Page 20 | Would you eat a packet of nuts on a plane?

Purpleturtle45 · 2025-09-28T21:11:46+00:00

I thought it was widely understood that you don't eat nuts on a plane. The woman next to me just cracked a packet open!

Jfgvbssc · 01/10/2025 21:50

QuirkyBeaker · 01/10/2025 21:31

My mum
was on a flight a few years ago, where they did an announcement that someone had a nut allergy therefore nuts were not permitted on board. They later came down the aisle with the trolley serving peanut m&m’s!! My mum is a nurse and quickly pointed it out to them!! Seriously!?!?!

Peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes. Maybe that's why.

bruffin · 01/10/2025 21:53

QuirkyBeaker · 01/10/2025 21:31

My mum
was on a flight a few years ago, where they did an announcement that someone had a nut allergy therefore nuts were not permitted on board. They later came down the aisle with the trolley serving peanut m&m’s!! My mum is a nurse and quickly pointed it out to them!! Seriously!?!?!

My son is allergic to Treenuts and Seeds (and DH is allergic to Brazil Nuts) but neither is allergic to Peanuts

Jfgvbssc · 01/10/2025 21:54

bruffin · 01/10/2025 21:53

My son is allergic to Treenuts and Seeds (and DH is allergic to Brazil Nuts) but neither is allergic to Peanuts

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Exactly the point I wanted to make. Thanks for wording it better than me

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/10/2025 23:03

Thanks to this thread, I really want a bag of peanut M&Ms, and I can’t have them because I am type 2 diabetic, dammit.

Rumors1 · 03/10/2025 15:42

Tryingtokeepgoing · 01/10/2025 10:55

As a further data point, google suggest that1 in 200 adults in the UK has a nut allergy, so one could draw the conclusion that on almost all flights there's at least one passenger with a nut allergy. One can also assume that on almost all flights nuts are present, because they are a common and widely consumed food stuff.

And yet, google also suggests that globally only 1in 600 flights is diverted because of a medical emergency, and that is for any medical emergency not just nut related ones. The top 4 reasons for medical diversions seem to be cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and syncope (which I think is basically fainting though for all sorts of underlying reasons?). Allergic reactions don't feature - so consumption of nuts in flight is a complete non issue, unless specifically called out. Even then I suspect the real risk is very low.

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A lot of people who die from anaphylaxis die from cardiac arrest, also the gastro issues and syncope (fainting) could be as a result of allergy. Anaphylaxis isnt just not being able to breathe, commonly your blood pressure drops causing a heart attack or in a less severe case, fainting. They may not have a separate category for allergy.

I do agree that the incidence is probably quite low, its just the severity of the harm is so high being so far away from a hospital.

I have flown with DS a good few times, we clean everything he could touch with soapy wipes, he doesnt use the bathroom or even leave his seat. We have anti histamines and 2 epipens and limit what he eats. I am still always a nervous wreck, I hate flying as the thoughts of a reaction on a plane is terrifying.
I am on edge the whole time watching him, literally my stomach collapses if he even coughs. Its very hard to overestimate the worry you feel but I am trying to allow him lead a normal life.

WeAllHaveWings · 03/10/2025 16:09

Tryingtokeepgoing · 01/10/2025 10:55

As a further data point, google suggest that1 in 200 adults in the UK has a nut allergy, so one could draw the conclusion that on almost all flights there's at least one passenger with a nut allergy. One can also assume that on almost all flights nuts are present, because they are a common and widely consumed food stuff.

And yet, google also suggests that globally only 1in 600 flights is diverted because of a medical emergency, and that is for any medical emergency not just nut related ones. The top 4 reasons for medical diversions seem to be cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and syncope (which I think is basically fainting though for all sorts of underlying reasons?). Allergic reactions don't feature - so consumption of nuts in flight is a complete non issue, unless specifically called out. Even then I suspect the real risk is very low.

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so one draw the conclusion that on almost all flights there's at least one passenger with a nut allergy

Not quite that high. The probability of on a flight of 150-180 adults is around 50-60% according to google. Then add to it "peanut" allergies range from very mild to very severe. Not everyone will react to exposure in the air.

OP, there are processes in place to advise passengers if someone is allergic enough they need a peanut free flight. It would not even cross my mind, and nor should it, to avoid nuts unless instructed by flight crew.

notimagain · 03/10/2025 17:57

@Rumors1

A lot of people who die from anaphylaxis die from cardiac arrest, also the gastro issues and syncope (fainting) could be as a result of allergy. Anaphylaxis isnt just not being able to breathe, commonly your blood pressure drops causing a heart attack or in a less severe case, fainting. They may not have a separate category for allergy.

Have you had a look at the JACI paper I linked to upthread for an example of how the data is categorised and handled?

If you have to deal with an Inflight Medical Event as crew the healthcare professionals who you talk to to get assistance really do try and get full chapter and verse of the event and records are kept so there's usually a full history of the event somewhere.

I can only offer anecdata from my own time as crew but that would tend to support the view that anaphylaxis events on board are vanishingly rare, OTOH "normal" cardiac events where there's no anaphylaxis involvement are sadly much more common.

I'd be really surprised if there was any massaging of stats going on.