Hong Kong's Cathay drink mix-up: why it happened and how to protect yourself
A flight attendant with
Cathay Pacific Airways mistakenly served a glass of white wine to a three-year-old boy seated in business class last month, raising concerns over the health risks caused by a mix-up of wrong drinks and food for passengers.
Advertisement
The Post explores how easily a mix-up of drinks can happen during flights and outlines the steps passengers can take to protect themselves from accidentally consuming food that may affect their health.
1. How did a three-year-old get served wine?
A family of three boarded Cathay flight CX255 from Hong Kong to London on the night of April 24, with each of them occupying a business class seat: the boy by the window and his father next to him in the aisle. A crew member mistakenly served the boy a glass of wine instead of water that he ordered.
The boy took a sip and said the water was too sour. Another crew member apologised and replaced the drink, but the parents escalated the matter to a senior crew member, who then paged a French doctor on board. The doctor told the parents the child would be fine, adding that children as young as five could take alcohol in her country.
The senior crew member also sought ground-based medical advisory service via in-flight Medlink, and said no further advice was given except to give the boy more water and monitor the child. So far, the child has not reported any discomfort or sickness.
Advertisement
The carrier offered to refund the child's ticket with three one-class upgrade vouchers and cover the costs of any incident-related medical check-ups. But the parents were not satisfied, expressing concern over whether the alcohol sip her son took would result in long-term health issues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Red Cross tightens blood donor rules for recent inmates over health risks
The Hong Kong Red Cross has banned anyone who has been locked up for 72 hours or more in the past 12 months from donating blood for a year, citing the risk of infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service said on Wednesday the guidelines had been revised based on suggestions made by the internationally recognised certification bodies that conducted a review of the centre last year. A spokeswoman for the service, which is operated by the Hospital Authority, said the suggestions were discussed by an expert panel and the new rules had been in force since May 27. 'Donors who have been, in the past 12 months, consecutively detained in a correctional institution or prison for 72 hours or more must wait 12 months before donating blood,' she said. 'The aim of the revision is to further enhance blood safety and reduce risks associated with blood transfusion, aligning with relevant guidelines of blood transfusion service organisations around the world.' An information pack available on the centre's website said that prospective donors who had been detained in the facilities for the 72-hour period or longer could have been exposed to 'a higher risk of high-risk behaviour', which increased the possibility of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infections.
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong environment chief rejects relaxed quarantine rules for imported pets
Hong Kong's environment chief has ruled out flexible quarantine arrangements, including at home, for imported cats and dogs, but will consider extending hours and increasing the number of checkpoints for pet transport from mainland China. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that existing quarantine facilities are sufficient for imported pets, adding that the government would not consider altering the quarantine method for now due to the risk of rabies. 'When pets are quarantined in private residences, they have opportunities to come into contact with other animals and people, which can pose significant risks,' Tse said. 'Thus, home quarantine is not appropriate from a risk management perspective.' He added that new quarantine rules had already reduced costs for pet owners from mainland China by three-quarters and increased the turnover rate of quarantine facilities fourfold. The department's Kowloon Animal Management Centre also expanded its quarantine facilities in May, increasing those for cats from 21 to 34 and for dogs from 20 to 30.
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong domestic helper's new passion for swimming helps her ‘forget' cancer diagnosis
'When I'm in the water, I feel like I have freedom – I forget that I have cancer.' Cocoy Sabareza, a domestic helper in Hong Kong, learned to swim only four years ago, but that was far from all she overcame as she conquered the city's waters on Sunday. The 54-year-old from the Philippines was one of hundreds to tackle the Hong Kong Four Beaches Challenge, a 3.3km (2.05-mile) swim in Sai Kung that she finished in under 1½ hours. She was empowered to do so in 2021 by Splash Foundation, a local charity that teaches the city's domestic workers, refugees and disadvantaged communities to swim. But shortly after that, in May 2022, she received a medical diagnosis that would change her life. 'When I finished the beginner class at Splash Foundation, I started doing open water with my friends,' Sabareza said. 'I started to love the water, but I was diagnosed with breast cancer.'
