Can I bring peanut butter sandwiches on the airplane?

[bavaria]

[But remember peanuts were not served, when everyone knows peanuts are served on SW. But if the announce was made and you did it, that is the problem. This allergy is becoming more volcal. Everyone now a days know if there is no peanuts around there has to be a reason

Perhaps I have a more global outlook, but I disagree with your statement.

I DIDN'T know that SW serves peanuts.

Peanut allergies seem to be a phenomenum in the US and possibly in Canada, but not so much in the rest of the world. (I won't speculate why, but a recent thread on the CB suggested that it was due in part to the high consumption of peanut butter - I have no idea WHY it is more common in North America, but it is) In Germany peanuts are considered a savoury item, and peanut butter or peanuts in chocolate are rarely eaten. (In fact, one of the new flavours of Ritter Sport chocolate this year was chocolate and peanuts, which is VERY common in American chocolate)

So for an international traveller who is connecting on a US carrier, or flying a US carrier overseas, they may well NOT be aware that the reason that no peanuts are being served is due to allergies.

 

[Lewisc]

I wasn't the OP but what i said was:

I don't want to sound mean but a person who's allergies are so severe that they can't be within 100 feet of a nut product really can't fly. There isn't anyway to ensure the plan was adequately cleaned before the flight and there really isn't any way to guarantee a passenger won't be consuming a product containing nuts.

I doubt very many people are that sensitive but most people don't read the entire list of ingredients. There isn't any way to prevent a child from eating a candy bar that might contain a nut product. Some people bring a granola bar, which may contain nuts. It isn't reasonable to assume those passengers won't be eating whatever they brought on board. You can certainly ask a passenger in your row, or an adjacent row, to eat in an aisle but it isn't reasonable to expect they won't eat anywhere on the plane.

Again most people aren't that sensitive but in an old thread one mother said if anyone on the plane unwrapped a candy bar that contained any peanuts her child would die. Assuming the mother isn't exaggerating, that child shouldn't fly.

And I don't understand why the OP would suggest us not flying. If I knew that something I was doing was going to actually hurt someone, I WOULD NEVER DO IT. This has nothing to do with my son and his allergy. I would never Knowingly hurt someone. Why on Earth would anyone what to. If you knew about the allergy or anything, will it KILL you not to do it for a short period of time?

 

[livndisney]

While I sympathize with those who have peanut allergies, I must say that I think that this entire matter has gotten WAY overblown. Peanut allergies didn't suddenly spring up overnight. People have had these allergies for centuries.

I'm in my 40's, and I've had allergies all of my life... and not just one or two allergies - I'm one of those who has lots of food and environmental allergies, with a couple of lesser medicinal allergies thrown in. I scratch test at a "10+" level for many different items, and although I've been through allergy shots a few times (every decade or so, some allergist will insist that the shots have gotten better), I have to discontinue quickly because I have major reactions on just the baby dose chart - and that's with only a fraction of my allergens being treated.

I'm NOT allergic to peanuts, but I am allergic to tree nuts. Those of you with peanut allergies have made my life more miserable, lol. Suddenly I have to make sure that someone isn't trying to feed us soybutter or almond butter under the guise of peanut butter (I'm anaphylactically allergic to both).

If I requested that no one on a plane be allowed to have my major triggers, that would mean that no one would have tree nuts (especially almonds and pecans), carrots, soy, cats (or remnant cat hairs), smoke (or smoke residue on their clothing), strawberries or raw apples. All of these things can cause me to have a major reaction/ full blown asthma attack. It would make my life simpler and less complicated, but quite frankly, I don't feel that I should expect the rest of the world to compensate for my problems. So when I fly/travel (which I do regularly), I explain to the hotels what I need done to my room to make it liveable, and I take extra meds for a couple of days before a flight and bring rescue meds with me. Usually I'm fine. Occassionally, I'll have to use my meds and I'll feel like crud for a couple of days. But that's the way life is. All of us have challenges that we have to face. We do the best we can and move on. But IMHO, it makes no sense to expect the rest of the world to change to accomodate your medical issues.

I'm so glad that my parents taught me to cope in the world around me, and live as normal a life as possible with my allergies instead of expecting everyone around me to accomodate my differences. Also, there are many studies that show that completely isolating yourself from any of your possible allergens may not be a good idea - it increases sensitivity, and can cause bigger reactions when you become exposed.

So personally, I agree with PP who stated that if your allergies are so bad you think that the entire plane shouldn't have peanuts, you shouldn't really be on the flight in the first place. There's just no way to insure that the plane is truly allergen free. The same thing goes for the rides at WDW. How do you REALLY ensure that the child before yours didn't smear peanut butter residue on the ride handle/controls? Do you ban peanut butter from the parks and have everyone sanitize their hands and clothing before being allowed in? I'm truly not trying to be facetious. I just think that this entire issue has lost perspective in this PC age.

Very well said. I too have severe allergies and have never expected someone to change thier lives to accomidate me.

 

[W2BNeverland]

Only approximately 1% of the population is allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts. That is hardly a large percentage of the population. And someone please tell me why others feels that they can or should try to control the actions of others?

 

[Minnie824]

And I don't understand why the OP would suggest us not flying. If I knew that something I was doing was going to actually hurt someone, I WOULD NEVER DO IT. This has nothing to do with my son and his allergy. I would never Knowingly hurt someone. Why on Earth would anyone what to. If you knew about the allergy or anything, will it KILL you not to do it for a short period of time?
As if in my sitution, the announcement was never made so if you ate peanuts in any form, you then truly didn't know. [But remember peanuts were not served, when everyone knows peanuts are served on SW.] But if the announce was made and you did it, that is the problem. This allergy is becoming more volcal. Everyone now a days know if there is no peanuts around there has to be a reason. So Please just ask.

What happen to "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
that we should treat people as we would like to be treated.

OP here...I just want to clarify I NEVER suggested people with allergies not flying?? If that was said here, it was NOT by me. I suffer from many allergies myself, including dogs, which I need to be aware of each time I fly. I specifically just wanted to know about bringing the sandwiches and said that if an allergy was announced, I would dump the sandwiches. I did however, after reading this thread (and you can see my 2nd post on this thread) decide to get potbelly sandwiches instead. I would never bring an item anywhere if it could be life threatening to someone.

 

[antree]

I don't want to get in to any arguments. I wasn't even going to reply to this thread. I posted she can bring the sandwich on board. Just to realize she might not be able to eat it, so prepared. It's just lately I have been hearing so many bad comments, {not from this board} It's just becomes a very touchy sitiutions to people who have kids with allergies.

I don't except people never, ever to eat around us, it is just being in a closed sitituion that is more worriesome to us. I really can't get up and walk away if we are on a plane, and if I can go a few seats back. I would still panic the whole flight, that's just how I am. I know my son isn't touching it, it will be just all these thouhgts running through my head.

All I want to say is if someone asks you not to eat something, please understand and don't get mad.
as an example; There was a women on my Uncle's flight that was very mad because they announced no peanuts, they did get a snack just not peanuts. He explained to her about the allergy and all she wanted was her peanuts. She just didn't care.
I had a little girl sit next to me on a plane and whine because she wanted her peanuts, I explained to her why they didn't have it and it took a few minutes for her to stop asking for them but she finally did.


I know no one here said they wouldn't listen or hurt someone and I'll delete that. I am just asking everyone out there, just understand.

Thank You

 

[robinb]

Even is the percentage of people who are allergic to peanuts is 1%, that means that 1 person on the average 727 probably allergic. A plane is not like restaurant or lunchroom where the tables are cleaned throughly between seatings. Who knows if a peanut butter eating toddler smeared her sandwich all over the tray table, arm rest, window and seat on the previous flight? I can guarantee that the tray table was not even wiped down during the very short turnaround at the gate.

{shrug} I personally wouldn't bring a PB&J onto a plane just out of courtesy to the other PAX who might be allergic. There are other options to peanut butter, and it's really not a big deal to make another choice. My DD is a very fussy eater ... she lived on PB&Js for the first 7 years of her life. last year had a peanut allergic kid in her first grade class and she changed to cream cheese and jelly sandwiches so she could sit with her.

Oh sure, you can stick to your guns and proudly munch your PB&J 'cause no one is going to tell you what to do! That is your right as an American. Or you can think about someone other than yourselves for a minute.

 

[TDC Nala]

Even is the percentage of people who are allergic to peanuts is 1%, that means that 1 person on the average 727 probably allergic.

I'm not very good at math but I do have a calculator.

Passenger count of the Boeing 727-200 : 189.

Estimated population of the United States: 301,139,947 (U.S. Census).

One percent of the estimated population of the United States: 3,011,399

I guess you'd have to know how many 727s take off from US airports every day and the percentage of them that are filled to go any further. But I don't know that you can say that if one percent of the population is allergic, odds are that there may be one peanut-allergic passenger on every flight.

 

[robinb]

I'm not very good at math but I do have a calculator.

Passenger count of the Boeing 727-200 : 189.

Estimated population of the United States: 301,139,947 (U.S. Census).

One percent of the estimated population of the United States: 3,011,399

I guess you'd have to know how many 727s take off from US airports every day and the percentage of them that are filled to go any further. But I don't know that you can say that if one percent of the population is allergic, odds are that there may be one peanut-allergic passenger on every flight.

1% of 189 is 1.89 people. I'm not a [SIZE=-1]statistician[/SIZE], so I don't know how the percentage changes when the sample is reduced from 300 million to 189. My guess is that there are plenty of planes that have no allergic people on board while others have more than one.

 

[Hannathy]

the 1% would be based on the total US population. Over 300 million so the number is incredibly small.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

We're flying out to Disney soon, and have a dinner time flight. Am I allowed to bring peanut butter sandwiches from home onto the airplane? I know if they announce something w/the peanut allergy stuff I probably can't, but otherwise, is this ok? I'm flying southwest btw. Thanks!

I flew on Continental a couple of weeks ago and I was served peanuts.

Are nuts not allowed on certain airlines?

 

[bavaria]

I flew on Continental a couple of weeks ago and I was served peanuts.

Are nuts not allowed on certain airlines?

Certain US carriers have chosen not to serve peanuts. As noted throughout this thread, however, carriers cannot control other passengers and cannot guarantee flights to be entirely peanut free.

 

[grimley1968]

I flew on Continental a couple of weeks ago and I was served peanuts.

Are nuts not allowed on certain airlines?

Not that I know of. I'm the one with the peanut-allergic daughter who posted earlier, and I'm usually served those honey-roasted peanuts on SWA. I don't make a fuss about it personally, because my DD can be around peanut dust just fine; she just can't eat peanuts themselves. I don't want to deprive other passengers of peanuts for no good reason, as long as no one else has worse reactions than my DD. I love those honey-roasted nuts.

There are many varying degrees of peanut allergy. Fortunately, my DD has never had anaphylaxis (yet) and will violently eject any peanuts ingested, so they have never poisoned her too bad. But she can be around all the peanut dust you can shake at her. We do carry an epipen for her, but it has never been close to being needed. Yet.

I usually try not to even mention it while on flights with my DD, because I know if I do, they'll not serve the nuts at all, and there's no reason for that amount of precaution, when she doesn't warrant it.

 

[tlinus]

Even is the percentage of people who are allergic to peanuts is 1%, that means that 1 person on the average 727 probably allergic. A plane is not like restaurant or lunchroom where the tables are cleaned throughly between seatings. Who knows if a peanut butter eating toddler smeared her sandwich all over the tray table, arm rest, window and seat on the previous flight? I can guarantee that the tray table was not even wiped down during the very short turnaround at the gate.

{shrug} I personally wouldn't bring a PB&J onto a plane just out of courtesy to the other PAX who might be allergic. There are other options to peanut butter, and it's really not a big deal to make another choice. My DD is a very fussy eater ... she lived on PB&Js for the first 7 years of her life. last year had a peanut allergic kid in her first grade class and she changed to cream cheese and jelly sandwiches so she could sit with her.

Oh sure, you can stick to your guns and proudly munch your PB&J 'cause no one is going to tell you what to do! That is your right as an American. Or you can think about someone other than yourselves for a minute.

thanks for that

 

[bavaria]

but where does 'reasonable accommodation' end? I am sitting at the gate in ORD, eating a peanut butter cookie at the moment.

The Red Carpet club, Corner Bakery, the cheesecake place, and a few others on the concourse sell products with peanuts.

Should people in the gate area be stopped from eating items with peanuts?

I'm really baffled by this. While I am empathetic towards the needs of others, where does it all end? how does one person trump another? one poster's wife is diabetic - should she put her life at risk on the small chance that someone with an allergy will be on board?

I'm off to enjoy my cookie, so if anyone is a the C concourse in ORD today you are warned......

 

[grimley1968]

but where does 'reasonable accommodation' end? I am sitting at the gate in ORD, eating a peanut butter cookie at the moment.

The Red Carpet club, Corner Bakery, the cheesecake place, and a few others on the concourse sell products with peanuts.

Should people in the gate area be stopped from eating items with peanuts?

I'm really baffled by this. While I am empathetic towards the needs of others, where does it all end? how does one person trump another? one poster's wife is diabetic - should she put her life at risk on the small chance that someone with an allergy will be on board?

I'm off to enjoy my cookie, so if anyone is a the C concourse in ORD today you are warned......

The difference between the concourse versus the plane is the air circulation. Concourse air, while certainly air-conditioned, is not simply recycled like it is on a plane. If on a concourse you run into some nasty allergan or smell, you can always walk away to get away from it, and breathe different air. That's not an option on a pressurized plane.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

If your child's allergy to peanuts is so life-threatening, why would you take the chance and fly on an enclosed airplane?

And why would you go to WDW where there's tons of children, some of whom I'm sure, have eaten a peanut butter sandwich? You can't tell every single person who enters the parks not to consume peanuts. I know many families bring their own food into the parks and I'm sure that some of them are eating peanut butter sandwiches.

How do you cope with life outside? Do you take your kids to the movies, or malls, or playground?

How can you be sure that you are not sitting next to another kid who has eaten peanuts recently and is covered with peanut butter residue/dust?

I'd be afraid to let them out of my home.

Is there any treatment for peanut allergies on the horizon?

 

[Hannathy]

Oh sure, you can stick to your guns and proudly munch your PB&J 'cause no one is going to tell you what to do! That is your right as an American. Or you can think about someone other than yourselves for a minute.

And the allergy folks can think of someone other than themselves also. If they were accurate in what they were asking for people would be more willing to help. If the child is only allergic if the eat them then don't ask for the plane to be peanut free-think of the others. If the child is truly allergic to peanut dust fine then no peanuts with the dust but don't stop the 2 yr old 20 rows away from eating his lunch of a pb&j. If both sides would be realistic I think everyone would cooperate more. There will never be a peanut free environment anywhere that is a public place as long as peanuts exist.

Oh that cookie sounds good I missed lunch.

 

[grimley1968]

If your child's allergy to peanuts is so life-threatening, why would you take the chance and fly on an enclosed airplane?

And why would you go to WDW where there's tons of children, some of whom I'm sure, have eaten a peanut butter sandwich? You can't tell every single person who enters the parks not to consume peanuts. I know many families bring their own food into the parks and I'm sure that some of them are eating peanut butter sandwiches.

How do you cope with life outside? Do you take your kids to the movies, or malls, or playground?

How can you be sure that you are not sitting next to another kid who has eaten peanuts recently and is covered with peanut butter residue/dust?

I'd be afraid to let them out of my home.

Is there any treatment for peanut allergies on the horizon?

I'm not sure if that is directed at me, but if it is, what you're saying does not adequately reflect my situation. My child can be around peanuts and their dust, but can't eat them.

As I stated earlier, it is far different to be around allergans in an outdoor environment like Disney than on a plane. Fresh air vs. recycled air is the determining factor. Around some bad allergan inside a WDW park? Get away and get fresh air. Around some bad allergan inside a pressurized cabin? Well, that's not so easy.

Actually, there is at least one study I know of, and we're thinking about trying it with our DD, if it ends up showing real promise: kids with peanut allergies, though not the severest form of them, are given, orally, very small amounts of peanuts in a mixture to see how much they can take without hives forming. When they reach a point where hives appear, the kids are given that amount of the oral mixture daily, until hives stop appearing. The theory is that their immune systems start to be able to handle the peanut dust, and they can then be given more dust orally when their hives fail to appear, and so on. The study suggested that, while the allergy likely could never be cured, this treatment might allow some people like my DD, who can't ingest a single peanut without being violently ill now, to actually eat a few of them before realizing it's harmful and then quit without getting so much as a hive. It could alleviate the need for epipens, etc. for some.

 

[tlinus]

My DD is severely allergic to grass.....she breaks out in hives/eczema flares and asthma bothers her. We make adjustments so she can go out and play - should I keep her in our house or in a bubble? no

She has extremely severe reactions to peanut dust (yup, she is an epi pen kinda kid). In 2005 we went to a Phillies game and before we arrived the people eating peanuts 2 rows up their dust had settled on the lower rows chairs. We couldn't even see the dust. Let's just say after 2-3 minutes she was covered head to toe in hives and needed and injection at the stadium and was monitored at the ER. Will I try to keep that type of dust contact away from her? You bet.

She flew SW airlines in April with no incidents thanks to them informing passengers before entering the plane as well as during the usual pretakeoff spiel. I was also able to preboard the plane and completely wipe down our row/tray tables, armrests with travel wipes and get her situated.

To those who have no problem with refraining from peanuts (not talking about pb sandwiches here - that does not contain dust and can be contained-she reacts to pb if she touches it or someone touches her) on a flight, thank you for being considerate. For those who have no clue about the consequences some people (and children) can face because you can't get through a 2 hour flight without peanuts, well, all I can say is just hope that one day the same lack of consideration is shown to you.

Enjoy your cookie with peanuts - I know that if DD wasn't with me, I would do the same in the concourse (its simple to just wash your hands after too )