I Was Sued by an Airline for Posting an Airline Meal Menu on Social Media

① Airline Hands a Paper Menu to a Passenger

Many people are operating personal social media accounts and working as influencers. Travel influencers introduce tourist destinations worldwide while sharing their experiences on airplanes, hotels, and restaurants.

However, one wrong photo posted on social media can cause a big problem. A famous influencer found himself in hot water after he shared a photo of an in-flight meal menu from a business class flight on social media, sparking controversy and even receiving a claim for damages from the airline.

Indonesian influencer Rius Vernandes creates content by sharing reviews of business and first-class services from various airlines. He is a YouTuber and influencer with over 800,000 subscribers. In July 2019, Vernandes boarded a Garuda Airlines business-class flight from Sydney, Australia, to Bali, Indonesia.

When dinner time came, a flight attendant handed him a menu. Someone ripped this menu from a notebook and wrote entries by hand. Vernandes took a photo of the in-flight meal menu and posted it on social media with the caption, ‘The menu is still being printed, sir.’ He also included this scene in his YouTube video. The video garnered over 2.1 million views, causing quite a stir.

Garuda Airlines is the national airline of Indonesia. However, the paper menu was not up to the standard and drew attention among netizens. Netizens criticized the airline, saying that the paper menu was unsuitable for business class service, and mocked the airline.

② Passenger sued over a photo

As the photo of the paper menu spread on social media, Garuda Airlines apologized to Vernandes. He said, “Garuda Airlines apologized and said they didn’t intend the menu for passengers; it seemed like a mistake.”

Garuda Airlines added on its official Twitter, “We would like to clarify that the in-flight meal menu was a personal note for the flight attendants and should not have been given to passengers.” The airline’s apology seemed to resolve the issue, but suddenly, a lawsuit was filed. Vernandes revealed, “Garuda Airlines sued me and my fiancée for defamation.”

He posted a photo of the summons he received from the Indonesian Police on social media.
Vernandes stated, “I had no intention of defaming anyone.” He said, “If honest reviews and feedback are criminalized, we must think twice before making constructive criticisms.”

Garuda Airlines’ union members and employees filed a lawsuit with the police, saying, “It affected our company’s reputation.” In Indonesia, posting content that could potentially defame someone online can result in a maximum of 4 years in prison.

When it was revealed that Garuda Airlines had sued Vernandes for defamation, a wave of criticism swept the online community. There was controversy over the fact that while the airline had officially apologized, it was preparing a lawsuit behind the scenes.

Moreover, after apologizing to Vernandes, Garuda Airlines was found to have instructed its flight attendants to prevent passengers from taking photos or videos on board. As public opinion turned against them, Garuda Airlines stated, “It is permissible to take photos for personal use, as long as it does not inconvenience other passengers, like taking a selfie.” Although the airline tried to backtrack on its total ban on photography, netizens’ anger did not easily subside.

Netizens continued to post criticism of Garuda Airlines on social media. Low-cost airline AirAsia even held a photo contest of pictures taken on its planes, seizing the opportunity for promotion.

③ Withdrawal of the lawsuit due to worsening public opinion

Vernandes hired a lawyer to deal with the case and held a press conference in a hotel in Jakarta. He said he planned to meet with Garuda Airlines and resolve the issue amicably. Vernandes’ lawyer stated that there was no insult in Vernandes’ content.

Vernandes and Garuda Airlines went to court, but as public opinion worsened, Garuda Airlines’ union members and employees decided to withdraw the lawsuit. Garuda Airlines offered Vernandes plane tickets, inviting him to use all facilities, not just business class, but also economy and first class.

Vernandes said, “We forgave each other. I will use Garuda Airlines again,” and suggested, “Let’s improve Garuda Airlines’ image.” Currently, Vernandes is still creating airline review video content through YouTube. He continues to be active on Instagram and YouTube.

By. Han Mia (miumia___12@mememedia.co.kr)