Delta Air Lines ranks among the highest in customer satisfaction in North America, according to a study by JD Power. The U.S. airline proved it last week by waiving a grieving passenger’s $1,000 charge in a rare act of kindness. As Delta often goes out of its way to show compassion, a first-class passenger’s viral food complaint on social media quickly backfired, with travelers firmly siding with the carrier.
Tagging Delta’s official account on the social media post, the Delta One flyer called out the airline for failing to provide the food he and his wife had requested. He said the incident left his wife with “no meal” for their entire nine-hour flight from Atlanta to Italy for their honeymoon. However, thousands of travelers backed Delta on the matter, giving the passenger a harsh reality check.
Travelers Side With Delta Air Lines Over First-Class Passenger’s Unmet Food Request
On the evening of August 31, while on board their flight to Italy, a man named Evan Ross posted on X, calling out Delta for not being able to provide any meals for his wife, who cannot eat gluten or dairy. Ross claimed he spent “a half hour” on the phone with the carrier’s disability department to inform them of his wife’s dietary restrictions days before the flight.
He said it was “unacceptable” that his wife was left with nothing to eat during their over-nine-hour overnight flight, especially after they had to rush to that flight because their first one had been delayed. But instead of gaining sympathy, travelers quickly backed Delta, dismissing Ross’ complaint as a “first-world problem”:
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– “My daughter has life-threatening food allergies. You need to pack your own food and EpiPens. The airline is not responsible to accommodate your food allergies.” |
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– “Ok. Is it just me or should they have brought a few food options just in case…1. no required food available, 2. Possibly issue with food (dropping spill), 3. Her not liking. It is spelled PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!” |
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– “It’s too bad that it wasn’t provided as you expected. But you should always bring something to eat anyway if you have such severe allergies. I do wonder how she’ll manage in Italy if she can’t have gluten or dairy.” |
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– “It’s an overnight flight FFS – go to bed for 9 hours….like you do every night at home…where you don’t eat for, you know…9 hours.” |
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– “Why would someone allergic to gluten AND dairy fail to plan for the very likely contingency that a giant company might not be able to accommodate a one-off meal amid thousands of daily customers? This is an airline, not the Ritz Carlton. This one’s on you.” |
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– “Surely you saw the emails a week in advance and in the Fly Delta app for meal selection for you to, in fact, select gluten-free? I fly Delta First and One, and you get ample opportunity to set those meal preferences and meal choices up to 24 hours in advance of your flight.” |
The post has since received over 2,500 replies and has been viewed at least 4.3 million times. However, Delta has not yet responded, as Ross noted in a comment himself. The quips didn’t stop there, with one telling him, “Probably because you got absolutely roasted in the comments, and they didn’t want to add to your embarrassment.”
The airline has a clear policy on what they can or cannot guarantee when it comes to dietary restrictions and food allergies, which could explain the backlash to the passenger’s complaint.
Delta Air Lines’ Rules On Dietary Restrictions And Allergies
Delta states on its website that while they are dedicated to accommodating dietary restrictions and special requests from passengers with food allergies, they are “unable to guarantee” them. While Ross did not share the details of his food request with Delta, the carrier’s official policy for meal requests is to submit them at least 24 hours before your scheduled flight departure. Wait past the 24-hour window, and you’re out of luck, as caterers lock in flight manifests by that point.
Delta’s policy reads: “We’re committed to helping you travel comfortably. While we are unable to guarantee a peanut-free or allergen-free flight or prohibit other customers from carrying these products on board, we strive to make reasonable accommodations for your needs.”
Navigating these options can be confusing. For instance, special meals are strictly unavailable through the standard Pre-Select Meal Program. This means that if you need a special meal for dietary or religious reasons, you cannot order it through the standard digital menu preview.
As a commenter pointed out to Ross, Delta One passengers get an email days before the flight to pre-select meals from the standard menu, while special meals require bypassing that option entirely. Delta handles standard meals and special dietary meals through two different databases:
- Standard Pre-Select: The digital preview screen only displays the standard three or four chef-curated entrées for that specific flight.
- Special Meal: If you go into your reservation profile and select a “Special Meal,” it will automatically block you from using the Pre-Select menu, as special meal requests take 100% priority.
To actually get your special meal, you must add it as a “Service Request” under your passenger preferences in your Delta account or booking, instead of clicking the link to browse the flight’s standard menu.
Delta Air Lines Once Removed A Passenger Due To A Life-Threatening Food Allergy
Air travelers with dietary restrictions and food allergies take extra steps to ensure their needs are accommodated. However, some flight circumstances can completely derail those plans, forcing airlines to enforce strict protocols. In October 2024, Ellie Brelis was removed from a Delta flight to Boston after telling a flight attendant about her life-threatening shellfish allergy and informing them she had multiple EpiPens with her as well.
She said a commotion ensued because they were cooking shellfish in first class. While Brelis was not flying first class, she had to be placed on a later Delta flight that was also serving shellfish and had no guaranteed buffer zone. For her safety, Brelis just decided to purchase a JetBlue flight to get home to Boston on time.
TheTravel reached out to Delta Air Lines for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
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