Would you eat a packet of nuts on a plane?

[Purpleturtle45]

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!

No. My sister has a severe nut allergy and this is a huge risk for her. She always asks the crew to make an announcement. They won't serve nuts at her request but can only ask that other people don't eat ones they've brought on the plane. One time when we were flying together, the lady next to us (after an announcement) opened a packet of nuts (this was on a long haul flight). My sister had to move seats and avoid touching anything the whole flight.

If the pilots announces that a person with an allergy is onboard, then of course not. But otherwise I often bring M&Ms onboard and have never given it a second thought.

The woman was sitting next to my son and as a minimum I would have thought she would have checked

Should she also have checked before ordering a white coffee incase your son had a dairy allergy, or checking you don't mind her eating meat?

I'm well aware of anaphylaxis and allergies. I was served nuts on a long haul flight last month! I fly very often. IF an announcement was made NOT to eat them, I'd absolutely comply, but your assumptions that 'its widely understood you don't eat nuts on planes' is something I've never heard before! Your assumption is wrong.

Yes. The airline I usually fly serves a small bowl of them before lunch/ dinner service.

I did last time I flew. Which was in August.

It never really occurred to me to avoid eating them anywhere besides a plane. My son’s primary school is nut free so of course he doesn’t pack anything but he has peanut butter every morning at home. My daughter’s school isn’t restricted so she packs whatever she wants. She’s autistic with a limited diet so I’m just happy she can have a peanut butter sandwich now. I thought flights were particularly risky as people wouldn’t have access to medical care.

No. I've known enough people with 'air transferred' nut allergies to be wary. A bit hypocritically, I ate nuts on a train recently but did check with a person sitting near me first (it was a mostly empty carriage).

Every time I fly in business or first, usually with BA, they serve nuts with the pre dinner drink. So it's never occurred to me not to eat nuts on the occasions I fly economy. Although if course I wouldn't if asked not to.

In this day and age I think it's daft that nuts are served on planes, with recycled air thousands of feet up with no escape when they're a commonly known, life threatening allergy and there's so many other snacks available.
I mean, I bloody love nuts but could go without them for a few hours on a flight.
As someone who suffers from allergies there's so much selfishness and pure ignorance from some around the subject.
So no, I wouldn't eat nuts on a plane.

What alternatives though? Pretzels? Coeliacs can't eat them, or other gluten intolerances. Crisps? Too many flavours, plus very fatty and must be hard to store and not end up just crumbs. Olives? I'd be fine with that but they're not generally that popular I don't think.

I eat nuts to help me avoid crisps. I try to avoid white flour. And I gave up chocolate over a year ago, so my "portable snack options" are limited. Nuts are filling and at least have a bit of nutritional value. I would most definitely not eat them if asked not to. But I'd be a bit pissed off if we weren't told until we got on the plane because I would have already bought any snacks I might want - usually some kind of cereal bar which often contain nuts.

But unless I didn't hear the announcement (possible) or didn't know something I was eating had bits in, I would not be eating them if asked not. But if we weren't asked not to, I would eat what I had with me.

Are they going out of their way though tomorrow are whey just eating something they enjoy? I think most people would comply when asked in certain situations like schools or planes, but nuts are so good for us, I’d hate to see them demonised.

No i can eat nuts any other time if I choose why on earth would I need to eat them on a plane its just a pointless risk for no reason.

I have a family member with a life threatening nut allergy and she finds travelling on planes very anxiety inducing for this reason. I never bring nuts on a plane now ever. It’s a small sacrifice to make. I thought they had stopped serving nuts on all or certainly most planes. I did a long haul recently and we were given kind of like pretzel things instead.

My sister has a severe nut allergy. When we were kids going on family holidays there was an announcement made by the pilot asking everyone not to eat nuts due to a passengers allergy, before we took off. The recycled air could cause a bad reaction. I think my parents had informed a stewardess as we boarded. Does that not happen any more?

@Purpleturtle45 I think your niece having a nut allergy and it being one of the more documented ones has made you focus on that but the truth is as a lot of others have said there are many allergies nuts/dairy/soya/egg/sesame that unless specifically told by airline crew it is fine. DS friend was Kiwi so the whole school had to be kiwi fruit free.
the onus is on the one with the allergy to inform and then once informed you should avoid nuts - it can be hard though

I've never been on a flight that had animals on it, is that common? I've been on boats that did.

Yes I would eat them and airlines serve them.

I’m pretty sure the cabin crew always make an announcement if it’s not okay. I think the onus is on the person with the nut allergy to make sure that announcement is made.

No I wouldn't. But then I don't eat on flights. It plays havoc with my digestion.

Do you live somewhere that there are regulary animals on flights? In the UK and flights in and out the only animals in cabins are professionally trained assistance dogs, so it's very rare to encounter them. If you're worried try to book seats at the back of the plane as they tend to put dogs towards the front if at all possible and I've never known one at the back.

When you arrive at the airport you can always ask the staff to check if there is an assistance dog on the flight (they have to be prearranged so they will know) and they can always change your seats given your allergy.

Unless there's an announcement made as to allergies.....

Last time we had to use an EpiPen on my child two ambulances arrived within minutes and they were taken to hospital within half an hour or so. It would be tricky to get that level of response when flying over the ocean.
I didn't know getting announcements made was a thing though, but it seems like a good system to have to reduce the risk.

This. Pretty much every airline, if you are in Business of First, serve some sort of nuts. I fly a lot, this is literally every time. So if the recycling of air creating nut reactions and allergies in other people was a big issue, surely they wouldn’t do this?
If I get on a plane in economy, I wouldn’t even think about nut allergies. If there was an announcement then of course, I wouldn’t eat them, I don’t even like them much.

Unless there is an announcement yabu

No.

I mean I’m sure there’s plenty other things to eat on a plane journey

What if their is a baby on the plane and their parents are unaware of an allergy. Why risk it can't you go a few hours without eating nuts