Almost kicked off FLIGHT! Please help

[disykat]

Koima wrote an excellent letter!

 

[DawnCt1]

Koima wrote an excellent letter!

I agree. Perfect letter, easy to read. Just the right length and detail!

 

[horseshowmom]

This is from the delta website:

Peanut Allergies
When you notify us that you have a peanut allergy, we'll create a buffer zone of three rows in front of and three rows behind your seat. We'll also advise cabin service to board additional non-peanut snacks, which will allow our flight attendants to serve these snack items to everyone within this area.

Gate agents will be notified in case you'd like to pre-board and cleanse the immediate seating area. We'll do everything we can, but unfortunately we still can't guarantee that the flight will be completely peanut-free.

I agree with the others that your letter needs to be fine tuned a bit, sticking to the facts and condensed for easier reading. Breaking up the text seems to help people get through it, since people seem to start to skim after a big chunk of uninterrupted text, so bullet points of the comments made to you will help make them stand out. It needs to fit on a single side of a single page, and yours runs into the third page. (Uh, yeah, I copied and pasted it to a Word doc to check!)

You also need to ask for a resolution. What would make you feel like justice was done in your case? Do you want to be reimbursed? Here are my edits:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to inform you of the unprofessional, verbally abusive behavior I encountered with flight manager John Doe on flight _______ on (date, time) in (city.)

I was traveling alone with my two young children, ages 2 and 5. My youngest son has a peanut allergy. As per Delta’s policy on peanut allergies, I gave advance notification of the allergy so a peanut-free “buffer zone of three rows in front of and three rows behind your seat” would be available before boarding. I called before my vacation began and also told the agent at the baggage counter and front gate agent. I was assured that the attendants would be informed.

After boarding the plane, I noticed whole peanuts(WHERE? On the seat, on the floor?) I understand that Delta cannot make a flight completely peanut-free, but finding whole peanuts on the floor in what should have been a peanut-free zone is unacceptable.

I quickly made an attendant (NAME?) aware of the situation and asked that the peanuts be removed. The attendant was not polite, but did comply. I felt as though I was causing an inconvenience, but the alternative was risking a serious reaction mid-air, causing even more delay. I was asked to disembark the plane while they cleaned, and was assured that the situation would be resolved. My children and I left the plane and waited on the ramp.

I then encountered John Doe, the flight supervisor. I was already upset and embarrassed at the delay that was caused, and told him that I would prefer to wait quietly while the plane was cleaned. Mr. Doe proceeded to berate me in front of my children, saying that if I did not talk to him, I would not be allowed on the flight. While I waited quietly with my children, John Doe made comments such as:

• “Why can’t you talk to me like a normal human being?”
• “What is wrong with your generation? You expect everything to be handed to you? None of you know how to carry on a conversation.”
• “Look at you over there against the wall with your hands behind your back acting like a child.”
• “Learn to talk like a grown up.”
• “Look at you and you’re a mom. What a horrible mother!”
• “I feel sorry for these kids, they have no hope.”

I made no responses throughout this verbal abuse, but did ask to be left alone several times. In the years I have flown Delta I have never been treated to a customer service level this poor. I was stunned by his comments when I was trying to prevent a severe reaction that could have not only endangered my son, but also delayed the flight further.

(State what you want for compensation.)

I agree completely with adding the section from their own website and using bullets. It will make it much easier to digest and takes out some of the emotion.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I agree with the others that your letter needs to be fine tuned a bit, sticking to the facts and condensed for easier reading. Breaking up the text seems to help people get through it, since people seem to start to skim after a big chunk of uninterrupted text, so bullet points of the comments made to you will help make them stand out. It needs to fit on a single side of a single page, and yours runs into the third page. (Uh, yeah, I copied and pasted it to a Word doc to check!)

You also need to ask for a resolution. What would make you feel like justice was done in your case? Do you want to be reimbursed? Here are my edits:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to inform you of the unprofessional, verbally abusive behavior I encountered with flight manager John Doe on flight _______ on (date, time) in (city.)

I was traveling alone with my two young children, ages 2 and 5. My youngest son has a peanut allergy. As per Delta’s policy on peanut allergies, I gave advance notification of the allergy so a peanut-free “buffer zone of three rows in front of and three rows behind your seat” would be available before boarding. I called before my vacation began and also told the agent at the baggage counter and front gate agent. I was assured that the attendants would be informed.

After boarding the plane, I noticed whole peanuts(WHERE? On the seat, on the floor?) I understand that Delta cannot make a flight completely peanut-free, but finding whole peanuts on the floor in what should have been a peanut-free zone is unacceptable.

I quickly made an attendant (NAME?) aware of the situation and asked that the peanuts be removed. The attendant was not polite, but did comply. I felt as though I was causing an inconvenience, but the alternative was risking a serious reaction mid-air, causing even more delay. I was asked to disembark the plane while they cleaned, and was assured that the situation would be resolved. My children and I left the plane and waited on the ramp.

I then encountered John Doe, the flight supervisor. I was already upset and embarrassed at the delay that was caused, and told him that I would prefer to wait quietly while the plane was cleaned. Mr. Doe proceeded to berate me in front of my children, saying that if I did not talk to him, I would not be allowed on the flight. While I waited quietly with my children, John Doe made comments such as:

• “Why can’t you talk to me like a normal human being?”
• “What is wrong with your generation? You expect everything to be handed to you? None of you know how to carry on a conversation.”
• “Look at you over there against the wall with your hands behind your back acting like a child.”
• “Learn to talk like a grown up.”
• “Look at you and you’re a mom. What a horrible mother!”
• “I feel sorry for these kids, they have no hope.”

I made no responses throughout this verbal abuse, but did ask to be left alone several times. In the years I have flown Delta I have never been treated to a customer service level this poor. I was stunned by his comments when I was trying to prevent a severe reaction that could have not only endangered my son, but also delayed the flight further.

(State what you want for compensation.)

Perfect.

 

[sbell111]

You mentioned that you waited 'on the ramp' while they cleaned the aircraft. This tells me that you were traveling on a smaller plane, such as a regional jet. This also tells me that John Doe might not be a Delta employee. You need to find out what company manages Delta/Delta Connections ground operations wherever you were. Send a copy of the letter to whatever company actually employs John Dow in addition to Delta.

You also may want to focus your letter just a bit. You have two problems: 1) the aircraft wasn't properly cleaned, exposing your son to a serious danger to his health. 2) John Doe was beyond rude.

Start your letter by presenting the two issues. Then explain each issue. Who you spoke to on the front end, exactly what happened once you borded the aircraft, what John Doe specifically said to you (in front of your young children).

In the closing paragraph, hit on the fact that because of your experience on this trip, that you can not imagine choosing Delta in the future. This is especially important if you were on a Delta Connection flight at a location where ground services are provided by a regional airline, rather than Delta. Believe me, Delta does not want the regional airlines to chase away it's customers and they will come down on the regional airline to make sure something is done about this.

 

[sunnyday123]

I don't ingest cats, but the mask helped the airborne dander'y stuff I assume is the issue with me.

I'm wondering if that would help someone with an airborne PA? KWIM?

It, of course, would not help with touching peanut 'dander', though.

I certainly hope not!!

 

[lil mermaid]

edited.

 

[Christine]

The OP indicates in her first post that she "made a call before the vacation began." Which is really all you can do. Most people book online. Then you pick up the phone and you call the airline and let them know that the flight has a PA person on it. This is what we do with Southwest. So, based on that statement and her statement that she informed the counter people when she checked in that I believe she did her part.

 

[koima]

OP says she called ahead, and also talked to both agent at the baggage counter and front gate agent. I'm not sure who else she should have talked to before boarding the plane!

 

[Nicoleclaw]

I wanted to say I am sorry you have had to go through this. I especially understand because my son is PA, among other things...noone wants to have their child go into anaphylactic shock 35,000 feet in the air.
I am curious where you were flying to. A few people have suggested to take a private plane or other mode of transportation. I really believe that is unfair to say, especially considering what it says on the website that they will provide for passengers with a PA. You may have chosen that airline because of that! I really do not believe people with a peanut allergy should be forced to drive unreasonable distances or charter ridiculously expensive planes because an airline can not live up to what it has promised for the safety of a group of people, especially a child. Peanut allergic or not, peanuts on the floor from a previous flight is gross!
JMHO!

I forgot to mention that you even called their attention to the allergy several times before boarding. You did your job!

 

[OceanAnnie]

OP says she called ahead, and also talked to both agent at the baggage counter and front gate agent. I'm not sure who else she should have talked to before boarding the plane!

I agree. She did her part. Seems like there was a lack of communication in the chain that led to the problem.

Great letter, btw.

 

[Danauk]

OP, I am so sorry this happened to you, the situation sounds awful and the employee was way out of line. I think the amended letter on the previous page is very good and gets the points across well. I do not see why it was a problem for the airline to clean the aeroplane and ask for no peanuts on board. On 2 transatlantic Virgin Atlantic flights from London to the USA in recent years we have had announcements that a passenger on board has a peanut allergy and to refrain from eating peanut products. I also know how serious the allergies can be, a student I used to teach (and his mum is currently my assistant in my classroom) has many serious allergies including nuts and eggs. One day he had a reaction because another child had eaten an egg sandwich at lunch time, then touched the child several hours later with their hands that had been holding the egg.

I hope you get some response from the airline.

 

[3AUTigerFans]

I am very sorry that you had to go through this!

 

[Free4Life11]

Didn't Delta almost go out of business? I'm surprised they are still offering snacks period.

 

[FireDancer]

I didn't read all the responses but wanted to say you should never have been treated so rudely. I don't think, however, that it was their responsibility to pick up all the peanuts. If I was allergic to peanuts I would just not eat them. Everyone around me is more than welcome and I wouldn't expect the airline to make everyone else go without peanuts only because I couldn't eat them, that seems ludicrous. I would be annoyed if I had to go without because one person has an allergy. Just don't eat them and let me eat mine. I have an allergy to certain items but I don't walk into places and expect no one to have them, that is way too self centered.

I also wouldn't find it all that hard to resist picking them up off the ground and eating them. If you were concerned your son just couldn't resist the potentially deadly nuts hanging out on the floor around him a quick pick up by you would have sufficed. Since they should be in their seatbelt the whole trip anyway and never out of your row on their own the only place you would have to worry about is the floor immediately in front of you.

None of this excuses their treatment of you but it could have been avoided had you just picked them up from your row.

 

[lil mermaid]

The OP indicates in her first post that she "made a call before the vacation began." Which is really all you can do. Most people book online. Then you pick up the phone and you call the airline and let them know that the flight has a PA person on it. This is what we do with Southwest. So, based on that statement and her statement that she informed the counter people when she checked in that I believe she did her part.

I agree. Not sure how I missed that, might have been due to two year old banging on the keyboard. I've edited my post.

 

[a1tinkfans]

OP: sorry you had to experience this with DELTA. Glad you are writing to them and also glad you posted here so others can be warned of possibility of WHAT Delta can be like with a peanut allergy situation.

Good Luck!!

 

[koima]

I didn't read all the responses but wanted to say you should never have been treated so rudely. I don't think, however, that it was their responsibility to pick up all the peanuts. If I was allergic to peanuts I would just not eat them. Everyone around me is more than welcome and I wouldn't expect the airline to make everyone else go without peanuts only because I couldn't eat them, that seems ludicrous. I would be annoyed if I had to go without because one person has an allergy. Just don't eat them and let me eat mine. I have an allergy to certain items but I don't walk into places and expect no one to have them, that is way too self centered.

I also wouldn't find it all that hard to resist picking them up off the ground and eating them. If you were concerned your son just couldn't resist the potentially deadly nuts hanging out on the floor around him a quick pick up by you would have sufficed. Since they should be in their seatbelt the whole trip anyway and never out of your row on their own the only place you would have to worry about is the floor immediately in front of you.

None of this excuses their treatment of you but it could have been avoided had you just picked them up from your row.

Go back and read the responses. Peanut allergies can be deadly even if the peanuts are not ingested. The presence of peanuts in a confined space can kill a person with a severe allergy. I doubt that OP was concerned that her son would eat the peanuts; my guess is that she was concerned that trace amounts he might encounter or even breathe in could cause serious health risks. It's not as simple as "don't let him eat it" when it comes to peanut allergies.

 

[koima]

I don't ingest cats...

I have a friend whose son is HIGHLY allergic to a number of foods (most of the Big 8) and when went to preschool he was talking about the allergies and and the teacher said, "Oh, I'm allergic to cats." Her son got a look of complete shock on his face and said, "Cats are not for eating!"

 

[Christine]

I didn't read all the responses but wanted to say you should never have been treated so rudely. I don't think, however, that it was their responsibility to pick up all the peanuts. If I was allergic to peanuts I would just not eat them. Everyone around me is more than welcome and I wouldn't expect the airline to make everyone else go without peanuts only because I couldn't eat them, that seems ludicrous. I would be annoyed if I had to go without because one person has an allergy. Just don't eat them and let me eat mine. I have an allergy to certain items but I don't walk into places and expect no one to have them, that is way too self centered.

I also wouldn't find it all that hard to resist picking them up off the ground and eating them. If you were concerned your son just couldn't resist the potentially deadly nuts hanging out on the floor around him a quick pick up by you would have sufficed. Since they should be in their seatbelt the whole trip anyway and never out of your row on their own the only place you would have to worry about is the floor immediately in front of you.

None of this excuses their treatment of you but it could have been avoided had you just picked them up from your row.

You need to do some studying up on peanut allergy versus other allergies. There's a difference.