Airline's translation blunder shows ‘dog food’ on menu: ‘What exactly is it?’

A passenger aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight posted an image on social media claiming to be an English menu translation error that suggested ‘dog food’ on it. The picture shared by Conrad Wu reportedly shows the business class menu featuring beef, seafood, and soup options. However, a mistranslation within the menu indicates “imported dog food with okra”. Conrad's post in Chinese, that is roughly translated to English, read, “China Eastern Airlines Business Class menu, what exactly is it?”

The specific dish referred to in the translated menu aboard the China Eastern flight remains unclear. Efforts to seek clarification from the airline operator are underway, The Independent reported as the outlet has initiated contact for further details.

HT could not independently verify the claim.

Internet reacts

More than 1,000 users have engaged with Conrad Wu's Facebook post. One user speculated if this meant the airline was pet-friendly, while another said, “They treat you as a dog, not human.”

Another user cautioned about the pitfalls of using Google Translate, while Dai Ching humorously quipped, "Must be a hot dog?"

"Imported dog food," commented another user.

Discontent with the English translations, a person remarked, "Almost 90% of the English on the menu is wrong. Such a joke for an international airline."

The Independent's report highlighted that the image was also circulated on Reddit, where a user humorously noted, "Apparently, economy class passengers only get domestic dog food.”

MealSkip Option

A report by The Independent, earlier this year, claimed that an airline suggested passengers opt out of inflight meals, deeming it the “ethical choice”.

Japan Airlines has been testing the “JAL Ethical Choice MealSkip Option” since 2020, allowing travellers on select flights to forgo a meal service. The carrier has now integrated this as a permanent feature in flight bookings worldwide, emphasizing the sustainability advantages of skipping a mid-flight lunch.

In a February incident, a business class traveller bound for Japan, who had ordered a vegan breakfast, was surprised when presented with just a single banana and a pair of chopsticks. They shared online, “When she served the banana after take-off, I thought it was just an underwhelming appetiser, but it was in fact the entire meal service.”

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