Flight Attendant Serves White Wine to Three-Year-Old, Mistaking It for Water

Flight Attendant Accidentally Serves White Wine
Airline Offers Ticket Refund and Vouchers

Stock photo of airline in-flight service, unrelated to the article content. Pexels

A flight attendant on a Hong Kong-based airline accidentally served white wine instead of water to a three-year-old child.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on May 7 (local time), the incident occurred on April 24 in the business class cabin of a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London.

The three-year-old child, who was traveling in business class with their parents, drank a glass of water provided by a flight attendant during dinner. However, after taking a sip, the child made a strange face and said it tasted sour. The child's mother, sensing something was wrong, checked the glass and discovered that it contained white wine, not water. The mother, upset, complained to the flight attendant, who immediately admitted the mistake and retrieved the glass.

The child's mother expressed her dissatisfaction on the social media platform Red Note, stating, "The airline did not provide a proper explanation for the incident or present any measures to prevent recurrence," and added, "I got the impression that they were trying to avoid responsibility for my child." She continued, "Although my child has not shown any particular symptoms so far, alcohol consumption at such a young age can have long-term effects on brain development and the nervous system," and revealed that she is currently preparing for a comprehensive examination by a pediatric specialist.

Cathay Pacific issued an official statement, saying, "We take this mistake very seriously," and added, "Following this incident, we have conducted training for all cabin crew to emphasize the importance of confirming orders before service." The airline also offered a refund for the child's ticket, three first-class upgrade vouchers, and support for medical examination costs. A Cathay Pacific spokesperson stated, "We plan to improve our systems through an internal investigation to prevent similar incidents from happening again."