SIA passenger fed up with food service

A postgraduate scholar, 28, found herself entangled with Singapore Airlines about the food she ate on board an eight-and-a-half hour flight from Brisbane to Singapore for a transit to Mumbai last December 13.

Komal Patil, an Indian national residing in New Zealand claimed that she suffered diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps after she had her inflight meal of omelet, sausages and chicken noodle. She said she was told there was no medical provision available for her condition on the flight. Upon landing, she tried to make her way to a nearby clinic and she said she received no assistance from the ground staff.

“After walking for half-an-hour I collapsed near the clinic and learned the clinic was closed. The airport staff attended me ten minutes later and a doctor could only attend to me 15 minutes later. I had to pay S$98.70 to the private clinic,” she said.

When she made her way back to Brisbane (a transit flight from Mumbai to Singapore) on January 12 this year, she was further angered when she was served “non-heated buns” with no cutlery.

“I was humiliated,” she said.

When she asked for a cup of coffee, she said the attendant forced a whole meal tray on her table.

“If you do not eat, then keep it or I have to walk some steps to get another tray,” she recalled the attendant’s words.

“I had the option of flying with other cheaper airlines. I payed extra dollars just to have a comfortable and safe flight. But Singapore Airlines has provided me unacceptable service, contaminated food filled with lots of humiliation and mental trauma,” she said.

Komal has filed two complaints to Singapore Airlines but was told in the reports that the food she ate met “microbiological standards” and “no other passengers were poisoned.”

The report also noted that no crew or ground staff was aware or raised a report or request for assistance on ground when Komal was looking for a clinic at the airport.

Singapore Airlines did not comment.