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Original poster

Nuts on planes

357 replies

Bookmonster123 · 07/06/2024 07:07

Hi

I am due to fly with DS soon, first time he’s been on a plane. DS has a peanut allergy, has epi pens prescribed. What’s the protocol about nuts during the flight.

Do I tell the airline at booking, check in or on the day? Do they always accommodate requests not to eat nuts during the flight?

Thanks

OP posts:
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cakeorwine · 09/06/2024 08:57

notimagain · 09/06/2024 08:54

That’s true, but contact allergy to dairy is extremely rare, whereas 1 in 50 people have nut allergy.

Interesting stat.

If it’s the right order of magnitude, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt it, it means on every single one of the the hundreds of large longhaul airliners flying today there could easily be, on average, half a dozen passengers with nut allergy.

I’ll put money on there not being hundreds of medical diversions today, more likely maybe a handful worldwide and (stats/anecdata again) probability is very few of any of those diversions will due to conditions associated with nuts or food allergies.

Doesn’t that perhaps suggest that the current measures put in place by the airlines and the precautions taking by passengers with allergies or with allergies in their travelling group do actually work.

Or maybe they should just not have nuts on board at all and not sell them- so as to reduce the risk even more?

Menomeno · 09/06/2024 09:02

@notimagain I think you’re right that the measures work, as long as people abide by them. I know DS feels anxious every time he flies because he knows (he’s 26 now) that someone sitting next to him could still open a bag of nuts despite them being asked not to.

Talking of incidence, in secondary school there were 3 kids in DS’s class with nut allergy (including DS) so 10% of the class, though I guess that was just bad luck rather than representative of society as a whole. I’m sure there must be a nut allergic person on almost every flight, though some people are more relaxed about it and probably wouldn’t even mention it.

CelesteCunningham · 09/06/2024 09:17

I'm glad planes don't give out the free packets of peanuts any more - wouldn't relish the idea of taking DD with everyone opening a packet at the same time, then touching everything, and that happening on every flight on that plane with doubtless only a cursory clean in between.

But the odd person eating a cereal bar or packet of peanut M&Ms doesn't worry me.

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xyz111 · 09/06/2024 09:18

Neolara · 07/06/2024 08:08

In my experience, it depends on the airline. Easyjet (and I think Ryanair) were happy to ask all passengers not to eat nuts and did not serve nuts. I inform them at booking and tell an air steward when we get on the plane.

I did go on a hair-raising flight with South African Airways 10 years where every passenger was given a bag of nuts somewhere over the Kalahari desert and the staff just shrugged at my frantic protests. Although, as it turned out, DD was completely fine, which was very reassuring. She clearly doesn't respond to airborne particles. We kept her in her seat and we had baby wipes to wipe down all hard surfaces that she might touch. It was a relief when we landed.

That must have been so stressful. People who say "oh it'll be fine" have clearly never spent a day in your shoes!

notimagain · 09/06/2024 09:21

@cakeorwine

Or maybe they should just not have nuts on board at all and not sell them- so as to reduce the risk even more?

But that’s pretty much where most airlines are right now, certainly with regard to peanuts, when I mentioned the current level of precautions.

A lot of flying is about managing risk down to an acceptable level because you often can’t remove a risk completely, so I have to ask: What level of risk are you/posters in general aiming for..basically what incidence level, as in what 1 in 10 ^x flights would people find acceptable?

I’d then caution saying “none” - yep that is an easy answer but to get to that level there’s a very obvious solution, but one I suspect many posters will not like.

cakeorwine · 09/06/2024 09:29

notimagain · 09/06/2024 09:21

@cakeorwine

Or maybe they should just not have nuts on board at all and not sell them- so as to reduce the risk even more?

But that’s pretty much where most airlines are right now, certainly with regard to peanuts, when I mentioned the current level of precautions.

A lot of flying is about managing risk down to an acceptable level because you often can’t remove a risk completely, so I have to ask: What level of risk are you/posters in general aiming for..basically what incidence level, as in what 1 in 10 ^x flights would people find acceptable?

I’d then caution saying “none” - yep that is an easy answer but to get to that level there’s a very obvious solution, but one I suspect many posters will not like.

Edited

It seems some airlines are like that. Not all.

2 basic things - don't sell nuts
Don't have foods that have nuts in - you have foods that "may contain nuts" but a food such as "nut risolle" will definitely contain nuts.

I think those are enough precautions for most people, especially given the prevalence.

notimagain · 09/06/2024 09:53

Don't have foods that have nuts in - you have foods that "may contain nuts" but a food such as "nut risolle" will definitely contain nuts.

Good luck with a total ban on nuts in airline food in many parts of the world.🌍

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