'Are you sure?': Indian doctor accuses Vietnam Airlines staff of mocking family over Business Class seats

There exists a subtle class divide in the world when you use terms such as new money and old money. For the unaware, old money is people who possess generational wealth whereas new money are those who have recently acquired it. Thus, when it comes to luxuries like wearing brands or flying business class, the wealthy might have been doing it all this time while the new money is ticking it off their checklist.

India as a country has a mix of both. While the nation might be one of the most developing ones, it is still prejudiced against by the rest of the world and a recent example has taken the internet by storm. An Indian doctor recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a harrowing experience involving alleged mockery from Vietnam Airlines staff while travelling with his family in business class.

Dr Abhay Daga posted about the ordeal on the social media app, detailing the encounter on May 11 as his family boarded flight VN981 from Hanoi to Delhi. He described feeling humiliated when asked about their presence in the section.

According to the doctor, a member of the ground staff at the aerobridge stopped him, his wife, and their child, casting a disparaging look while saying, “This is Business Class.” He interpreted this remark as insinuating that his family did not belong in that section of the aircraft.

The doctor claimed that, upon acknowledging this, he was met with a dismissive response. The staff member reportedly asked, “Really?” and “Are you sure?” which he found shocking and disrespectful, particularly in front of his child.

When confronted, the doctor added that the staff refused to apologise and instead doubled down: "We need to make sure which passenger belongs where."

He described the incident as one of racial profiling and public humiliation, adding that the airline staff's responsibility is simply to check boarding passes. Having visited 36 countries previously, he added that he was shocked to see this kind of behaviour on his 37th trip. "I have NEVER experienced such vile treatment from any airline. My child actually had to ask why your staff was speaking to us with such disrespect. Your employee is an embarrassment to your national carrier," he wrote.

He attached a photo of the employee's ID card and asked the airlines to launch an immediate investigation into the discriminatory conduct along with issuing a formal apology. "Racism and humiliation have no place in aviation. DO BETTER," wrote the doctor.

Social media reactions

Numerous netizens connected with the doctor's experience shared similar incidents they faced as well, while others asked for Vietnam Airlines to issue an official apology.

"Sorry your family had to endure this racial humiliation. Vietnam Airlines owes a public apology," added a user.

"I have had similar experience while travelling back from an AO conference in Bangkok last year. Mine was our own #airindia business class, was stopped at boarding to ask ‘you sure’ then didn’t put priority tag on my luggage, so despite preferred deplaning, I had to wait for long," shared another.

"Unacceptable behaviour! Simply could have checked the boarding pass and been done with his work," added one.

"For those thinking this may be a case of lost in translation, it is not @VietnamAirlines you definitely need to deal with this racism faced by Dr Daga," asked another.