China Eastern Serves Up ‘Dog Food’ In Business Class Translation Disaster | Airlines

Summary

• A poorly translated menu from China Eastern Airlines has caused confusion and speculation among passengers, with one appetizer option listed as “dog food.”
• Translation errors in the airline industry are common due to the need to translate from local languages to English, the default language of international aviation.
• Translation and marketing errors can have negative consequences for a brand, leading to damage to its image and potential financial losses.

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A specific business class dining option from China Eastern Airlines has brought some media buzz. The Shanghai-based carrier’s poorly translated menu offered a range of options, with one standout choice being “dog food” paired with okra, serving as a business class appetizer.

An unfortunate error

This month, traveller Conrad Wu shared an image of the airline’s business class menu on Facebook. Among the appetizer choices were seafood, beef, and vegetarian meals. However, the inclusion of “imported dog food” as the fourth option has left the passenger wondering, ‘What exactly is it?’.

Initially reported by The Independent, the social media post has received more than 1000 likes and was shared by more than 170 people, accompanied by numerous comments. Speculation arose, with many suggesting that this was likely a translation mistake. While this is, indeed, most likely a translation error, the specific dish mentioned on the menu still needs to be clarified.

Another menu option that caught social media’s attention was the ‘dragon bone soup.’ Contrary to…

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