A British Airways business class passenger says he was passed over for a welcome drink prior to departure, alleging he was passed over because he was black. But alleged comments by the flight attendant suggest something else may have been going on.

British Airways Passenger Alleges He Was Skipped Because He “Didn’t Belong” In Business Class

On September 24, 2025 a man traveled on British Airways flight BA 194 from Houston (IAH) to London (LHR) and was seated in 9F in Club World (business class). He says he paid $5,000 for his ticket. During the pre-departure drink service, flight attendants offered beverages to other passengers in his row but skipped him. He says he asked, “Am I not being offered a drink?” and was told, “Oh, I thought you had been upgraded.” He argues that excuse is implausible and that he was singled out because he was the only black person in the cabin at that time.

He says every other passenger around him got a drink, including a white passenger seated just behind him. He waited, hoping the flight attendant would return, then asked her directly. When she said she assumed he was upgraded, he says that only added insult: not only had he paid to book directly into business class, but service protocol at British Airways does not distinguish between those who are upgraded and those who are not. In his words, “she saw me and decided I didn’t belong.”

The passenger has lodged a formal complaint with British Airways, but has not heard back.

Could It Have Been An Honest Mistake?

It’s tempting to dismiss instances like this as human error: crews serve dozens of passengers under time constraints and sometimes, mistakes happen. But this case has elements that make that defense weak. The fact that he was the only black passenger in that row, that no real apology was offered or correction made, and that the excuse given, amounts to an assumption based on appearance all point to implicit bias rather than a simple oversight.

I readily acknowledge that as a white man I am almost always treated with respect (and when a flight attendant treats me poorly, it is not because I’m white, but because all passengers are treated horribly). In that sense, I cannot fully understand what it may feel like to travel as a person of color. For that reason, I am not dismissing this passenger’s experience.

Even so, I just wonder whether the FA inadvertently skipped over him and then became defensive and offered the upgrade quip when called out. Could it have all been a misunderstanding? What was the passenger hoping to achieve by repeatedly pressing the flight attendant over the alleged slight?

From a reputational standpoint, airlines must err heavily on the side of humility and correction in these cases. The first move should have been to stop, apologize, and offer the beverage, even if it was delayed. A flight attendant assuming someone doesn’t belong because of race is unacceptable, whether conscious or not, but so is treating a passenger differently becuase he upgraded (and again, this passenger did not upgrade, but purportedly paid $5K for his ticket).

I suppose this could be another reddit tall tale, but it has the elements of something that happened and I hope that the matter is clarified, even if the matter simply boils down to an honest mistake. Flight attendants should dutifully ensure that they are not skipping over any passengers while providing onboard service.

CONCLUSION

If the allegations are true, this is a serious breach of trust: a paying business class passenger denied service because of perceived nationality or race is not a simple oversight. That said, even if it was just an honest oversight, it was still an unacceptable service lapse. Life is too short to be constantly offended, but the “I thought you upgraded” defense strikes me as highly insulting and worthy of reproach.

Hat Tip: View From The Wing