An Indian chartered accountant is planning to file a class action lawsuit in the US against Virgin Atlantic for serving him non-vegetarian food on board despite ordering a vegetarian meal.

Mumbai-based Vipul Shah is talking to attorneys in the US to take legal action against the airline for serving him meal "topped with chicken or fish" on the Washington-Mumbai route on April 26 although he had ordered a "Hindu meal", an airline euphemism for a vegetarian meal.

"The Hindu meal option on their website in itself gave the impression that the food will be completely vegetarian. The website clearly said the meal would be vegetarian and of a spicy nature," Shah, a strict vegetarian, told.

"But despite this, I checked with their customers services as well as ground staff. They all confirmed that a Hindu Asian vegetarian meal with no eggs has been ordered for me," he added.

"As we started eating the hot meal -- it had a big smelly part on top -- we didn't understand what it was but we sensed something wrong and asked the flight attendant what it was. She said it was chicken but to me it looked like fish.

"I was devastated because I had never eaten non-vegetarian food all my life. They accepted that they had faulted and made a mistake by misguiding me about whether their food was vegetarian or non-vegetarian."

When Shah lodged a protest with Virgin Atlantic after arriving in Mumbai, the airline said as per the International Air Transport Association, a Hindu meal is referred to a Hindu non-vegetarian meal.

"However, due to an oversight on our part, this meal option has been described as a vegetarian meal on our website," said the airline's customer services department in an e-mail to Shah.

"I would like to apologise personally and on behalf of the airline for the incident that occurred. We are in the process of having the incorrect information removed from our website," it added.

The airline website now clearly says that the Hindu meal is non-vegetarian. They have added another section Asian vegetarian meal for Virgin Atlantic flights originating from Delhi and Mumbai.

Virgin Atlantic officials were not immediately available for comment.

Shah said the airline as a "goodwill gesture" offered him additional miles that would take his account balance up to 25,000 miles.

"The miles awarded to me is worth 100 pounds only when in Europe passengers get much more for delayed flights. This shows how seriously they take the whole issue," he said.

"I am talking to attorneys in the US since the largest number of Virgin Atlantic flyers are to or from the US destinations and they are bound to be most affected by the callous attitude.

"This case is similar to McDonald' fries case as here also Virgin Atlantic all along knew the meal was non-vegetarian and knowingly served it to vegetarians.

"Virgin Atlantic started flying to Mumbai only at end of March 2005, but has been flying to Delhi since last two years and I believe a large number of New Delhi flight passengers must have had meaty meal on board unknowingly."