'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal

SINGAPORE: Flying can be a stressful experience and sometimes, flashpoints occur 20,000 feet in the air.

An IndiGo crew member recently ended up in a heated argument with a passenger due to the low-cost airline's meal options.

According to The Indian Express, the viral incident took place on Flight 6E 12 from Istanbul to Delhi on Dec 16.

British tabloid Daily Mail reported that the passenger had asked for a sandwich and the airline crew informed him that they would check on the availability.

The man, however, flew into a rage and began shouting, causing a crew member to cry.

A video posted on Twitter showed an air stewardess remonstrating with the passenger and saying that her colleague was in tears because of him. 

"You pointed finger at me and you are yelling at me," she said.

She added: "Please try to understand, there is a cart and counted meals are uplifted. We can only serve what you're boarding ..."

The man then interrupted and asked why she was yelling, to which she shouted: "Because you are yelling at us."

"I am so sorry sir, but you do not talk to the crew like that. I am peacefully listening to you with all due respect, but you have to respect the crew as well."

Her colleague tried to calm her down, but the argument continued to escalate, with the man telling the crew member to "shut up".

"You shut up. I'm sorry you cannot talk to me like that ... I'm an employee, I'm not your servant," she responded, as other passengers looked on.

Social media users were divided on the incident, with some saying that the crew member tried her best to be patient while others felt that the passenger's point of view should have been heard.

Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor empathised with the stewardess, and wrote on Twitter that "crew are human too".

"It must have taken a lot to get her to breaking point. Over the years, I have seen crew slapped and abused on board flights, called 'servant' and worse. Hope she is fine despite the pressure she must be under," he added.

"As I have always said, the customer is always right... until he (or she) is wrong. Physical or verbal abuse or humiliation is NEVER acceptable."

A spokesperson for IndiGo told the Daily Mail that the airline is aware of the incident and looking into it.

"The issue was related to meals chosen by certain passengers traveling via a codeshare connection," the Indigo spokesperson said, adding that "is our constant endeavour to provide a courteous and hassle-free experience to our customers". 

Codeshare allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide travel to destinations where it has no presence.

A senior official at India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation also confirmed the regulator is looking into the incident and will take appropriate action.