expect special treatment and coddling, not to mention that the 21st century legitimizes their medieval religion.
Are you sure you're talking about Muslims and not others?
You can replace that with many different things and the statement still holds.
Ok...keyboard rant. That medieval religion which is still bringing Europe out of the Dark Ages is as affected by your vitriol as dogs barking at the Moon every night. It shines day and night, so Woof woof...Fran.
This is crap Ben. You're letting down your loyal readers of the last 10 years for writing this kind of stuff.
+1
Ben,
Respectfully and regardless of who is at fault or not in this seemingly minor situation, the bigotry and ignorance in your blog's comments section is truly getting out of control. You've previously mentioned content moderation but it's clearly not working. As someone who has read your posts daily since 2016, I don't think that I can continue reading/following if this doesn't change. I truly hope you can find a fix.
Yes, it's very important we respect muslims. We must ignore the blatant, systemic, widespread and community-backed extreme abuse of the LGBTQ+ community and minorities by muslims. Muslims are very important to the world, even if they cause havoc and mayhem literally - literally - everywhere they go.
Stop using your eyes. Just do what the tv says.
Which comments are the bigoted ones? I think you should specify.
Sadly, that's the way to "engage" readers, or at least feed the engagement algorithms. There were numbers out a few months ago showing usage trends for the major points and miles blogs, and Ben's numbers were down. This is the result.
This site is becoming more and more like VFTW/LALF…
In those traffic rankings where Ben went down? Gary went up. So, not that surprising. Quality, apparently, doesn't pay.
Although Ben is still copy editing, that's something!
Realistically all 3 blogs are basically equivalent.... The same story appears the majority of time across their respective sites....
This reminds me of the time when I was eating at a restaurant in Australia. I ordered the “breaded ravioli.” I asked 1 million times what was what was inside of it, and the waiter repeated over and over, it’s just “breaded ravioli.”
As a vegetarian, the satisfied me.
As a Jewish person who eats no pork, the following, didn’t even cross my mind….
The food came, and I took a bite… Red...
This reminds me of the time when I was eating at a restaurant in Australia. I ordered the “breaded ravioli.” I asked 1 million times what was what was inside of it, and the waiter repeated over and over, it’s just “breaded ravioli.”
As a vegetarian, the satisfied me.
As a Jewish person who eats no pork, the following, didn’t even cross my mind….
The food came, and I took a bite… Red sauce used from the middle. I asked the shift to come over. As it turns out, this “breaded ravioli“ contained boiled pork blood.
Poor baby. Here's an idea - get over it.
Your story is similar to this article -- pretty clear from the answer "Just breaded ravioli" that the server didn't know the answer to your question, and didn't even know what ravioli is (since it always has SOMETHING inside). In your case, however, there was no easy online resource to consult to get the correct answer even if it was clear you didn't get a reliable one from the waiter.
Brilliant Zach....I shall remember...'It's more important.....'
Eat that pork!
Flew Singapore Airlines for years, and having spent years as well living in that part of the world, I highly doubt the cabin crew were rudely indifferent to this guy's situation. Singapore Airlines has some of the best (if not THE best) cabin crew in the world. They're a premier airline for a reason. That being said, if he was unsure of what he was eating, and he didn't want to eat pork, he probably...
Flew Singapore Airlines for years, and having spent years as well living in that part of the world, I highly doubt the cabin crew were rudely indifferent to this guy's situation. Singapore Airlines has some of the best (if not THE best) cabin crew in the world. They're a premier airline for a reason. That being said, if he was unsure of what he was eating, and he didn't want to eat pork, he probably shouldn't have eaten it purely out of caution. Why is it the rest of the world's responsibility? The error is on him. I wouldn't give him 10 cents.
I can't imagine any Singaporean not sensitive to religious dietary restrictions either. But on SQ, there are now enough foreign crew from countries not aware of these details.
Agree - Singapore is very sensitive to dietary restrictions, especially for Muslims. Every Hawker stall has separate places to return trays that are Halal and other to ensure they are not washed together. Again, maybe the FA didn't fully understand or there was a communication issue but agree with others that main responsibility is the passengers. Claiming ignorance isn't acceptable especially since he could have easily looked it up. BTW, by not ordering a Halal...
Agree - Singapore is very sensitive to dietary restrictions, especially for Muslims. Every Hawker stall has separate places to return trays that are Halal and other to ensure they are not washed together. Again, maybe the FA didn't fully understand or there was a communication issue but agree with others that main responsibility is the passengers. Claiming ignorance isn't acceptable especially since he could have easily looked it up. BTW, by not ordering a Halal meal he opened himself up regardless of what meat may have been served since preparation, cooking method, etc are all important just like with kosher meals. He could have easily been out of compliance because a seasoning was added to a vegetable dish. If he is that observant always order the Halal meal.
Lol wait until he finds out there is no god. THAT's life changing. All religious are stupid and make up bullshit rules as they go. Let it go.
*religions
Tom Cruise and John Travolta suggest otherwise.
Yes, they believe in the supernatural like billions of others around the world.
Hysterical. But true.
You can’t unring the bell. Get over it and take the miles.
This is the worst you can do. We all know muslim countries work well, and I agree with the well-educated that women and the LGBTQ+ community should really stand with islam.
In fact, we must bow down to muslims. Especially the gays, because reasons. Chrysler loves meeting Arab men, for example.
I think more than anything this highlights how SQs meal services in J are actually quite overrated. I flew SQ21/22 last month and there’s no choice for starter for both meals on each respective flight. Even BA and UA have choices for starters. A world class airline should always have a choice of a meat/fish and vegetarian starter. And fwiw that prosciutto salad dish wasn’t that good either…
Failure on both sides. Unquestionably the airline should make sure that the crew understands the ingredients in the food they're serving, at least with respect to any commonly-questioned ingredient (meat, pork, beef, gluten, soy, etc). It's pretty ridiculous that they did not have the correct answer to the question "what, exactly, is prosciutto"? And, if you don't know, just say that!
On the flip side, if you have dietary rules that you follow you need...
Failure on both sides. Unquestionably the airline should make sure that the crew understands the ingredients in the food they're serving, at least with respect to any commonly-questioned ingredient (meat, pork, beef, gluten, soy, etc). It's pretty ridiculous that they did not have the correct answer to the question "what, exactly, is prosciutto"? And, if you don't know, just say that!
On the flip side, if you have dietary rules that you follow you need to be responsible for what you eat. The gentleman in question had the ability to easily determine what prosciutto is. The people I know who rigorously follow Halal dietary standards will not eat meat that is not obviously in a form that is Halal or that has not been under their supervision, or the supervision of a Halal butcher, since it was slaughtered.
An apology is warranted for the service failure, and a token payment perhaps (the 15,000 miles seems reasonable) but this was a mistake, not a deliberate insult, and the mistake was equally the passenger's.
Sadly, while your comment makes sense as someone who is allergic to both gluten and soy I have flown with Qantas, Japan airlines, Air France, air Serbia, British airways, united, American Airlines, fin air among others all in business class and they rarely know whether the food they are serving contains soy. If I preorder a gluten free meal it still often contains soy. Preordering becomes a challenge because airlines don’t list their allergens online...
Sadly, while your comment makes sense as someone who is allergic to both gluten and soy I have flown with Qantas, Japan airlines, Air France, air Serbia, British airways, united, American Airlines, fin air among others all in business class and they rarely know whether the food they are serving contains soy. If I preorder a gluten free meal it still often contains soy. Preordering becomes a challenge because airlines don’t list their allergens online and fees are often not provided with allergen lists. This leaves me with risking having an allergic reaction or not eating onboard. I usually just eat the salad with no dressing and the cheese plate if available on 10-20 hour flights.
This is definitely an area where airlines can do a much better job.
Lucky flying blue just devalued SAS awards…write about this
Nobody gives a flying f. We are talking a religion where child *grape* is permitted.
You mean daddy propaganda machine trying to cover up *grape* by their priests?
Or do you also use *gclergy* to replace orgy.
If he cares so deeply about his religious practices, he should have ordered the halal meal. Full stop.
Ben you a hypocrite
Own it
When you wrote about that free Palestine message on a Jewish meal your tone was totally different, I understand it’s a blog but you have clearly chosen to make this seem like not an issue at all. Both should either be an issue or not an issue. Apply the same standards for both.
There is a difference between a genuine mistake (this) and bullying passengers based on their religion. Do you get it?
First story: Ben criticizes airline for writing a political message to a customer who just ordered his/her meal.
Second story: Ben criticizes passenger for freaking out over a meal because they chose not to pre-select when they could have...
How is this the same thing?
First story: Ben criticizes airline for writing a political message to a customer who just ordered his/her meal.
Second story: Ben criticizes passenger for freaking out over a meal because they chose not to pre-select when they could have...
How is this the same thing?
How is this the same thing?
Let me explain to a cognitive biased hypocrite.
For some snowflake.
"Free Palestine" is a symbol not just a scribble.
“Prosciutto” is a symbol not just a piece of food.
So yes, someone is making a valid point. Own it.
Yet another racial slur from the ‘Eskimo’ …. hardly a day goes by without the pikni bumps its gums …. it posts about others and accuses them of being “Hypocrites”.
Goose and gander come to mind bro …. :-(
One is a deliberate act of malice. The other is an honest mistake. Spot the difference?
Prosciutto.
Honest mistake or discreet act of malice?
Who decides, Sherlock or his sidekick?
Spot the hypocrisy yet?
Repeatedly asserting the same nonsense doesn't make it any truer, Eskimo. Just take the L.
This is why the Western world should not cater (quite literally) to Islamists
How is Singapore Airlines the “Western World “? You can even see other Muslims stating that he is over reacting and yet you bring a whole religion into this.
No "dietary law" has been broken, the religion explicitly excludes situations when pork or other "forbidden" item is eaten unknowingly. God is still okay with the guy - at least as far as diet is concerned, trying to extort money from SQ and using religion as a tool may be frowned upon by him.
Nope, I am totally fine with extortion also.
That religion of pieces deserves all what’s coming for them. They blow up way too easily.
Yikes
Much as I hate to say it, that is very witty and one of the best comments I've read online in a very, very long time.
Hard to believe Lucky didn't censor it as he did with a much milder comment that I made a few days ago.
It's a very obese woman (they/them) in Spokane who censors the site. They've recently decided to let more engagement through due to falling site views, so the obese woman in Spokane had to let her blue hair chill for a bit.
Special meals are tricky. I eat neither meat or shellfish. While I usually enjoy pre-ordered vegetarian main courses, I can’t stand wait often accompanies those meals. The breads aren’t fresh, the desserts aren’t imaginative, the appetizers are bland, and the the second meals are afterthoughts.
While much of my diet is based on Jewish kosher guidelines, I’m pretty relaxed if non-kosher food enters my system. A wise person once guided me:
“It more important to...
Special meals are tricky. I eat neither meat or shellfish. While I usually enjoy pre-ordered vegetarian main courses, I can’t stand wait often accompanies those meals. The breads aren’t fresh, the desserts aren’t imaginative, the appetizers are bland, and the the second meals are afterthoughts.
While much of my diet is based on Jewish kosher guidelines, I’m pretty relaxed if non-kosher food enters my system. A wise person once guided me:
“It more important to think about what comes out of your mouth than what goes into your mouth.”
as a muslim, he’s def blowing this out of proportion and trying to milk it for some sort of compensation (accepting it feels way worse than accidentally eating pork)
genuine accidents aren’t a sin
what should the carrier’s liability be in a situation like this?
ZERO
NOTHING
NADA
“Singapore Airlines passenger discovers that “prosciutto” is pork”
Very common term. 100% up to the passenger to know basic terms.
“he ordered a Muslim meal for one of the meal services, but not for the lunch service”
100% on the passenger.
Smells like a setup to me.
I want bacon.
You get turkey bacon.
The dude did not request a halal meal, so I do not feel bad for him. He is just looking for a payday. My sister is married to a Muslim, so I know that if a person accidently eats pork, it is not considered a sin, since was done because of ignorance. Also, It isn't the airlines responsibilty to monitor his dietary restrictions. When in doubt, bring your own. I always order vegetarian and have...
The dude did not request a halal meal, so I do not feel bad for him. He is just looking for a payday. My sister is married to a Muslim, so I know that if a person accidently eats pork, it is not considered a sin, since was done because of ignorance. Also, It isn't the airlines responsibilty to monitor his dietary restrictions. When in doubt, bring your own. I always order vegetarian and have had a few times of them not having the right meal. My reponse is to not eat the meal served and always bring a snack.
Exactly. I eat kosher, so I either order the kosher meal (which usually is terrible), or I bring my own food.
How on earth someone with strict diet doesn't second guess a meat that looks like that regardless of what being told?
For someone who is trying to portray follwing strict dietary restrictions and not ordering a special meal is just trying to scam compensation. Just like those LobbyZeal duos who extort hotels for a living.
Not sure how he survived this long doing like this and never break dietary restrictions.
He probably eat haram countless times.
and his 'haram' delicacies were undoubtedly accompanied by a fine wine/beer or other adult beverage of choice, I"m sure... !
Everybody knows that prosciutto is pork. If you're uneducated then don't piss everyone off.
It's also true that the crew should have known. But as you said, it's not a life changing event, this traveler just brought it out of proportion in my opinion.
I am extremely confidence that a lot of ESL and those that live in area where prosciutto is not commonly eaten definitely doesn't know. It's not a common ingredient in many parts of the world.
Uh, I don't care if this so-called person doesn't know it's pork. It can fly with one of its own airlines, no need to blow up about it.
Muslims ruin everything they touch.
"I am extremely confidence that a lot of ESL"
Prosciutto is Italian, dude.
Nothing to do with "ESL"
I totally agree it's ultimately his responsibility to ensure that he books a special meal and that he could have just avoided eating the prosciutto if he didn't know what it was. I don't eat pork (or lamb or seafood or rabbit and lots of other animals for that matter) and I always choose the muslim meal and it's usually even better than the loaded choices as you get served first, get extra fruits and...
I totally agree it's ultimately his responsibility to ensure that he books a special meal and that he could have just avoided eating the prosciutto if he didn't know what it was. I don't eat pork (or lamb or seafood or rabbit and lots of other animals for that matter) and I always choose the muslim meal and it's usually even better than the loaded choices as you get served first, get extra fruits and the choices offered are usually tasty Indian or Asian inspired meals. On the flip side, you get a "downgraded dessert" and sometimes the Muslim meal is lamb or seafood...
However, I can assure you that not everyone knows that prosciutto is pork. I had never encountered prosciutto, pancetta, chorizo, pepperoni etc.. before I moved to Europe. And even worse than that, in some countries people are used to "bacon", "ham", "sausages" etc.. that are made from beef, turkey or chicken and would not even think that it's pork.
Not everyone knows that
No, "everybody" doesn't know that prosciutto is pork.
Many, many people from less developed countries, even those from countries where pork is a staple food, can't be expected to know what prosciutto is, given that the real thing is a regional European luxury good.
Hell, even I don't know what "prosciutto" is - I know what the real thing, prosciutto di Parma is (heaven on earth) but "prosciutto" could be anything under the sun and usually is.
@Gentleman Jack Darby
There is no "real thing"
prosciutto di Parma is as real as prosciutto di San Daniele or prosciutto di Cazzo.
All are "regional European luxury good".
Ok fair enough not everybody knows. Now if you don't know and care so much about not eating pork, what about either ordering a special meal, or refusing to eat what you don't know.
Instead of making it everyone else's problem?
Outside of Europe, I doubt that five percent of people know what prosciutto is.
Every grocery store in Canada sells prosciutto. Which, I believe, is the Italian word for ham. And although we can get it in Canada as easily as we can get eggs, it is best to have it in Bologna. I also like the Spanish Jamon serrano. Which is also easy to buy in Canada although is not as ubiquitous as prosciutto.
Literally nobody cares what some random store in CAH-NAH-DAH sells. It's a failed country of ill-educated losers.