Aibu to expect an airline to offer allergy friendly food for my almost 2 year old son?

[danishkids]

We will be traveling with Qatar airlines in July. We will be traveling with your 22 month old son who has allergies. To milk egg and almonds. He carries an epi-pen for the milk allergy.

We have been informed that they can only offer baby glass jar food for our son and some apples and bananas. The glass jars he can have (due to his allergies) are age 6-9 months.

He eats the same food as us. We have ask for a child’s meal instead, I have even offered to pay for it. The reply I get is that I should take my own food. However with no microwave or fridge. With 3 flights over 26 hours.

Baby fruit will not sustain him for that long.
I feel Like they are being unreasonable.

FYI you can order allergy meals for adults.

I think if you want him to have food you have to put him in a seat.

Wow thanks for all the replies.
This is our first longhaul flight.

When I ordered our ticket I read that infant food would be provided. It also said on their website that they had allergy options. (I never knew that babies didn’t count)

I would be totally fine with baby food if it was age appropriate, however due to his allergy they can only provide for 6-9 months.

I have asked to pay for a child’s or adults meal but have been told no.

Apparently it would cost around 800 pounds for a one way child seat, but there are none available (that is the only way that I can get a kids meal)

I could consider trying to order an allergy meal for myself, however apparently you have to have a written note from your doctor.

The reason I’m so upset about it is that they said on my fist phone call to them that as long as I ordered a doctors note for his Eli pen withdetails of his allergy they could give me a meal no problem.

A packed lunch is my last option as I think that after 26 hours that it might be quite old.

I just hoped for a little help from their side I’ve had 4 telephone calls and am willing to pay for it.

As for buying food in the airport I’m afraid that I might not understand the labeling, we are flying to Finland then Doha then Auckland

How bad will it really be for him to have a meal for a 6 to 9 month old supplemented with dry goods bought at a UK airport?

I'd be much more concerned about 26 hours on a plane with an infant on my lap!

There’s no way mine would have eaten a 6-9 month jar of baby food at that age after they’d been used to eating real food.

Don’t trust anyone in Qatar to fully understand your allergy issues. They just don’t get it.

Surely the solution is to order YOURSELF an allergy free meal and share it with your DS. Then take snacks to supplement the journey (ones that won't go off over a 24 hour period).

I would be annoyed too in your position - shame you can't just pay for an extra allergy free meal. But airline food is never that great and I think you'll survive taking snacks along.

Do people in Qatar not have allergies?

You’ll actually be fine, taking your own food - I would have done that anyway. QR aren’t strict with hand baggage and your little one will have his own allowance anyway. Just pack a rucksack full of food. It doesn’t matter if it’s crap, it’s only one day. You can put a freezer block in with some sandwiches and maybe take some dairy free porridge oats in a pot that the airline staff just have to add hot water to.

Take his meal ready packed with you!

I also agree with a pp that food will be the least of your worries having a toddler on your lap for that journey - at least producing snacks throughout the journey will keep him occupied for a bit.

SoyDora people in Qatar might not know they have allergies! I lived there for 6 years with a CMPA son. It was very difficult to communicate the issue with the (often lowly paid migrant workers who didn’t have much education) waiting staff. My son’s allergy was very mild. If it was more severe we would have severely restricted where we bought food from.

With a really serious allergy I would take my own cold food tbh

The food will be fine, honestly. I’ve done it countless times. If you freeze those pouch yogurts you can get them through the scanner as they won’t show up as liquids or gels.

Also, they don’t need to be eating the whole time. They aren’t moving as much as they would in a normal day and they will be asleep for a good ten hours.

If you find out what he can eat in Macdonalds you can always fall back on that at the airport but I’ve never needed to.

This is what it’s like with an allergy. You have to roll with it sometimes.

@soydora - Qatari parents with kids who have allergies don’t trust ‘outside’ food. They come prepared with their own food.

Its qatar airlines people. Not qatar the destination.

I dont understand the problem. Give him the baby food and buy extra food stuff inside the airport.

Can't you order yourself an allergy suitable meal and bring something else for you to eat?

My DCs have allergies and we fly long-haul often. I have in the past ordered the allergy meal for my eldest and it was so awful that I haven't bothered again. (Different airline though)
My DS carries an epipen and I never feed him the airline food as I just won't risk it.
I pack masses of food for them in my hand luggage. I don't concern myself much with giving them a nutritious meal for the journey. So it's a mix of rice, plain bread, sandwiches, fruit, biscuits, snacks etc. Foods that are edible whether hot or cold. Sometimes even Tupperwares of pasta to which I add boiling water which they provide. Anything they will eat and will fill their tummies enough to get to our destination. At the most I ask for cutlery and plates, which I make sure I watch them take from a tray which hasn't had any food on it (rather than a prepared tray with food that hasn't been eaten).
Not ideal but my aim is to get to my destination without any medication being administered!

Qatar airways have annoyed me with this too. My son will also be 22 months and has never eaten puréed food. I asked whether I could change my meal for a child's meal as I'll also be with my 3.5 year old and I know the 22 month old will get upset when he doesn't get the same food. Apparently that's not possible I'd have been happy to just buy myself a sandwich at the airport. Even without allergies it's just jarred food that they're going to give him.

Can’t you order the allergy meal for you and share it with him? Supplement with snacks for you both.

@VogueVVague there is little difference between the airline and the country. It’s about the culture, where they recruit their staff from and where the meals are made (for the onward flight to Auckland, the meals will have been made in Doha).

Without wishing to derail the thread, what is it with bananas? I am highly allergic. It's not the world's most common allergy but I am fed up of using my epi pen

@bearbehind Because I asked when I got on the plane did they have food for my daughter and the air hostess at the time said yes, they had bananas and apples. Was a bit when they handed me a jar. I don’t feed my daughter jar food and every time after that I’ve flown I’ve taken food with me.

I can’t remember what food places Doha airport has (its been a while) but they don’t take allergies seriously here. At all. I’m lucky no one in my house is allergic but my friend had a bad experience with her toddler and strawberries

I dont understand why people make such a big deal out pf this.
They're an airline not a restaurant.

Its a long haul flight not a survival expedition in the desert. Eat hearty before you fly, buy suitable food to carry on at the airport if you dont reckon the meal will be suitable, and then eat heartily when you land.

They're kids, they're not going to waste away over 22 hours because they havent had their allergy proof three course plane meal.

To all those suggesting the OP order and allergy meal for themselves, they say that apparently a doctor's note would be needed to allow them to do this (which seems rather strange to me, but I assume that's what the airline have told the OP)

We have allergies in our family and we always take our own food rather than risk an allergic reaction on a plane.