Taken from Southwest's website page Customers with Disabilities:
Peanut Dust Allergies
Because it is nearly impossible for persons who have an allergy to peanut dust to avoid triggering a reaction if peanut dust is in the air, Southwest Airlines is unable to guarantee a peanut-free or allergen-free flight. We have procedures in place to assist our Customers with severe allergies to peanut dust and will make every attempt not to serve packaged peanuts on the aircraft when our Customers alert us of their allergy to peanut dust.
We ask Customers with peanut dust allergies making reservations over the phone to advise our Customer Representatives of the allergy at the time the reservation is made. If the reservation is made via a
travel agent, the Customer should telephone 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) afterward to speak with a Customer Representative. If the reservation is made via southwest.com, the Customer may advise us of the allergy on the "Southwest Airlines Payment and Passenger Information" screen by clicking on the link to "Add/Edit Disability Assistance Options."
We suggest that Customers with peanut dust allergies book travel on early morning flights as our aircraft undergo a thorough cleaning only at the end of the day.
We ask the Customer with the allergy (or someone speaking on the Customer's behalf) to check in at the departure gate one hour prior to departure and speak with the Customer Service Agent (CSA) regarding the Customer's allergy. Please allow enough time to park, check luggage and/or receive your boarding pass, and to pass through the security checkpoint. Our CSA will provide the Customer with a Peanut Dust Allergy Document and ask him/her to present the document to the Flight Attendant upon boarding. If the Customer has a connection, the CSA will provide the Customer with two documents, one of which should be retained to present to the Flight Attendant on the connecting flight.
Our CSA will advise the Operations (Boarding) Agent so that service of packaged peanuts can be suspended for that flight. Our Operations Agent will notify the Provisioning and/or Ramp Supervisor to stock the aircraft with a sufficient supply of pretzels or alternate snacks. The Operations Agent will also notify the Flight Attendants of the Customer's final destination and advise them that we cannot serve packaged peanuts until the Customer deplanes.
As some of our other snack items may contain peanut particles, peanut oil, or have been packaged in a peanut facility, Customers who have allergic reactions to eating/ingesting peanuts should read the ingredients on any packaged snack before consumption.
Of course, all Customers are welcome to bring their own snacks with them.
Southwest cannot prevent other Customers from bringing peanuts or products containing peanuts onboard our flights. In addition, Southwest cannot give assurances that remnants of peanuts and/or peanut dust/oil will not remain on the aircraft floor, seats, or tray tables from the flights earlier in the aircraft's routing.
In addition, Southwest Airlines cannot guarantee that a flight will be free of other allergens such as perfumes, lotions, cleaning solutions, etc.
The flight did serve snacks. And I'm sorry if they had only brought pb&j along for their child, but if so they shouldn't have fed it to them. Better their child go hungry than risk a passenger have a mid air emergency, and the plane be forced to land. They are fortunate it didn't come to that.
Well, I believe this would be just like the cases of the flight attendants siding with the people who want to sit in a seat that someone else is trying to save... Written policy says people are free to bring whatever snacks onboard they want. SW cannot guarantee a TRUE peanut free environment. If it is truly that critical, it is probably best not to put 'yourself' (the person with the lifethreatening allergy) in this situation as they have advised you of the risk. If another passenger chooses to bring their own snack onboard and it has a 'contaminant', SW will not 'stop' them for consuming that product. We can debate who rights should trump whose until the cows come home. The rules say you cannot make them NOT not consume their peanut containing product and honestly if that is what is all I had and my blood sugar was very low...Sorry, I'm eating it...my health is important too. I have to take care of myself as well. What I don't understand is how do people with peanut allergies function in the everyday world? I don't mean this as an arguement. But, how do you know that the person ahead of you didn't have peanut dust peanut butter residue or their fingers when they touched that door handle or shopping cart, or whatever just prior to you? I seriously find it hard to believe that you can wash your hands in public that much?? Again not trying to argue, just understand....
I disagree. Just because they served snacks doesn't mean that everyone could eat them. I'd never let my disabled child go hungry on a long flight.
Agreed... It's hard, because at what point does one person's rights superceed another's? But in this case, SW has made it clear that if you brought it with you, you will be able to consume it. They just will NOT SERVE peanut products themselves.
