Peanut/treenut allergy & flying

[Disfreek]

Have any of you with kids with nut allergies flown to WDW? What accomodations do the airlines make?

What airlines have you found to be PN/TN allergy friendly?

Thanks

DD3yo is allergic to both.

 

[Selket]

This is a tough subject because the airlines often change things. I've only flown once to WDW which was exactly a year ago and that airline has already gone out of business (Independence Air). They did not serve nuts and actually had safe snacks (bags of sun chips).

I find really good discussions of this topic on the Peanut Allergy bulletin board at: http://www.peanutallergy.com/bbpage.htm If you scroll down their list of boards there is one devoted just to AIRLINES. You will likely find the info a bit confusing but it seems that United and Jet Blue are two that people have good luck with. Southwest Airlines is a definite NO in my book - they definitely serve peanuts and many have experienced problems with them.

I'd probably personally fly Jet Blue if you have service in your city to Orlando (which we don't - )

 

[phillybeth]

I've flown Airtran and they have never offered a snack with peanut/tree nut in coach class. Morning snack is a cookie similar to a graham cracker; afternoon and evening is a bag of pretzels. I don't know what the snacks are in business class.
I have a tree nut allergy, but not sensitive enough to be triggered through casual contact- so I do read labels but I don't contact the airline ahead of time.

 

[Selket]

I just wanted to add that most airlines suggest that you fly as early in the morning as you can because the plane is likely to be cleaner - in case folks have brought on their own peanut snacks on an earlier flight or from what the airlines themselves serve.

For example - I mentioned I would not fly Southwest but I think it might be possible, depending on the severity of the peanut allergy, to take their first flight out. I THINK they don't start serving peanuts until after 9am flights - something like that.

I also brought along an old twin size bed fitted bed sheet which fit very nicely over William's seat and stayed on. I brought some wipes and wiped down the things he could touch. I'll add that we had to transfer planes after sitting on the runway for 2 hours! I had to do it all over again on the next plane

William is contact allergic to peanuts so I am very nervous to fly with him - and therefore extremely picky. If your child isn't so allergic it might not be as much of an issue. On the positive side there are few reports of reactions on airplanes.

 

[DVCDawn]

My DD6 is allergic to peanuts and DD4 is allergic to tree nuts. We have used Jet Blue several times with them without any reactions. I strongly suggest, if you choose to fly Jet Blue, that you contact them before you purchase tickets. At the time of our last flight (July 2005) they did not serve any peanuts, but did offer almonds as one of the choices from their snack box. (FYI...the person I spoke to before purchasing tickets informed me that the packaging on the almonds offered stated "packed in a peanut dust-free facility.") I found them to be very sensitive to my situation -- allowing me to pre-board to wipe down seats, etc. I have heard that sometimes they won't serve the almonds if they know that a passenger is allergic, however, this is the pilot's decision. Be sure to let them know your situation before you board, perhaps they would make that adjustment for your TN allergic child, too.

Good luck -- I know just how stressful flying can be.

DVCDawn

 

[camlace]

I recently flew on jetblue and they had pistachio biscotti and cashews as some of their snack options.

One thing I don't understand is how do you control the other 100+ passengers on the plane. I've never been asked if I plan on bringing peanuts/tree nuts on the plane. In today's day and age where less and less food is served on the plane, many people bring their own food. I always have a package of peanut butter crackers with me. They are my "comfort food" when flying. How are you supposed to protect your child from random people like me that bring their own food on the plane? If you have a child that is that sensitive to certain foods sounds like the safest thing to do is not take a plane...that way you have more control over the situation.

 

[Absimilliard]

I work for Air Canada, as a groomer (the people who clean the planes between flights) and I did check on the allergy issues.

Air Canada doesn't serve anything with peanuts in coach class. On some international flights, they serve hot roasted peanuts in Business, but that's it. The various mixes sold are peanuts free, but the packages list them as "contain traces of/and cashews and almonds". Cashews are sold as a snack on board.

 

[shades]

I would recommend bringing your own snacks rather than worrying about peanut allergy friendly airlines. Since coach class rarely gets anything other than a choice of a tiny bag of peanuts, a chewy granola bar, bag of ruffles or sunchips - I can't see paying more dollars for a ticket on an aircarrier that offers something other than peanuts. We take our own snacks and no longer expect anything more than a small plastic cup of water from the airlines. Heck, we didn't even get that last night on Delta because bad weather preemted cart service.

 

[Selket]

I would recommend bringing your own snacks rather than worrying about peanut allergy friendly airlines. I can't see paying more dollars for a ticket on an aircarrier that offers something other than peanuts.

Ah....if it were only so simple.

The issue isn't whether the OP's child can EAT the snack that is served but that it is safer generally to fly airlines that do not serve peanuts. That way you can have a much better chance of not sitting next to someone eating peanuts. Or if peanuts were served on the flight before yours, that there are not peanuts on the seat or on the floor or peanut residue on the armrests, etc.

We talk about "safe" snacks in the sense of not likely to contain peanut - hence not as likely to cause a reaction if someone next to you is eating it. I think all of us with PA kids would generally bring our own snacks on the airplane. I did happen to fly an airline that not only did not serve peanuts but also served a snack my son could eat (Sunchips). Obviously I"m not so dumb as to pay hundreds of extra $$$ to get a 50 cent bag of safe chips.

 

[shades]

Ah....if it were only so simple.

The issue isn't whether the OP's child can EAT the snack that is served but that it is safer generally to fly airlines that do not serve peanuts. That way you can have a much better chance of not sitting next to someone eating peanuts. Or if peanuts were served on the flight before yours, that there are not peanuts on the seat or on the floor or peanut residue on the armrests, etc.

We talk about "safe" snacks in the sense of not likely to contain peanut - hence not as likely to cause a reaction if someone next to you is eating it. I think all of us with PA kids would generally bring our own snacks on the airplane. I did happen to fly an airline that not only did not serve peanuts but also served a snack my son could eat (Sunchips). Obviously I"m not so dumb as to pay hundreds of extra $$$ to get a 50 cent bag of safe chips.

Ohhh...I understand. Especially if you are going to sit next to somebody in the plane who may eat the peanuts they hand out. However, what if somebody brought peanuts on a plane (we have trail mix with us sometimes) and happens to drop them in the seat. I would think that people with peanut allergies (or, those with small children w/peanut allergies) would be especially careful to check the seat out for stray nuts - and, if they are sensitive enough to have a reaction to peanut residue on armrests, wouldn't they have to wipe them down anyway regardless of whether peanuts were served or not - just incase?

Now - what I'd like to see if perfume/cologne free flights. I think I'd be willing to pay extra $$ to fly on one of those!

 

[Selket]

It depends on the person's allergies as to how sensitive they are to someone eating peanuts on the plane. It is somewhat rare to have an airborne reaction - at least to one or two people eating some peanuts. If the whole plane was ripping into packs of peanuts that is a bigger problem.

It is an issue if someone was eating peanut items and had the seat before us. That is why I bring a fitted twin sheet and wipe everything down. I've only flown one RT flight with William (who is the allergic one) and it is stressful. A reaction on an airplane is unusual but not unheard of. I prefer to drive but there are just some places and situations that would be difficult to get to so I don't rule it out.

 

[erinch]

it's been some while back, but USAir would make a flight peanut free for the snacks they hand out. Requested at time of booking. Might want to check on airline policy now. when we had to fly with DS, we got bulkhead seats, so that there wasn't anyone in front of us, and I introduced myself to the people behind us and asked if they'd be eating any peanut products.

 

[Schmeck]

erinch, what if the people behind you did have a peanut butter sandwich or somesuch for their child to eat? Is there an airline policy for such a situation? Would they notify people beforehand not to bring peanut products on board?

 

[erinch]

they will not notify people to be peanut free--at least that's my understanding. If the people behind us had had peanut snacks, and had demanded their right to consume them, we would have had to get off the plane. fortunately, our DS's danger zone is only a few feet. My experience is that while there are a few belligerent people in this world, most are kind and would be willing to forego a snack for the sake of a child.

 

[SueM in MN]

erinch, what if the people behind you did have a peanut butter sandwich or somesuch for their child to eat? Is there an airline policy for such a situation? Would they notify people beforehand not to bring peanut products on board?

I have been on a number of flights on a number of airlines where they announced before take off that there was a peanut allergic person on board. They requested that anyone who had broght any snacks containing peanuts not eat them. They also said that anyone had a question or concern about the announcement should contact the flight attendant before take off. I've never seen anyone contact the FA after the announcement and most comments I've heard have been sympathetic.

I've flown a couple of times on Air Tran and we always had non-nut containing snacks; little cheddar whale crackers and some kind of hard ginger cookies (actually quite good).

 

[Schmeck]

If they make the announcement when you are already on the plane, what do you do if the only thing you've brought for your child to eat is a peanut butter sandwich? Will the airline offer you a free alternative? Or will they charge you for something?

The reason I'm asking is that I know a young boy with Asperger's that is going through a phase now where he will only eat peanut butter and crackers. They're planning a trip soon, and I wonder what they would do if their son couldn't eat the only thing acceptable to him on a 4 hour flight.

If the airline would let you know ahead of time, then they could have the child eat the pb and crackers before he got on the flight. Of course, if this is all he'll eat, then a substitue offering form the airline wouldn't help.

It was really tricky balancing this child's needs with another in his grade who had a severe peanut allergy. She was allergic to the smell of peanuts, and all he would eat was peanut butter and crackers.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

I've flown a couple of times on Air Tran and we always had non-nut containing snacks; little cheddar whale crackers and some kind of hard ginger cookies (actually quite good).

I flew Airtran last year, by myself (without allergic ds). We were served the whale crackers, and those were "may contain" peanuts. Chances are slim, but for someone who is highly allergic, they probably don't want to take the chance. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[Selket]

If they make the announcement when you are already on the plane, what do you do if the only thing you've brought for your child to eat is a peanut butter sandwich? Will the airline offer you a free alternative? Or will they charge you for something?
.

My guess is that they would try to seat the two far apart from each other if they were close together - likely moving the peanut allergy family to another part of the airplane.

Peanut allergies vary in severity - but the most rare is someone who would react to airborne peanut - especially just from one or two peanut items being eaten on a plane. A whole plane full of folks opening up bags of peanuts would be a problem because of the recirculating air in the plane. I've only flown once with William and the airline didn't serve peanuts. He is touch allergic but I wasn't especially concerned that someone on board was going to eat peanuts or peanut butter. I covered his seat with a fitted twin bedsheet, wiped down all the surfaces around him and we didn't get up. If he had needed to go to the restroom I would have done my best to kept him from touching surfaces etc and so forth...... I really do hate to fly.

Of course what the airlines or parents or anyone else would do in the situation YOU mention is really dependent on the airlines and the parents and so forth - I doubt we could predict in advance.

 

[SueM in MN]

I flew Airtran last year, by myself (without allergic ds). We were served the whale crackers, and those were "may contain" peanuts. Chances are slim, but for someone who is highly allergic, they probably don't want to take the chance. Just wanted to throw that out there.

I do remember looking at the crackers, but don't remember what it said.
I guess if I had a child who was allergic, I would probably not take the chance to let him/her eat the crackers, but at least the chance of other people on the plane eating them and causing a problem for the allergic child would be very low.