peanut free flight
 

Has anyone heard of an airlines having a "peanut free" flight? My child is severely allergic to peanuts and all other nuts. We will be traveling this summer. The allergist recommended that there not be any nuts on the flight and that I could call ahead of time to request this. I will also be caring an epipen which shouldn't be a problem with a doctors note...I'm assuming but I will confirm that. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am not sure any airline is going to ban nuts entirely on a flight to accommodate a single passenger unless there are no nuts served in the first place. Of course, these days with airline cost-cutting a "no nuts" flight is probably more likely than it used to be. Let's hope the airline doesn't refuse to carry the child because of his condition.

I'd be very interested to see how successful you are in this effort so please post about what happens.

I don't remember which airline this was, but several years ago I was on a flight and the FA made several announcements that the flight would be peanut free because it would be a serious health hazard for a passenger on board, and peanuts were banned even if you brought your own on board. I do remember the announcement being made more than once, and with a very serious tone. Wouldn't you know it, halfway into the flight the man sitting next to me took out a peanut butter sandwich and started eating. I pressed the call button and the FA came right over and scolded the man and made him either put it away or took it away from him (I don't recall). Good luck!

I was also on a flight where they announced that no peanuts would be allowed onboard. Also, I always carry an epi-pen with me when I travel. Now, I carry at least one in the box with the prescription label on it, but I've never been asked about it, even when I don't have the label.

For readers of this, please be aware that people with severe peanut allergies react even to the smell.

I, too, was on a flight where this happened - probably either Delta or SW. The dust from people opening the packages can swirl through-out the cabin very quickly with the air system in the planes. Scary stuff for you, I'm sure. I am sure this is requested more often than most of us realize.

I was recently on a Southwest flight and it was announced no peanuts (so we no had snacks whatsoever !) b/c of an allergy onboard.

Read here for Southwest's peanut policy:

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/disability.html

I found this by googling "peanut southwest air." I would recommend a similar search for other airlines you are considering.

I'm curious about the genesis of peanut allergies. I never remember anyone having them when I was young.

One of my friends children had a peanut allergy back in the 70's.

Now pediatricians tell parents "no nuts" (or shellfish) before a certain age to try and prevent the development of an allergy. Not sure how long they must be nut free, but our oldest grandchild is 18 mos and still can not have them.

I read ther Southwest peanut policy and I think you should also.

the airline will not guarantee any flight as being completely peanut-free or allergen-free despite any announcements, etc., due to a variety of reasons to include what other passengers may end up doing, particles not removed by cleaning procedures, etc., etc....scary stuff.

No airline is going to cater to one person. Some have nuts as snacks (and offer an alternative as SW does) and some don't. You can call the airline you want to fly and ask, but remember the rep can say one thing and the day of the flight the snack may be something else. SW will give pretzals to those who do not want peanuts. Aside from that I'd just buy some snacks once I got through security (you cannot bring food from home these days).

I doubt very much that any airline is going to guarantee that none of their 200+ passengers were near a peanut(s) on any given day .. let's face it, you can go into a dept. store and stand next to someone at checkout who had some nuts earlier and got "nut dust" on them. Heck, the kid could be at Disneyland and sit next to someone who just chomped down peants too.

Buon Giorno buongiorno,

I looked on the internet to find the answer to your question. I don't think it is known for sure why the recent increase in peanut allergies, but are still researching. Here are a couple of theories:

The increased incidence of allergies of all types - including peanut allergy - has prompted speculation on their cause. Some scientists believe that the eradication of many infectious and communicable diseases may have affected the immune system. Others believe that improved hygiene practices also may alter the immune system and predispose individuals to the development of allergies later in life.
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/ch/peanut2.cfm

The prevalence of peanut allergies has doubled in the 5 years from 1997 to 2002 according to research reported in the December 2003 JACI, and researchers don’t really know why.

There is the thought that roasting peanuts, as we do in the USA makes them more highly allergenic versus boiling them as China does. There’s also the possibility that pregnant and nursing women who eat peanuts are passing the proteins on to their infants which increases the likelihood of the child developing a peanut allergy. Lastly, there is the supposition that our too clean houses don’t challenge our immune systems to fight off parasites, and instead they turn on themselves viewing a peanut protein as the enemy.

http://www.allergicchild.com/peanut_allergy.htm

"Our too clean houses"!!! Not guilty! roflmao :D

I'm astounded at the doubling of numbers in 5 years. Pretty significant!

Oh yes...peanuts are boiled in the south too...not just China! Perhaps they can test that theory by studying the prevalence of peanut allergies in the south compared to the rest of the US. :)

km4, keep in mind that if you alert the airlines to your childs severe allergy, you take the risk of not being allowed to fly.

The Captain can deem your child a flight safety risk assuming he/she would have a reaction to another passengers nuts by having to make an emergency landing.

FWIW: Another explanation of the rise in peanut allergies is that peanut farming has included tinkering with the genetics of the crop as well as the development and use of pesticides and fertilizers, the result being a nut that is particularly toxic to certain members of our increasingly allergy/toxin sensitive population.

AA will cater to one passenger if necessary. It has been an official policy that if a passenger requests a peanut free flight and backs it up with a doctor note, the airline will try it's best to provide a peanut free environment. Unfortunately the airline can't guarantee it as some paxs will do what they want to do.

Call the airline and explain your situation. I believe most if not all airlines have similar policy in force.

Boiled peanuts? YES! No trip to the mountains is complete without a stop by the boiled peanut stand.

Back to the OP - I think it is great that airlines will deem a flight "peanut free". Kudos to them.

Km4, My son also has a nut allergy but only when ingested. My nephew who is autistic has a severe allergy, touching or smelling nuts triggers it. When they flew home to Asia last year, my cousin told me that the airline was extremely accomodating. Calling them back several times to discuss precautionary measures, their needs etc. and yes there was an announcement on the flight. My nephew survived a 20 hour flight!

When you bring your epipen, I suggest you keep it in the original box with the prescription label. When I travelled with my son, I had a doctors note but the prescription label just made things so much easier. Less questions as they just copied the info from the prescription form.

Call your airline. I'm sure this they have the protocol down for this kind of situation. Good Luck and have a great vacation!

It's not just peanuts that the OP's child is allergic to, it's ALL nuts? I can't see how any airline could guarantee that all 180 passengers on board had no nuts, no muffins with nuts, no cookies with nuts, etc.
If the child is indeed SEVERELY allergic to all nuts, I'd only take vacations that we could drive to.

I have heard that flight attendants will announce at the beginning of the flight, we have someone on board that is highly allergic to nuts, so please . . .

Just hope that everyone complies.

However, if it was an eight hour flight to Hawaii and all I had to eat on the flight was a peanut butter sandwich (American Airlines has pay for food on their flights, and they usually run out of $5 sandwiches) I would be tempted to eat my sandwich anyway.

Hmmmm..cabin announcements...we all KNOW how everyone always obeys those don't we?

"Please be seated as quickly as possible....."

"Please don't leave your seat until the captain has turned off the seat belt sign......"

"Please stow things under the seat in front of you before using the overhead bins...."

Wally - really? Even if you knew that it could kill someone. Your inconvenience vs. death?

"Even if you knew that it could kill someone."

Quite candidly, if someone is so fragile that the possibility of peanut dust could cause death, maybe they shouldn't be flying.

km4

I think this is going to be easier than you think...so don't worry too much. Certainly, anyone with small children is already sensitive to the peanut thing. There isn't a school in my district that allows peanuts...all lunches and all snacks brought to school must be peanut free. So, parents with young kids get it.

The airlines are getting there as well. United Airlines lists the food in its snack boxes on its web sites and mentions that there are no peanut products or peanut flour or oils in any of their foods. However, they may be manufactured in the same facility as peanuts. I don't know about other airlines but I am guessing they are similar.

Don't listen to the posters who suggest your kid not fly. As peanut allergies become more and more common it is just a fact of life everyone will have to address. These kids already have enough constraints on their lives...not being able to join their family in vacations or other family events shouldn't be addd to the list.

Good luck to you.
Taitai

Thank you for your feedback interesting as it was. I guess I shouldn't have used the word "peanut free" but rather just not having the airlines serve the little packages with peanuts in them. It's not a big deal if crackers were served that were produced in a plant where there were peanuts. I bring all my child's food. It was mentioned in a posting that the dust that's generated from the opening of the package can circulate throughout the plane. Not a big problem if only a few people did it (as long as they weren't sitting next to you). But it does become a concern when there is 200 + people involved. And I know the airlines will not turn down a passenger because of this type of allergy. If that's the case then there would be a lot of discrimination going on and many folks who simply would not be able to fly because of disease or disability. In our society today we make a lot of accommodations for all kinds of disabilities. Like some of you out there, before I had my child with this severe allergy I would have looked at this situation much different, too. But here am today in the situation and see that it's not something to joke about.
I know we will end up just fine and have a wonderful vacation. Thank you to those who understand and gave positive feedback. We all have to enjoy life the best we can while we are here.

Thanks for the research. I'm not surprised that the allergy incidence is quite a bit higher these days as I never remember it as a kid.

km4, the Captain of an airplane can discriminate as much as he wants because the FAA fully supports him.

There was an Ombudsman article in Conde Nast Traveler about a Captain who threw an entire family off a plane because the child had to fly with oxygen.

The Captain said because of the chance of turbulence, the flight crew would have to abandon their job of taking care of the other passengers to handle this one child with oxygen placing which would keep them from doing their job; keeping the other passengers safe.

Family had no recourse and it never even made it to court.

The airlines try and cater to the peanut allergies as a courtesy. No other reason.

I was on a flight (BA) once where no orange juice was served because a passenger had an extreme allergy to oranges . I have also been on a flight where peanuts were not served with drinks, for the same reason that a passenger had an allergy.

...then there is the "all nuts" part of the post.

First class generally serves mixed nuts to its passengers.

Make sure to bring some antiseptic wipes to wipe down the tray table and arm rests. Lately, I'm thinking this is a good idea for all of us, not just those with allergies.

Good Luck.

Didn't read any of the answers, cutting to the chase. Just spent about 24 hours on different Delta flights and they all gave us 2 packs of peanuts with our beverages. Not sure who, but other airlines give biscotti or pretzels.

Have you gotten a second opinion. The idea of airborn peanut scent affecting people is controversial.

I have to say that turning down a passenger because of a specific allergy and the chance that other passengers will not cooperate isn't quite the same as turning down a passenger with a disability that would not be significantly affected by what other passengers might, or might not, do.

I appreciate the clarification of the "problem" even if it was given after the fact.

Sometimes perceived "negative feedback" can actually be helpful if recognizing the possibilities presented ends up preventing an unfortunate mishap driven by misinformation.

Having had a friend's child nearly die from airborne peanut "dust," I would say "controversial" only refers to people who are more dedicated to peanut butter than evidence.

And just to make it clearer, if you can smell something, it's only because tiny microscopic particles have reached your olefactory glands, stimulated them to recognize what you're smelling, and you call that "scent."

That's true of perfumes, skunk stink, anything you can smell. If you can smell it, something has entered your nose. If certain people "smell" a peanut, their bodies are already reacting to it as a toxin.

Not always particles, unless you're talking molecules -- but the principle is correct.

This scares me.

How allergic is the child? Has it had reactions before that you have witnessed? How sick did the child get? What will happen if the child has a reaction and the epi-pen does not help?

The topic for me is not will an airline or other travellers try to accomodate this parent/child. The topic is what if the efforts fail (at how many feet in the air / time away from help).

Then what?

I don't think there is any way for an airline to know what other travellers have eaten or handled before boarding the plane.

Some people always have these type of snacks for hypoglycemia. Are they going to be accomodated with other protein snacks if they feel faint? If not, they may see their need as greater than someone many rows away.

What if people don't speak english and don't know what is being asked of them?

What if people don't remember what they ate or handled before the flight? Or what's in their carry on or handbag if they fly often.

I have called ahead and asked for wheelchair assistance for someone at the gate of a connecting flight. It never appeared. The gate agents at the arriving gate paged help. After a long wait, the person needing help (heart patient) decided to walk slowly to the gate to avoid missing the connecting flight. It was high stress for everyone involved. That time nothing terrible happened.

To the OP, I don't know how often you fly. However, I have low expectations that the airlines do what they are asked to do?

Many people don't know the details of this allergy and may innocently think the child will get something like stomach distress. They may see this as a matter of their discomfort (no food) or the child's discomfort.

People tend to be selfish when stressed (like when they have been treated like cattle all day while flying).

Please know exactly what the risk is to the child before taking any flights.

Please do everything possible to protect your child (things that you are able to control). Don't rely heavily on strangers who may not be as aware or attentive to the needs of your child.

&quot;<i>you cannot bring food from home these days</i>&quot; People can't bring drinks/liquids from home - but in general, you can bring food on board.

Airlines will definitely try to accomodate you - but some passengers may not even know there are nuts in a snack or prepared food. Personally, I sure wouldn't risk it.

It's not a concern of mine what one has eaten prior to boarding a plane. That's not the issue here. And certainly I use wipes, as I do in restaurants, to clean the area in which we are seated. We took a short flight a few months back with our children and that's when I saw the peanut packages being passed out. A little panic did go through me but everything was okay. I had thought that they no longer served nuts on flights because the high incidences of this type of allergy. I am going to talk to our allergist further about this. He's the one that said it would be no problem to have the snack that the flight attendants pass out be something other than nuts. I don't care what people bring on or have eaten prior to boarding. I have never heard anyone say that my child should not fly because of this allergy. People who have bad hearts fly. Diabetics fly.

Sorry..I guess I'm trying to type too fast and hit the wrong key. Anyway, yes, if my child had an allergic reaction to nuts than it would be a very serious situation. We just don't know if it could happen or not if particles from nut dust were inhaled. The smell of peanut butter I know doesn't bother her. She's been around people who were eating peanut butter sandwiches. She just tested really high for this allergy. And I agree that you can't trust the airlines and probably that's what scares me most.

For those that are interested I found a website that has some useful information on flying with this allergy.
www.foodallergy.org/Advocacy/Airlines_Tips.html

We fly a lot and on a recent flight on NWA they mentioned they had a passenger with a peanut allergy and asked everyone not to eat any peanuts if they had them. I know NWA hasn't served peanuts in a long time but don't know what kinds of things are in their snack boxes as we don't have them. They are listed on their website tho. I think many other airlines do the same but I remember this incident as it was recent.

Peanut allergies are difficult, however some airlines do have nut-free flights. In fact, some carriers are completely nut-free. Just call and ask. I think it was Delta that is nut free, but you should call first.

Also, you might consider bringing a N-95 respirator, which is a fancy word for a mask that doesn't let fine particles in. It's what is used for going into a room with someone who has tuberculosis. It won't do anything for contact with nuts, but an ounce of prevention...

Has your child's allergist recommended any sensitization treatments? How about carrying benedryl in addition to an epipen?

Good luck and have fun!