flying with peanut allergy

[prncess674]

The ADA requires equal access but doesn't require better access. You can not impinge on others rights to gain your rights. The airline can be required to not serve peanut products and can give you access to the plane earlier to clean your seat, but they can not impinge on the rights of others to consume peanut products. As others have stated on many occasions, the other passengers are only informed of the peanut allergy of a fellow passenger once they have unpacked and are securely strapped in their seat and at that point the peanut allergy is your problem. If we are on a lengthy flight and no food is served other than a paltry bags of pretzel then I am feeding my kid the packed PB&J. If you are THAT scared of peanuts then have the right to ask the flight attendant to make an announcement that if any passenger needs a non-peanut snack that you would gladly pay for their "buy on board" sandwich for them since they weren't give 24 hours notice to pack a peanut free snack.

 

[DVCDawn]

I can tell from your response that you do not deal with a food allergy.

I (and any other person who lives with life-threatening food allergies) am fully aware that I/we cannot control what other people eat. If you read my post carefully, you would have understood that. However, I can ask you to refrain if you're sitting next to my child and popping cashews in your mouth. You can say no, but I can still ask.

Once again, if you don't have advice or support to lend our OP, then please keep it to yourself.
DVCDawn

 

[livndisney]

I can tell from your response that you do not deal with a food allergy.

I (and any other person who lives with life-threatening food allergies) am fully aware that I/we cannot control what other people eat. If you read my post carefully, you would have understood that. However, I can ask you to refrain if you're sitting next to my child and popping cashews in your mouth. You can say no, but I can still ask.

Once again, if you don't have advice or support to lend our OP, then please keep it to yourself.

DVCDawn

I am not sure which post you are responding to, but the post prior to yours points out the ADA requirements. I don't think the OP said you can't ask someone not to eat something-I think the point they were trying to make is you can't INSIST someone not eat something.

As far as people posting to this thread-this thread for the most part has been tame-it almost seems that you are the one trying to pick a fight.

In the case that you mention where your child is sitting next to someone "popping cashews", the ADA allows for reasonable provisions be made. Since in some cases "reasonable" may not be telling someone not to eat food "safe" for them. Most airlines will move one party to try and create a "buffer" zone.

 

[DVCDawn]

anyone have any experience on any flights with a peanut allergy.....i always go southwest but with my daughter having a peanut allergy im trying to find out what is the best airline to go with....she has never been on the plane with me.....

Livndisney:
Above is the original post. There is nothing, as you suggest, in it that refers to insisting that someone not eat something. There is nothing about impinging on your rights.

The OP asked for advice on flying with a child who has a peanut allergy. Many posters answered with helpful information. Unfortunately, many posters did not.

DVCDawn

 

[prncess674]

I can tell from your response that you do not deal with a food allergy.

I (and any other person who lives with life-threatening food allergies) am fully aware that I/we cannot control what other people eat. If you read my post carefully, you would have understood that. However, I can ask you to refrain if you're sitting next to my child and popping cashews in your mouth. You can say no, but I can still ask.

Once again, if you don't have advice or support to lend our OP, then please keep it to yourself.

DVCDawn

No one is picking a fight with you, you have been given plenty of helpful advice, but remember your rights do not trump another's rights. The airlines are making reasonable accomodations. If you give them notice they will serve a peanut free snack and they will make an announcement to ask others to refrain from eating peanut products and they will allow you to board early so that you wipe down your seat. They have met the "reasonable accomodation" as per the ADA.

I too gave you an option, if you are worried about others consuming peanut products brought from home then offer to pay for the offending passengers "buy on board" sandwich as compensation.

If a passenger next to you is "popping cashews" you can ask them to stop and they can ignore you. You can also ask the FA to reseat you so that you are not next to a "cashew popper" if you actually are seated next to one.

 

[livndisney]

Livndisney:
Above is the original post. There is nothing, as you suggest, in it that refers to insisting that someone not eat something. There is nothing about impinging on your rights.

The OP asked for advice on flying with a child who has a peanut allergy. Many posters answered with helpful information. Unfortunately, many posters did not.

DVCDawn

I will agree with you that not everyone posted in a helpful manor. Some have posted in a nasty fashion, even resorting to namecalling.

As it seems the OP is new to flying with a peanut allergy-posting the law could be considered helpful advice. Namecalling really isn't.

 

[Hannathy]

As a new flyer the OP should also see what reality is and that there are plenty of people who will be eating safe peanut products away from their child and should be prepared for it. And if someone eating a PB&J safely 5 rows from them is going to freak them out they should find other transportation. Why lead them to believe that all will be rosy from their perspective if they simply tell the airline? Being informed and prepared for the worst is always best

And going along with my statement of being reasonable a person eating cashews next to a peanut allergy would not do a thing, why should they not eat cashews? a cashew is a tree nut not bothersome to a peanut allergy which is not a tree nut.

 

[DVCDawn]

No one is picking a fight with you, you have been given plenty of helpful advice, but remember your rights do not trump another's rights. The airlines are making reasonable accomodations. If you give them notice they will serve a peanut free snack and they will make an announcement to ask others to refrain from eating peanut products and they will allow you to board early so that you wipe down your seat. They have met the "reasonable accomodation" as per the ADA.

I too gave you an option, if you are worried about others consuming peanut products brought from home then offer to pay for the offending passengers "buy on board" sandwich as compensation.

If a passenger next to you is "popping cashews" you can ask them to stop and they can ignore you. You can also ask the FA to reseat you so that you are not next to a "cashew popper" if you actually are seated next to one.

Prncess674:
I'd like to respond to your post.

I never asked for advice. I provided some information to the original poster. I have been successfully dealing with life-threatening food allergies going on 10 years now. I'm good. People on these boards have provided me with plenty of helpful tips and advice over the years. I was trying to do the same. I mentioned the ADA to remind posters that food allergies are considered a disability. I didn't once say that airlines weren't meeting their ADA obligations. However, other posters seem to resent airlines for doing so and people like me asking them to.

Finally, I'd be happy to buy someone a replacement snack. Never said I wouldn't; never said I wouldn't ask; never called them "offending passengers."
I want people to extend the same compassion and understanding to my family's disability as they do to others.

DVCDawn

 

[ccgirl]

OP - what kind of peanut allergy is it? Do they react to airborne or is it by ingestion? Airborne, obviously, is more difficult since you cannot control what others do, especially before getting on a plane. For example, a child eats a peanut butter sandwich before boarding and does not wash hands but touches the seats as they get to their seat.

I would also agree with the posts about the chemical wipes. Just as the food allergies are life threatening, there are people who can go into asthmatic attacks due to the use of chemical wipes, which are also life threatening.

Nobody's needs supersede others. Personally, if an allergy is that severe I would choose not to fly with my child. I would be scared silly of the dire consquences and would not want to inconvenience other passengers for my own convenience.

Would a medical mask help at all? My son has severe asthma...think frequent calls to 911 and carrying a limp child outside and I often have him fly with a mask to help with the germs. If his seat/tray etc was wiped down with a chemical wipe it could put him into an attack. For this reason, I have switched to JetBlue for the leather seats (as a PP recommended) and the assigned seating.

 

[DVCDawn]

As a new flyer the OP should also see what reality is and that there are plenty of people who will be eating safe peanut products away from their child and should be prepared for it. And if someone eating a PB&J safely 5 rows from them is going to freak them out they should find other transportation. Why lead them to believe that all will be rosy from their perspective if they simply tell the airline? Being informed and prepared for the worst is always best

And going along with my statement of being reasonable a person eating cashews next to a peanut allergy would not do a thing, why should they not eat cashews? a cashew is a tree nut not bothersome to a peanut allergy which is not a tree nut.

Hannathy:

I don't think anyone provided a "rosy" picture about flying with food allergies. We, or at least I, tried to provide information that I found helpful when I was new to food allergies. Everyone eventually finds their own comfort level with risk. This is something that can be determined only by the person with the allergy. Not anyone else.

And, in the spirit of food allergy education ...

I wish I had the statistics handy, but, most people who are allergic to peanuts are also allergic to tree nuts. If they aren't, most allergists will recommend that they avoid them anyway. This is because most nuts and peanuts are handled in the same packaging facilities. The result is cross-contamination which, depending on the severity of the allergy, can result in a anaphylactic reaction that could be fatal.

I speak from personal experience here -- my DD is allergic to peanuts, lentils, chickpeas and all tree nuts except for almonds. So you'd think that I'd be able to walk into any grocery store and buy a package of, let's say, Blue Diamond almonds and be on my way. However, this isn't true. It says right on the package that they have come in contact with other nuts during processing and packaging.

Having watched her turn blue, stop breathing, and almost die in the span of 2 minutes because she unknowingly ate something that had a trace of one of the foods she's allergic to in it, is something I would not want to repeat. And definitely not want to experience 30,000 miles above the ground.
I imagine you wouldn't want to see that either.

DVCDawn

 

[Hannathy]

Hannathy:

I don't think anyone provided a "rosy" picture about flying with food allergies. We, or at least I, tried to provide information that I found helpful when I was new to food allergies. Everyone eventually finds their own comfort level with risk. This is something that can be determined only by the person with the allergy. Not anyone else.

And, in the spirit of food allergy education ...

I wish I had the statistics handy, but, most people who are allergic to peanuts are also allergic to tree nuts. If they aren't, most allergists will recommend that they avoid them anyway. This is because most nuts and peanuts are handled in the same packaging facilities. The result is cross-contamination which, depending on the severity of the allergy, can result in a anaphylactic reaction that could be fatal.

I speak from personal experience here -- my DD is allergic to peanuts, lentils, chickpeas and all tree nuts except for almonds. So you'd think that I'd be able to walk into any grocery store and buy a package of, let's say, Blue Diamond almonds and be on my way. However, this isn't true. It says right on the package that they have come in contact with other nuts during processing and packaging.

Having watched her turn blue, stop breathing, and almost die in the span of 2 minutes because she unknowingly ate something that had a trace of one of the foods she's allergic to in it, is something I would not want to repeat. And definitely not want to experience 30,000 miles above the ground.
I imagine you wouldn't want to see that either.

DVCDawn

BUT the person next to her eating them isn't going to bother her unless she ingests them. Now if they plan on forcing her to eat one then that is another issue. That is what I mean by being reasonable. My eating cashews in the row behind her is not going to harm her.

Her reaction was from ingesting them not someone on a plane eating it. Big difference. You are comparing apples to oranges.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, fatal allergies should trump other people's conveniences. Because in most cases, eating peanuts is a convenience, something you want to do, not something you have to do. Someone with allergies shouldn't have to sit at home all day because you didn’t pack something that doesn't have peanuts in it. What you do in your own home is your business, when you're out in public you have to take other people's needs into account.

Sorry I just can't agree. If someone has a peanut allergy or any other allergy so severe that they are in mortal danger just by being exposed, then they really should consider alternative travel methods where they can control their own environment. As much as you might not like this, you have no right to dictate what other people eat, even in an enclosed environment, if there are alternatives for your travel method and there are alternatives to flying. I never said someone should stay at home all day!

I have no personal stake in this issue; as I said, I don't really like peanuts and I don't take them on planes. As has been stated, the airlines cannot control what people eat on the plane (or stop people from drenching themselves with perfume, or from smoking several cigarettes before boarding so they reek of smoke, or not bathing for several days), so if you have an allergy or family member with allergies, you need to make a plan for how to deal with them safely or travel another way if you cannot.

 

[DVCDawn]

BUT the person next to her eating them isn't going to bother her unless she ingests them. Now if they plan on forcing her to eat one then that is another issue. That is what I mean by being reasonable. My eating cashews in the row behind her is not going to harm her.

Her reaction was from ingesting them not someone on a plane eating it. Big difference. You are comparing apples to oranges.

Once again, I never denied you or anyone else the right to eat what you want on an airplane. Read my posts on this thread if you don't believe me. I will exercise my right to ask you not to eat nuts or peanuts while sitting next to you. This is not unreasonable. You can say no, but I can still ask.

And, again, I will determine my family's risk tolerance, not you or anyone else.

It is everyone's callous responses that is so infuriating to me. While some may think that having a food allergy is simply an inconvenience, consider that you have to eat to live. There is no avoiding it. We are forced to rely on the kindness of those that surround us, the truthfulness of food manufacturers, and the attentiveness of servers and chefs in restaurants.

DVCDawn

 

[livndisney]

Once again, I never denied you or anyone else the right to eat what you want on an airplane. Read my posts on this thread if you don't believe me. I will exercise my right to ask you not to eat nuts or peanuts while sitting next to you. This is not unreasonable. You can say no, but I can still ask.

And, again, I will determine my family's risk tolerance, not you or anyone else.

It is everyone's callous responses that is so infuriating to me. While some may think that having a food allergy is simply an inconvenience, consider that you have to eat to live. There is no avoiding it. We are forced to rely on the kindness of those that surround us, the truthfulness of food manufacturers, and the attentiveness of servers and chefs in restaurants.

DVCDawn

You are right, you do have to eat to live. Just as the person next to you has to eat to live. It is not reasonable to ask someone to not eat something that isn't going to harm your child unless they (the child) eats it.

I really think this is part of the reason people with allergies get such a bad rep-because of extreme demands. The thought of "I will determine my family's risk tolerance, not you or anyone else."

You stated "she unknowingly ate something that had a trace of one of the foods she's allergic to in it". I competely understand you want to protect your child, but unless the person next to your child is feeding your child-there is not a risk to your kid.

 

[DVCDawn]

Asking is not the same as demanding. Asking is not unreasonable. I repeat, I am entitled to ask and you are entitled to say no.

It's clear you don't have any personal experience with food allergy or your responses wouldn't be so flip. I sincerely hope that you don't encounter this kind of negativity with your life's struggles.

I hope the moderator shuts this thread down. I'm beginning to lose faith.

DVCDawn

 

[Hannathy]

Asking is not the same as demanding. Asking is not unreasonable. I repeat, I am entitled to ask and you are entitled to say no.

It's clear you don't have any personal experience with food allergy or your responses wouldn't be so flip. I sincerely hope that you don't encounter this kind of negativity with your life's struggles.

I hope the moderator shuts this thread down. I'm beginning to lose faith.

DVCDawn

Why would they shut it down? just getting responses you don't like isn't reason.

Possible we do have allergies but deal with facts and respond accordingly instead of going overboard based on emotions.

 

[prncess674]

Asking is not the same as demanding. Asking is not unreasonable. I repeat, I am entitled to ask and you are entitled to say no.

It's clear you don't have any personal experience with food allergy or your responses wouldn't be so flip. I sincerely hope that you don't encounter this kind of negativity with your life's struggles.

I hope the moderator shuts this thread down. I'm beginning to lose faith.

DVCDawn

The original question has been asked and answered, you just didn't like the response.

You are correct your may ask, but not demand and don't be surprised if you don't get the answer you wanted. Even when the FA and gate agents make an announcement about not consuming peanut products, perhaps there are people who don't speak english on your flight, or they were wearing headphones, or they got to the gate late, or they don't realize trail mix has peanuts.The airline has reasonably accomodated your disability now it is up to you to protect yourself/child who is allergic.

How to travel with allergies:

• notify the airline of the allergy, so they can load a peanut free snack
• take the first flight of the day since the plane is usually the cleanest (good advice in general)
• Notify the gate agent that you would like to pre-board so that you may wipe down the area.
• When boarding remind FA of the peanut free request
• Have the allergic person sit on a clean sheet towel from home
• wear long pants and shirt to avoid contact with surfaces
• when you land at your destination go immediately to the airport bathroom and change clothes to remove any dust that may have accumulated in the plane
• Pack a clean outift in a ziptop bag that you can change into after the flight
• seat the allergic person in the window seat and have non allergic family member sit next to them
• CALMLY and POLITELY ask those around you to not consume peanut products.

 

[livndisney]

Asking is not the same as demanding. Asking is not unreasonable. I repeat, I am entitled to ask and you are entitled to say no.

It's clear you don't have any personal experience with food allergy or your responses wouldn't be so flip. I sincerely hope that you don't encounter this kind of negativity with your life's struggles.

I hope the moderator shuts this thread down. I'm beginning to lose faith.

DVCDawn

If this was directed at my post-you would be totally wrong. Both myself and my child live with food allergies. (Life threatening)

As far as your entitlement-you can ask anyone to do anything. Don't be surprised when they don't, especially if you present your request as you have here. You stated your child is in no danger unless they ingest the allergen. Asking a plane full of people (or even the people around you) to refrain from eating is not reasonable; it is extreme. And that gives the rest of us a bad name.

As far as the moderator shutting down the thread-for the most part this thread has been informative. Asking for a thread to be closed just because people don't agree with you is really not reasonable. You can simply choose to stop reading.

 

[appleorchard]

I almost always travel with a bag of nuts in my purse. Why? Because I have hypoglycemia. There are very few easily portable, high-protein snacks. Having peanuts with me allows me to relax and know that if I start to get hypoglycemic I can handle it.

Airborne reactions to peanuts are rare and occur only if a large amount of peanut residue enters the air. This theoretically could happen if everyone on a plane opened their bags of nuts at the same time. Touching a surface contaminated with nut residue could cause a reaction if the child then puts his hands in his mouth.

Anyone travelling with a child with such severe allergies that another person eating peanuts near them would cause anaphylaxis shouldn't fly. In fact, I can't imagine how they go anywhere at all, least of all Disney, where children undoubtedly leave residue all over everything, including handrails, etc. Many of the restaurants in Disney serve peanut butter. Such severe sensitivites are rare, but parents are so scared by the possibility of a reaction that they understandably go overboard, in some cases.

On the other hand, I can see why parents who have experienced severe allergies in their children are hypervigilant. Airplanes have become one of the main arenas of the "peanut wars" due their traditionally serving peanuts--a portable, high-protein snack--on flights and the fact that the plane is an enclosed space. Hyper-allergenic kids go lots of other places where nuts are available without the hysteria of peanut contamination. What about the supermarket? Mine has loose nuts you bag yourself. The movie theater? The school lunchroom issue has become crazy in some school districts and it's insane to think that anyone but the allergic child would be isolated. If I were the parent of a child who had to sit by himself because he had a peanut butter sandwich the fur would fly!

Airlines take the best approach by not offering peanuts as a snack. The time they spend cleaning the planes between passenger loads obviously isn't adequate to eliminate all peanut residue from a seat, but some cleaning products trigger my asthma. Who has "more" rights in this situation? I would not eat nuts if I were seated next to a child with life-threatening allergies just because of the risk of getting residue on the seat that she might pick up on her hands. I certainly wouldn't take them out of my purse and throw them away, though! But if a child has that severe a reaction, I think the burden is on the parents to isolate the child by putting her by the window or away from people as much as possible on the plane.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I think that what people are getting frustrated with is requests that are unecessary for the safety of the allergic person. If somebody opening a package or eating near your DD is not harmful to her, why are you asking people to refrain from eating around her? Is she not old enough to know not to snatch food from people's hands? Is there some other issue that we're just not understanding? I'm not trying to be inflamatory here. I genuinely want to understand why this is a concern so I as well as everybody else can be better informed. I understand about things like residue being left behind by fingers but if that's a concern then personally I'd be terrified to be at WDW considering how many places serve uncrustables and knowing how sticky fingered kids do not clean their hands before running them all over every surface they can find. I do have 2 kids with food allergies and I deal with them myself so please understand that I DO understand dealing with allergies.

I've read quite a few very reasonable responses from people in this thread.