Nuts on planes

[Bookmonster123]

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

Don't be that person yourself @SweetGingerTea

Exactly the same experience we have had. DS has a peanut allergy.

no guarantees and it’s basically just a polite ask to other passengers, not a ban on them eating anything they have brought on board.

I have no skin in the game at all: nobody in my family has a nut allergy and I don’t like them, so wouldn’t wish to eat them! But I don’t think I’d be happy to fly with a child with an airborne nut allergy for exactly that reason - you are completely reliant on the goodwill of several hundred strangers, many of whom will have been playing music through the announcement and won’t have taken in the message. Plus - the turnaround time on, say, a Ryanair flight is tiny. They aren’t deep cleaning in between, just picking up the empties. You could well end up in an environment where someone on another flight has eaten a large packet of peanuts. Must be terrifying.

No- according to the protcols on both BA and easyjet that we have travelled with it is actually their recommendation to do it that way. Oddly enough we make sure to research what each airline says about this before we fly.

Nuts are dusty. Plane air moves around. Some allergies are severe enough to be triggered by inhalation of airborne particles.

Are you that incapable of critical thought skill to understand the difference in those transport options. Take a moment and review, we will wait while you catch up with the rest of civilization.

Not the same - sealed enclosed environment.

I would suggest 'that person' is you.

In people with anaphylactic allergy, yes, because the smell comes from tiny particles

(not a medic and not an allergy sufferer, just what I’ve learned over the years to be a considerate perso towards those with these high risk allergies)

@BoobyDazzler writes ".....You'd have to be a special kind of arsehole to think there's anything wrong with being asked to not eat nuts for the duration of a flight because you might literally kill someone if you do."

This 💯

Have you been advised by your allergy nurse/consultant that flying is a risk?

sweet I assume you're a troll, but just in case you aren't and you are genuinely that ignorant, epi-pens still require 999 and blue lighting to hospital. They're not a sticking plaster.

OP, fine to ask. Hope you have a lovely holiday.

Information from Anaphylaxis UK...

It takes the ambulance a while to get to 30,000 feet though.

@SweetGingerTea you realise the epipen is a big needle? It’s not like popping a pill and you will be fine. Using an epipen is a medical emergency. The plane would need to turn round and land at the nearest airport. If the epipen is used then it’s a life threatening emergency same as a heart attack or something.

I imagine ‘that person’ would be the one that was so self absorbed and determined to eat peanuts they would risk another persons life and potentially cause a plane full of people to turn round mid flight.

We were on a short haul flight recently where they announced that the snack service would not be serving nuts today due to there being someone with an allergy on the flight. This meant that the only item on the menu that DH would eat (a vegan grazing box) wasn't available

@DexaVooveQhodu Couldn't he have eaten a bag of plain crisps?
I would also have thought that taking nuts on a flight where there is a chance of not being able to eat them wasn't a good idea. It would never occur to me to take nuts onto a flight for that reason.

Some nut allergies can react to airborne allergens. A colleague (known nut allergic) reacted to traces of nut oils left on his mouse by someone using it the previous day.

@WimpoleHat

Very much agree with your thoughts…. The airlines are taking a realistic approach and to a great extent make statements that act as a CTA…They are not going to start strip searching hundreds of passengers in the hunt for a potentially tiny packet of peanuts.

It sounds like they either need to be banned or not. I wouldn't find this wishy washy asking people at all reassuring.

I recently flew Cathay Pacific with my son who has a peanut allergy. It didn’t even occur to me that they still hand out bags of peanuts in this day and age. Just after take off they handed out the nuts. I of course declined but the other lady in our row took them. My son put on 2 masks to try and stop the smell making him nauseous. He ended up vomiting all over him self not long after.

I've only ever flown with EasyJet since discovering peanut allergy (I do react to small amounts of dust - those are the "airborne particles" people refer to, it isn't like magic peanut fairies sprinkling it through the air) but they're brilliant.

Let them know in advance, 100% do not leave it until the day of travel.

With EasyJet, you get special assistance so you're in the first group to board so you can wipe down your seat and area (highly recommend this), as you board the plane just identify yourself as the allergic person/family and let them know your seat number.

They make an announcement saying that there is a passenger flying with a severe nut allergy, that they won't be serving nuts, and asking everyone on board not to eat nuts for the duration of the flight. It's a nerve wracking experience, because all they can do is ask and rely on people's goodwill - I've only flown very shorthaul and would be terrified of a longer flight - but people generally take the announcement well and I've not had an issue.

Just so you're aware, most airlines say you'll need a letter from your doctor to be able to take EpiPens into the cabin (you should be given a separate small piece of cabin luggage allowance to do this - it can only contain EpiPens and emergency plan when it goes through security if I remember correctly). I have paid for my doctor's letter twice and it's never been checked at the airport, but I'd never want to take the risk 😅

Phone the airline and they’ll likely put out a request on the plane. But I’d assume there will be nuts being eaten on the plane, some people won’t understand the request or won’t be listening, some will have bought food at the airport and may not have the money or will to buy more, some just won’t care and will eat them anyway.

We once flew with Jet2com and the announcement was made asking not to eat nuts due to one of the passengers having allergy. So yes they do this at the very beginning.
I actually had an almond croissant with me that time as a snack so I didn’t took it out and bought their toastie instead. Tbh since then I always take only nut free snack for a flight just to be on the safe side.
I would personally contact airline asap and then remind them again at check in and while boarding.

Could it also link to motion sickness? It is unfortunate to have nuts allergy this severe. Would he be ok in restaurants if people on other tables order nuts etc?

Oh that;s odd about the epipens and letter. I never gave that any thought at all. We just put them into the trays that go through security. I DO take a letter for my DS's ADHD medication though.

I'll enquire about that because although it's never been an issue I don't want it to become one unexpectedly!