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Vegan Air Canada passenger stunned at lack of airline meals

A woman was left stunned and annoyed after she ordered several vegan meals on a plane – but was served nothing more than a bottle of water during meal service.

Miriam Porter, a travel blogger who goes by the TikTok handle ‘the kind traveller’, was on an Air Canada flight traveling from Toronto, Canada to Frankfurt, Germany.

In a now viral clip that has amassed almost a million views, Miriam explained she ordered several vegan meals during the more than 10-hour flight, but was left hungry after claiming to be served nothing but water.

“POV: You are on an Air Canada flight for over ten hours and order vegan meals,” her post begins.

She then shares footage from the flight showing her first ‘meal’ being a bottle of water.

For “meal 2” she showed a napkin with nothing on it.

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Miriam was eventually given some food – though not part of the proper meal service.

Instead, a flight attendant nabbed a makeshift meal for her from business class.

“Shout out to the kind flight attendant that got me fruit & dinner rolls from business class,” she captioned the clip.

“I love fruit but also like entire meals!” she pointedly added.

Air Canada has a selection of ‘special meals’ that passengers can order in advance. It varies from vegetarian to diabetic, kosher and vegan meal options.

“Special meals are available in all classes of service on all flights where a meal service is offered (except on flights offering Air Canada Bistro service),” its site states.

“We won’t be able to guarantee that your special meal request can be accommodated if it’s submitted less than 24 hours before the first flight in your itinerary.”

However, Miriam said her order was placed “well in advance and confirmed (many times)”.

“This has happened many times sadly. I always preorder in advance and bring my own food in case. But this time it was impossible,” she said.

Her clip has attracted hundreds of comments from users who asked why she just didn’t bring her own food this time.

“I always bring my own food in case but I was on a 24-hour delay and couldn’t make food to bring,” she explained.

Air Canada states: “You may bring your own snacks and food on board, or purchase meals and beverages at the airport before your flight – just make sure to purchase beverages after you’ve passed through security and take into consideration any limitations on bringing food through US pre-clearance when traveling to the US.”

Miriam described the situation as “annoying”.

“Especially since it was day two of trying to get home with little food. But I’m back so a happy ending,” she said.

Miriam added that it took her two days to get home from Berlin.

Her clip prompted others to share their horror food stories, with one woman saying she was served a “small bun with three slices of zucchini” during a long-haul flight.

Another said they were served “lettuce with six cold mushrooms on top” during their flight.

One woman said she was given “chicken on my vegan pre-booked menu”.

Others said they often had to fill up on the bread rolls and snacks such as pretzels and hummus.

News.com.au has contacted Air Canada for comment.

Read related topics:TikTok

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Business

2022 Genesis GV80 Luxury review

Hyundai is one of a horde of makers trying to ruffle the feathers of the German establishment by creating its own luxury brand.

We sample the top flight Genesis GV80 SUV that is packed with luxury features.

There’s a different level of customer service

Genesis is in its infancy as a brand. The luxury arm of Hyundai can’t match the badge appeal of a BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz, so it differentiates itself by offering more ownership perks.

The first five scheduled services are free and Genesis will pick up and drop off your car when a service is due, provided you live within 70km of a Genesis studio.

They’ll also leave you a courtesy vehicle while the service is completed.

A complimentary five-year roadside assistance program provides some icing on the cake.

The cabin feels plush

Our test vehicle had the optional six-seater luxury package, which costs an extra $13,000 over the GV80 starting price of $92,000 plus on-roads. More seats costs less – the seven-seat version’s luxury pack is only $10,000.

For the extra spend, there’s quality Nappa leather throughout, a big 12.3-inch digital display in front of the driver, suede finishes on the roof and pillars, heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows and power adjustable seats and sunshades in the back.

The extra $3000 in the six-seat version buys individual, reclining second-row seats with airline-style winged headrests, a center console with a wireless charger and twin 9.2-inch rear entertainment screens.

It feels like business class.

Some of the tech feels like overkill

Genesis isn’t alone in having electric adjustment of all three rows of seats, but you’re left wondering if a simple manual lever to fold the seats would be a better solution.

It certainly would be quicker.

The automatic parking function is also something you tend to use only once to show off to the neighbours. The massaging seats switch on automatically after a certain time, which can be disconcerting if you’re not expecting it.

It’s a genuine luxury brand

The attention to detail and quality of materials in the cabin is up there with German rivals and there’s more bling for the buck in terms of gadgets and luxury items.

Highlights include the blind-spot alert that shows you a video feed of the road behind you when you flick the indicator. The ambient lighting adds an air of sophistication after dark, as do the puddle lamps that light the road when you open the door at night.

Genesis finished top of all the luxury brands in the respected JD Power quality and dependability survey.

The driving experience is a little off the pace, though

There are three engine choices for the GV80. It kicks off with a turbo four-cylinder putting out a healthy 224kW and 422Nm, then there’s a 3.0-liter diesel with 204kW and 588Nm and a 3.5-liter turbo V6 pumping out 279kW and 530Nm.

We had the diesel, which delivers an impressive blend of grunt and refinement. A silky 8-speed auto manages to pluck the right gear for maximum thrust and it’s reasonably efficient for its size.

The driving experience is let down, though, by suspension that struggles for composure on rougher roads. It tends to float a little over bigger bumps, while the big 22-inch wheels with low-profile rubber get fidgety on pockmarked bitumen.

The steering feels sharp but through corners you can feel the weight of the car as it pitches and leans. It’s fine for family freeway motoring, but lacks the poise of a BMW X5 or Audi Q8.

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