Would you eat a packet of nuts on a plane?

Apologies if you know this but just in case - just be aware not all airlines, even in europe, have a policy when it comes to allergens and associated announcements.

If there's no policy the crew won't accommodate requests and that has led to some awkwardness or worse for some travellers who thought the announcements and what goes with it is standard across the whole industry.

It pays to do the homework on this when choosing airlines.

Last Monday.

I'm the same, blood pressure in my boots, head to toe rash, wheezing if they're in the vicinity, even if I haven't touched anything... but there's 'no scientific evidence' of airborne allergies :/

For the majority of people the issue is surface contamination rather than airborne allergies. Toilet handles, light switches, belt buckles etc etc.

We were asked not to eat anything brought from home on a flight. As if their food/ sandwiches/ to our purchased at an airport would be any safer! No mention of a particular allergy on board. No offer of free, allergy tested food from the airline! If someone were that allergic, why would they travel cattle class on a scheduled holiday flight?

But in those places they aren't trapped in a tube in the sky, possibly many hours from the advanced medical care they require should they suffer a reaction.

Not evidence but my niece who has a nut allergy can detect nuts in the room. She says her lips tingle in the presence of nuts.

Having said that I would eat nuts on a plane unless there was an announcement not to. I've only had that happen twice in 50 years of flights.

If the plane sells nuts, it's fine to eat them.

If someone is on board with a severe nut allergy, it behooves the airline to inform passengers before they board, to ensure if anyone has brought nut-based snacks onto the flight they are aware they should not open them.

Tbh though if your allergy is severe it's a risk even flying as you could end up sat next to someone who has had peanut butter on toast for breakfast at the hotel an hour before boarding. You would really need to be careful and ensure you're sat only next to people you know or have an empty row.

Unless I was told of an allergy it wouldn't even occur to me to not eat a specific thing, people can be allergic to all kinds of things so it just wouldn't be possible to avoid everything someone could be allergic to.

From what I can see the peanut allergy/plane thing has very little scientific evidence, if any

Oof I always eat nuts when I travel. Nut bars and bags of trail mix etc. DC is very bad with eating when travelling and the only thing I can get into them is nuts and they usually keep them going long enough that we can get to our destination. We don't fly very often but when we do it's a solid 12-14 day of travel for us. I was always under the impression that airlines served nuts to passengers and assumed it was ok and I've never been on a flight that was nut free so it's not even occurred to me. I shall re-think the next time I travel. I certainly wouldn't want to accidentally kill anyone. 🙈

Hope no one does this on Friday when I fly out ! I’m with my aldult daughter and she has severe nut allergy! We will tell cabin crew thou as we get on the plane x

It's up to passengers and parents to declare any allergies in advance when booking , what if someone in the row behind you ate nuts, would you expect them to ask you too.

I think the staff on the plane make an announcement if anyone on the plane has an allergy, otherwise eating peanuts isn't a problem.

Yes, if your allergy is that severe you would make the airline aware.

I don’t because I’m aware that there might be an announcement asking the pax not to, so I don’t want to be sitting all flight thinking about my peanut M&Ms I can’t eat.

Some people are just cunts though

I remember being given a packet of nuts with m drink my the cabin crew

Yes and I have done so. Cashew nuts.

If you are travelling with someone that has the allergy then it is up to you to tell the cabin crew when boarding so that they can make an announcement. I had to do this when taking one of my daughter's friends with us on holiday that had a nut allergy.

@R0ckandHardPlaceThey absolutely do not declare a dairy allergy. Only nuts. And our main concern is actually children with melted chocolate all over their face and hands on planes. At the playground, it's ice-cream everywhere

I eat nuts a lot every day - on my breakfast, as a savoury snack, with chocolate as a sweet snack. I also put ground almond in a savoury and sweet baking.
I'm T2 so shouldn't eat a lot of other convenient snack options - like crisps, pretzels, cereal bars, biscuits.

I always take nut products - nuts, nut bars etc when travelling - by car, plane or train. I eat them on planes unless there is an announcement on board to say not to as there is someone with an allergy.

In that situation I either go hungry or eat the carby snack and accept I will have raised glucose levels (which is harmful). I'm not going to do that on the off chance there may be someone allergic, if it hasn't been announced

Yes, unless I was told not to, which didn’t happen on a flight I was on recently

I wouldn't eat nuts on a plane. It's not worth the risk. A lot of long haul airlines esp the middle Eastern ones serve nuts and the middle easterns ones even refuse to not stop serving them if a person with allergies board. Therefore I think a lot of those people with nut allergies avoid those airlines. Jet2 don't serve any nuts at all and neither do tui i think. You sound like a lovely aunty and a very kind and considerate person. Wish there were more people like you around 💐.

I wouldn't, because I'd die 😅

I know there's a lot of talk now about how nut allergies can't be airborne, but I was in a cafe the other day (fairly small so tables in close proximity) and out of nowhere my nose and eyes started streaming, voice became hoarse and it felt like my throat was closing up. I turned around and saw the people on the table next to us eating peanuts (so not psychological - the symptoms happened before I knew there were peanuts in the vicinity).

I immediately left the cafe area and took my epi pens with me ready to use them if it worsened. It gradually improved and within about 5-10 minutes of leaving the cafe I was back to normal. I've never had it happen before (only ever reacted to eating, but the GP told me to be cautious around them too). What could cause that if peanut allergies can't be airborne?

I work in a hospital - items containing nuts are sold and eaten all over the place (staff, patients, visitors). In my 30+ years I have not come across a single incident of someone having a reaction to them. Not saying that it hasn’t ever happened but it’s very rare.
Obviously, if you are going to have a reaction, it is probably best had in a hospital than on a plane. However, as PPs have said, nuts are available and running free everywhere (except in schools) so it is not something most people would need to give a second thought about.