Almost kicked off FLIGHT! Please help

[taylor3297]

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.


My only question I would ask from this, does one have to notify when booking the flight in order for cabin services to have the extra non peanut snacks? Also with the quick turn around most planes have to do, airplanes are not fully cleaned between each flight. Trash, bathrooms, and restocking of supplies are the main objectives of the cleaning crew. Full cleaning isn't done until after the last flight of the night or before the first flight in the morning.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thank you for your response. Even though it is hard to hear varying view sometimes. I appreciate your responce. I am well aware of the need for a plane to leave on time. In order for that to happen. People must and should do thier job. Yes that includes the cleaning crew. I do not feel I was asking for unreasonable expectations to have the plane cleaned properly. Once again I stated the fact that it was whole peanuts all over the floor. That is not doing thier job initially. You are right it is my responsability for my sons health, but like I stated in the letter the airline also has a responsibility.

The last line is very important. They said they would do something and they did not and then treated you poorly for it.

I too have found trash on airplanes, but they get turned around so quickly that they do not have the time to detail and scope every inch of the plane to clean it.

Essentially, if the last passenger was more careful with their debris there would not have been an issue.

My concern is it seems your son as a contact or airborne allergy to peanuts for you to get so upset as you did for it to be handled immediately.

Likely, when you got off of the plane, they just picked up what was visible in that area and nothing more while rolling their eyes the rest of the time.

You have to decide in this letter what you want.

Do you want an apology for how you are treated or do you want a peanut ban?

Then you need to focus your letter accordingly. Right now I would focus on how you were treated and then perhaps later provide some education on the lethal nature of peanuts to some people.

I would also avoid any appearance of "whining"--in other words, don't let your emotions show in this letter except to state that how they treated you was humiliating. My husband is constantly on me when I have him proofreed grievances for private or business reasons. He can really see me flailing my arms and having a high pitched voice and everything. Customarily--the personw with whom you are communicating cannot look past that to the meat of the issue and see the merit within it.


As for cleanliness of airplanes, I had a co-worker who was healthy at home but always seemed to get ill on business trips and she never knew why. Turns out, airplanes are a cockroach haven as after allergy testing it was found she was allergic to those little critters. She won't die from that allergy. But it is important to note that it is that difficult to keep the planes entirely sanitized. Yep--planes are full of cockroach poop.

My sister's husband works for an airline--he won't let her ever use the pillows or blankets for sanitation reasons. I don't know what that exactly means but she travels with all of her own things to avoid using what the plane provides. He is a baggage handler (for NWA and to my knowledge he doesn't break guitars.)


And should you not receive proper apologies, there is always writing a song for Youtube about your experience. (meant to give you a little laugh!)

He tried for a year with United and got nowhere so he wrote a song.
http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2009/07/song_over_guita.html

 

[DawnCt1]

It was wrong for their employees to talk with you in that manner and I think it is OK to bring that to their attention. But since you asked for help, I don't think that your letter will get that much sympathy from the airline. Just my opinion, but I think that you come across as asking for something beyond the ordinary and then getting upset when that wasn't done. If you had already made them aware and their response was that they would continue to serve the rest of the guests peanuts then I think that it would have been wiser to choose another method of transportation. I think that since you had the special need, it was your responsiblity to remove the threat to your son. That doesn't excuse the things their employees said but it explains why they thought you were being unreasonable. The airline is also responsible to the other passengers who have other rights that you might not appreciate as much as your own circumstances. It could have been very critical for the flight to board and leave in a timely manner. A flight delayed for extra cleaning could cause others to miss their connections or possibly even affected the schedules of many other flights. I'm not saying that your son's health isn't important but it is your responsiblilty not the airline's. It would have been much better for everyone if the employees from the beginning had told you that special accommodations would not be possible on a public flight and had let you make other arrangements.

I agree with your entire post. I would also add that perhaps another alternative would have been relocating to another area of the plane where there were no spilled peanuts. The airlines cannot control who brings peanuts on board, so the same scenario may have occurred on a "peanut free" plane. The 'turn around' times are very short for many flights and cleaning beyond the picking up of papers, etc is often impractical. Would I have been upset if I had missed a connection and ended up with a long layover because of this? Yes I would. I am sympathetic to those with allergies and I understand the seriousness of it, but it isn't always possible or reasonable to depend upon others for the safety of children. I would make a habit of bringing lysol wipes, etc to wipe down all surfaces, tray tables, etc that the child came in contact with on any flight. Again, no one knows what the passengers had with them prior to the OPs arrival.

With regard to the airline employee? There is no excuse for that, even if she was raising her voice. From her description, she was "emotional", she may have raised her voice without being aware, however, customer service personnel should be able to handle any situation without berating the customer.

 

[Allison]

To those saying she was asking for something beyond the ordinary-I don't think so considering the Delta website says they will create a buffer zone of three rows in front and back. Peanuts on the floor certainly should have been cleaned up in that case or seats moved especially since the OP notified the people she was supposed to. Just my opinion.

That being said, OP, I also think you should focus your letter on the attitudes of the employees and how you were treated. Leave the actual policy on peanuts for another day.

 

[honugirl]

I do think it's wrong how they berated you, no one should be treated like that. Planes do have a quick turnaround time and they don't do a complete clean top to bottom after every flight. Was it something that you couldn't have cleaned up yourself and wiped down the area where your son would be sitting? While I know that's not the option that people would be crazy about, it might have saved some heartache. Could you have made a request for seating in a different area of the plane? Also for future reference, I would try to fly early in the morning so you're on the first flight of the day if possible. Hopefully the plane will be as clean as it can be (provided it wasn't doing the red eye...). There's a magazine out of Canada called Allergic Living magazine, it's really good. It has a lot of good information in there. I think on their website there may be airplane info relating to PA. Good luck!

 

[monkey68]

I don't think this has to do with the peanuts per se, but more with how you were treated, which I agree was horrible. It is very possible that a person spilled the peanuts as they were walking out, and the airline staff didn't notice it because of the short turn around time. They're in the business of making money, so if the plane arrives at the next destination late because they were cleaning, and people missed connections, they would lose more money than they may have just by not allowing you to board and refunding the flight.

Now, it's no excuse for how they treated you, and I think you are right for bringing to the attention of the higher ups. But, and I don't mean any offense, you come across a bit whiney in your letter. You are dealing with business people here, and if you want them to take you seriously, you need to write a serious letter. In my experience, big businesses don't care about feelings, so I would just say what happened, and avoid making it seem like you were ranting, which for me, is how it came across. You have every right to be angry, but you want to come across as a level headed, concerned individual, not an emotional wreck. I can understand you may feel like an emotional mess with everything going on, but try not to let that show. JMO, of course.

 

[JessicaR]

You have two separate valid issues. I would address them separately and concisely. I would stick to the facts and cut out any excess. If the letter is too lengthy you will lose the readers attention.

My main objective would be to have that condescending employees attitude corrected.

The peanut issue is a hot topic but the bottom line is those particular employees that maintained that flight dropped the ball.

When you send your letter make sure it is addressed to the person at the top. Then cc it to everyone else.

Good luck! Sorry you had to go through this while flying with your two little ones.

 

[NotUrsula]

This thread really should be on the Transportation Board, where those of us who fly frequently would be more likely to see your letter and be able to advise you. However, be warned that if it does migrate over there, you are likely to get advice that will not make you feel particularly good. We like to face facts over there, and your facts are kind of unfortunate.

I have to tell you an ugly truth of the airline industry: planes are normally NOT cleaned between flights on the same day. To do that would adversely affect turn time, and no airline on earth can afford to be that wasteful. They will be spot-cleaned if there are bodily fluids to clean up or if a seat is wet, but that's normally all that will be done until the overnight cleaning crew gets the plane.

The FA asked you what you wanted her to do about it because that is literally what she needed to know, and fast: what had to happen RIGHT THEN to make you able to take the flight? She asked the way that she did because she did not have any time to waste, and she needed to let you know that you would delay the flight if they did it.

Frankly I'm absolutely flabbergasted that they agreed to hold boarding in order to clean for you; whoever approved that literally put his or her job on the line, and may have been fired for it by now. Every minute that an airliner stands at the gate past scheduled departure time costs thousands of dollars; your described delay probably eliminated the company's entire profit on that flight. Normal procedure would have been to offer to re-book you on the first flight the following morning, in which case, they would not have charged you a change fee, but probably would not have given you vouchers for a hotel or food unless you really pressed hard for them.

I think your letter is focusing too much on the peanuts. Other than briefly mentioning the quantity of spilled peanuts as a reason for asking for a spot-cleaning for medical reasons, you should NOT dwell on the cleanliness issue. The state of the plane's cleanliness was normal, and the FA went out on a limb for you by even asking her higher-ups for the cleaning, so leave her out of it.

The ONLY legitimate complaint that you have is that you were verbally harassed by John Doe while waiting for the cleaning that Delta voluntarily provided. The man was understandably tense about how much that delay was costing and how much hell he was going to catch for it, but he went WAY over the line by making fun of you and commenting about your children, and THAT is what you need to focus on. You need to start the letter by saying that you wish to bring employee's John Does unprofessional behavior to the airline's attention, and then, you need to state EXACTLY what you want the airline to give you to compensate for the humiliation that you suffered in front of your children. You need to state the compensation that you seek in quantifiable terms: fare refunded, free flight voucher, 10K frequent-flyer miles for each of you -- whatever it is that will make you feel justice has been done. After that, you tell them exactly what he said to you. You don't have to tell them that you were understandably upset -- just quote him, and if he really said those things, it will be enough. (And for Pete's sake, leave out the line about the Communists!)

A long tale of woe that takes 8 paragraphs to get to the point will probably not even be read all the way through -- they will dump it and send you a standard form letter if they send you anything at all.

The fatal flaw that your original letter has is that it is only a vent. At no point do you tell them what compensation you want for the wrong that you feel has been done to you. It makes you feel better, but it is not constructive; it does not tell them what they as a company need to do to retain your business. (And don't expect them to promise never to serve peanuts again; they had already repeatedly stated their position on that.)

PS: I didn't check their website, but since someone has and mentioned the buffer zone rule, you should mention it in the letter; that you asked for the cleaning in accordance with their stated policy about creating a 6-row buffer zone. Also I second what Monkey said; tone down the "voice" of the letter -- it comes across tearful and whiney.

 

[Christine]

First off, I have a PA son and have flown many times.

I agree that your issue is with John Doe and you need to focus on that. I also agree with NotUrsula in that you need to state what you want. Do you want something? Personally, I'm just not a person who would require compensation for that. It would be enough for me that I would want the man to be reprimanded for treating ANYONE, much less a passenger, in that manner while performing his job.

Having said all that--the very FIRST rule of flying with a PA is to always book the FIRST flight out. It's the best you can do and you should always do that no matter how inconvenient. Airlines will not clean up enough between flights for a PA person. With each flight that plane makes before you get on, your risk of contact exposure increases.

 

[jaminmd]

I'll be honest and say that your letter really is overly emotional. I don't doubt that you had a bad experience but there are always three sides to a story (yours, his & the truth). I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or upset you further but it is my honest impression.

If you were in fact treated as you state, you have every right to be angry. Perhaps you were more emotional than you think you were and came across as a hysterical mother. I wasn't there, I'm just playing devils advocate. Perhaps you should cool off a bit and then rewrite the letter stating the facts and shortening it substantially.

If your sons allergy is that severe, would it help if he is premedicated before boarding to avoid such problems?

 

[happygirl]

I'm sorry this is a little off topic. So people with allergies to peanuts. So you can't go into a resturant or anything that serves peanuts or will get sick?? Wow that must be hard to do

 

[Christine]

I'm sorry this is a little off topic. So people with allergies to peanuts. So you can't go into a resturant or anything that serves peanuts or will get sick?? Wow that must be hard to do

Depends on the person. As with any allergen, there are varying degrees of sensitivity. I actually do take my son into restaurants that serve peanuts, but I clean off the tabletop very well before he sits down. In a well-ventilated restaurant with lots of room the airborne peanut dust from customers cracking shells is not an issue. In an airplane it is. Think: small, enclosed space, recirculated air, 100 people opening their little bags of peanuts. 100 people rolling the peanuts around in their fingers--the thin peanut "skins" falling off onto the seats, tabletops, and floors, or breaking apart and going airborne and blown through the recirculated air. 100 people with greasy, peanut oil on their fingers, touching their armrests, tabletops, bathroom doors, etc. One PA kid, touching that same residue, dust, peanut skin and then touching his eye or his mouth. Or breathing the concentrated peanut dust in. On airplanes peanuts *can* be an issue.

I remember one time when I was flying to Florida and my son was about 6, he sat in one of the seats and the whole back of his legs broke out from *something* on the seat. He now wears pants when he flies--no more shorts.

 

[peyjax]

I'll be honest and say that your letter really is overly emotional. I don't doubt that you had a bad experience but there are always three sides to a story (yours, his & the truth). I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or upset you further but it is my honest impression.

If you were in fact treated as you state, you have every right to be angry. Perhaps you were more emotional than you think you were and came across as a hysterical mother. I wasn't there, I'm just playing devils advocate. Perhaps you should cool off a bit and then rewrite the letter stating the facts and shortening it substantially.

If your sons allergy is that severe, would it help if he is premedicated before boarding to avoid such problems?

I also was worried that my emotions were coming out too much and that is why I came to you all for help. Am I angry, YOU KNOW IT! I am however a reasonable person. I know that my emotion is high. I also know that people do not respond to high emotion very well. I knew that there are three sides and that what was so difficult. I knew I was not being hysterical and unreasonable but like I said his word against mine. PLEASE understand I remained quiet, this man did not like it. He had me cornered by myself.

This peanut issue is very very hard. It is very difficult for me as I am not by nature one of those moms who obsess over everything. I have friends like that and it drives me crazy. However on this issue I felt I did everything I should have in advance. The airline did not comply with what they stated they would at least try. Mistakes happen. I just asked for it to be cleaned up like it should have in the beginning. The fact remains I am still in disbelief I was treated this way.

 

[Aisling]

I'm sorry this is a little off topic. So people with allergies to peanuts. So you can't go into a resturant or anything that serves peanuts or will get sick?? Wow that must be hard to do

I don't know if this is true, but I read that someone with a peanut allergy sued for smelling peanuts on someone else's breath in a movie theater.

To the OP, wow, I would have been in tears with the agent's harshness, and I'm usually a very thick-skinned person.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I'll be honest and say that your letter really is overly emotional.

If John Doe said the type of things that OP posted, she was not overly emotional, in my opinion. This was not a passenger complaining about a cold steak. Her son's life could have been at risk and every airline personnel she came in contact with prior to John Doe was indifferent, and John Doe's behavior was heinous.

 

[debsays]

I feel bad for you and your experience. I must say that we fly Southwest and I can recall twice when flying to or from FL they said over the PA that they were NOT serving peanuts due to someone on the flight who is allergic to them. They also said if anyone had anything that had peanuts in it,etc. please refrain from taking them out.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I can't imagine anyone in customer service telling a passenger what a horrible mother she is, even if he or she felt it was true.

That being said, the FA probably relayed to the gate agents that the OP was demanding the plane be cleaned which, if she was overly emotional (like her letter) might have caused her voice to become high pitched and loud, and speaking too quickly so she wasn't understood well. Combine that with her declaration that the airline is accountable for any reaction that may occur and you have an explosive situation. I have personally witnessed passengers who might otherwise be calm and rational have absolute meltdowns over the fear (real or imagined) they may not make it on a particular flight. Then, the OP clammed up and refused to say ANYTHING in response to what may have been necessary questions. Again, not saying this is what happened but it always takes 2 to tango. Once each party has decided the other has an 'attitude' it just spirals from there.

OP, limit your letter to the fact you felt the plane was not prepped as you expected it to be and your difficulties with the agent in the boarding area. Don't be specific, be general and unemotional. Use one or two sentences MAX to express your outrage.

Find an airline that doesn't serve whole peanuts. I don't care if you have their card. Don't expect the world to change for your child, change his environment instead.

Good luck.

 

[jaminmd]

If John Doe said the type of things that OP posted, she was not overly emotional, in my opinion. This was not a passenger complaining about a cold steak. Her son's life could have been at risk and every airline personnel she came in contact with prior to John Doe was indifferent, and John Doe's behavior was heinous.

What I said was that her letter was overly emotional. I'm sorry, but when the recipient receives it, they want facts, not emotions.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Focus on what you want and how you can improve your situation. For the letter, that means following the prior advice on making clear what you expect from the airline. You should also think more broadly about how to avoid this situation in the future. The suggestions that you not fly peanut serving airlines, fly on the first flight, and cover as much of your child's skin as possible are all good suggestions.

It can feel good to vent, but you'll be better off if you focus on things that will improve your life. I've been giving this advice to my wife for years. She feels compelled to let people know when they are providing bad service. It often makes for even worse service. I remind her to remember that it isn't her job to police some other company's employees. She has learned to say and do things to improve her situation rather than just venting.

So think about what you want - compensation, a reprimand of the employee, etc and then rewrite the letter with your goal in mind. Think about it from the perspective of the public affairs person that will be reading the letter.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Straying off topic...I noticed that allergies get a lot more attention in school than when I was a kid. It certainly seems like a lot more kids are allergic to a lot more stuff. I think it is also true that we work harder to accommodate them then we did when I was a kid.

I did a little looking online and found that there does appear to be an increase in allergies and that no one is really certain why. The one theory I saw presented was somewhat surprising - improved hygiene. The theory, as best I can tell, says that kids are exposed to fewer things for their immune systems to fight and so an increasing number of kid's immune systems find other things to do, like going crazy over allergens.

Strange world. Our kids don't appear to be allergic to anything. I wonder if that is because we aren't very hygienic? Mine having finished 3rd and 1st grade respectively and we've yet to make treats for their classes that didn't involve at least one allergy (peanuts, wheat, and dairy all come to mind). We had a PA kid over hear last year that carried a needle. The mom insisted on my wife and I each spending five minutes learning what to do if there was a problem. That seems like a pretty hefty burden for a parent.