Indian Doctor Accuses Vietnam Airlines Staff Of Racial Profiling: "Never Experienced Such Vile Treatment"

An Indian physician has gone viral on social media after alleging that he and his family faced humiliation and discrimination while boarding a Vietnam Airlines flight. In a post on X, Dr. Abhay Daga said the incident took place on May 11 while his family of three was boarding the business class section of the flight. According to him, a ground staff member repeatedly questioned whether they actually held business class tickets, allegedly asking, "Are you sure?" in a mocking tone.

"Dear Vietnam Airlines, This is beyond unacceptable. On 11 May 2026, my family of 3 flew business class on flight VN981 from Hanoi (HAN) to Delhi (DEL). Instead of a premium experience, your ground staff subjected us to blatant discrimination and humiliation. At the aerobridge, your staff blocked us, looked at me with utter disrespect, and stated, 'This is Business Class,' implying we didn't belong. When I replied, “Yes, I know,” he had the audacity to mock me, snapping back with “Really?” and “Are you sure?" the post on X read. 

The doctor claimed the employee's behaviour was derisive and humiliating, leaving his family distressed and embarrassed in front of their young child. He alleged that instead of simply checking their boarding passes, the staff member chose to profile and insult them. 

Dr. Daga further said that when he confronted the employee over the behaviour, the staffer refused to apologise and allegedly responded by saying, “We need to make sure which passenger belongs where.”

Calling the incident an example of racial profiling, the doctor said he had travelled to 36 countries and had never experienced such treatment from any airline before. "I've traveled to 36 countries; Vietnam was my 37th. I have NEVER experienced such vile treatment from any airline. My child actually had to ask why your staff was speaking to us with such disrespect. Your employee is an embarrassment to your national carrier," he added. 

See the post here:

Dear @VietnamAirlines, this is beyond unacceptable. On 11 May 2026, my family of 3 flew Business Class on flight VN981 from Hanoi (HAN) to Delhi (DEL). Instead of a premium experience, your ground staff subjected us to blatant discrimination and humiliation. 🧵👇

— Dr Abhay Daga (@drabhaydaga) May 18, 2026

The doctor also attached a photo of the employee's ID card, asking Vietnam Airlines to launch an immediate investigation into this discriminatory conduct and issue a formal apology. "Racism and humiliation have no place in aviation. DO BETTER," he wrote. 

The incident sparked widespread criticism online, with many social media users describing the staff's conduct as classist and racially insensitive.

One user wrote, "Unacceptable behaviour ! Simply could have checked boarding pass and be done with his work." Another said, "This is atrocious!!! We were planning a group family to Vietnam, but the behavior of a full service national carrier is quite scary. We will have to rethink this trip. No way can we pay these racist airlines."

Vietnam Airlines has not yet issued a public response or official statement regarding the doctor's claims. 

The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny over the treatment of Indian tourists in parts of Southeast Asia. Days earlier, an Indian content creator had also accused Vietnam Airlines staff in Laos of humiliating her and denying boarding after asking her to show $400 in physical cash to prove her tourist status.