Indian doctor claims Vietnam airlines staff mocked family over business class seats

Dr Abhay Daga has accused a Vietnam Airlines ground staff member of humiliating his family while they boarded a Hanoi-Delhi flight in business class.

In Short

• Indian doctor alleges humiliation by Vietnam Airlines staff over business class seating
• Doctor claims racial profiling and disrespectful behaviour towards his family
• Vietnam Airlines has not issued any public response yet

An Indian doctor has alleged that he and his family were humiliated by airline staff after they were reportedly questioned over whether they actually belonged in business class on a Vietnam Airlines flight.

The incident came to light after Dr Abhay Daga shared a detailed post on X describing what he called a “blatant discrimination and humiliation” experience while travelling with his family from Hanoi to Delhi on May 11.

According to Daga, he, his wife and child were flying business class on flight VN981 when they were stopped at the aerobridge by a member of the airline’s ground staff before boarding.

In his post, Daga alleged that the staff member looked at them “with utter disrespect” and remarked, “This is Business Class,” implying that the family did not belong there.

“When I replied, ‘Yes, I know,’ he had the audacity to mock me, snapping back with ‘Really?’ and ‘Are you sure?’” Daga wrote.

The doctor said the interaction left him shocked and embarrassed, especially because it happened in front of his young child.

According to him, the employee’s job was simply to verify boarding passes, but instead the situation turned into what he described as racial profiling and public humiliation.

Daga further claimed that when he confronted the staff member about the behaviour, the employee allegedly refused to apologise and instead doubled down by saying, “We need to make sure which passenger belongs where.”

The doctor also said the experience stood out because he had travelled extensively before without facing similar treatment.

“I’ve travelled to 36 countries; Vietnam was my 37th. I have NEVER experienced such vile treatment from any airline,” he wrote.

See the post here:

Vietnam Airlines has not publicly responded to the allegations.

The post quickly sparked strong reactions online, with many users calling the alleged incident “classist,” “racially loaded” and deeply disrespectful. Several people said the most disturbing part was not the questioning itself, but the assumption that an Indian family could not possibly belong in business class unless they “proved” it.

Others shared similar experiences of being treated differently by airline or airport staff based on appearance, clothing or nationality, saying such behaviour often goes unnoticed until someone publicly speaks about it.

Many users also praised Dr Daga for calling out the incident openly instead of brushing it aside as a “small misunderstanding.” Several commenters pointed out that while boarding passes can and should be verified, passengers should never be made to feel embarrassed or unwelcome in the process.

- Ends