Peanuts on a plane

[aussietravellers]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but are people who have a peanut allergy usually allergic to almonds or cashews? I realize that one is a legume and the others tree nuts, but I was not sure if those with severe allergies are allergic to both. Maybe an alternative would be to make a sandwich with cashew or almond butter in you need to take a sandwich on a plane.

It is not a stupid question, there are never stupid questions I believe

There isn't a way to predict if somebody with a peanut allergy would be allergic to other nuts and not others. I have been allergic to peanuts my whole life, I have had a few anaphylactic reactions to them and also one to pinenuts in my almost 40 years of life, each one worse than the last. I have never eaten any nuts as the allergy is so sever, but I am apparantly not allergic to almonds and macadamias, but am allergic to hazelnuts, walnuts, peacans, brazil nuts and a few others, I don't remember so I just avoid them all.

Now on an airplane I am really not concerned with others around me eating any nuts other than peanuts, you could be sitting right beside me and be munching away on a bag of mixed nuts (minus peanuts) and it would not bother me in the slightest reason being, that only peanuts release their protein into the air, other nuts do not.

The main problem with peanuts is that the peanut protein can become airbourne which is not the case with other nuts. It has been proven that airline filters have been covered in peanut protein so it is a massive danger to those in a plane with a peanut allergy. I don't believe if there is one person sitting at the back of the plane and you are sitting at the front that there will be enough protein released into the air to affect you at that distance, the problem is when they are close by and it is a major problem when the whole plane opens their little bags of peanuts and a huge number of peanut protein is released into the air.

I personally do not fly on airlines that serve peanuts. I have had 3 anaphylactic reactions from airbourne exposure (one from peanut butter, so whoever said that peanut butter does not release protein is incorrect ), the other two were people eating a satay meal near me.

Sadly I know it does inconvenience some people to not eat a peanut for an hour or few, it does inconvenience them that they may have to eat another type of sandwich rather than peanut butter. But really it is somebodies life, it is not something that can be helped. Believe me, I find my allergy very annoying some people are worried about being inconvenienced for an hour or two on a flight (or three, four), I have been inconvenienced for almost 40 years with this allergy! , I really would rather not have it, I really don't want to die from somebody beside me eating a peanut either, I really HATE being pest and having to ask constantly, before ever putting anything in my mouth if this contains nuts or peanuts. But unfortunately I don't have a choice, there is no cure. If there were a pill or an operation that would cure this allergy I would take it or do it. I do choose airlines that do not serve peanuts (they do serve other nuts but with an airbourne reaction not possible with those nuts it's not as severe a problem). It is very scary knowing that every time I eat could cause my death but I have some degree of control over that, it's even scarier that somebody eating beside me could kill me as I have no control over that, I am in their hands.


Anyway, enough of my rambling . Eat peanuts on a flight, don't eat peanuts on a flight, take another type of nut maybe, but I hope that if anybody is seated near somebody with a life threatening allergy to peanuts that you do realise that they can't help it, would rather not have it and respect them enough to want to help them stay safe, just for a few hours.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hey, do what you want. No one is telling you what to do or not do. I'm just saying flying is a special circumstance that warrants a bit of extra caution. If you feel it's your constitutional right to eat P&J sandwiches on a plane, then go right ahead. As for me, I'll keep my Oh Henry bar in the wrapper til I get off the plane. Honestly, I can go a few hours without peanuts.

Didn't realize it would be so traumatic for people to go without peanuts for 4 or 5 hours. Maybe we need to start a peanut addiction and dependency support group thread!

Medical research has shown a significant rise in peanut allergies over the past 20 years. Researchers estimate 1%-1.5% of the population is allergic to peanuts. (Check the medical research for yourself). So let's do the math... on a plane of 150 people there will be on average 1 or 2 people with a peanut allergy. That doesn't sound minute to me. But hey, screw everyone else and enjoy your tin of peanuts!

Have you ever heard that old adage 'You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.' ?? Your attitude and statements are off-putting which gets others riled up. Perhaps if you posted in a more calm manner people would take you seriously.

It is not a stupid question, there are never stupid questions I believe

There isn't a way to predict if somebody with a peanut allergy would be allergic to other nuts and not others. I have been allergic to peanuts my whole life, I have had a few anaphylactic reactions to them and also one to pinenuts in my almost 40 years of life, each one worse than the last. I have never eaten any nuts as the allergy is so sever, but I am apparantly not allergic to almonds and macadamias, but am allergic to hazelnuts, walnuts, peacans, brazil nuts and a few others, I don't remember so I just avoid them all.

Now on an airplane I am really not concerned with others around me eating any nuts other than peanuts, you could be sitting right beside me and be munching away on a bag of mixed nuts (minus peanuts) and it would not bother me in the slightest reason being, that only peanuts release their protein into the air, other nuts do not.

The main problem with peanuts is that the peanut protein can become airbourne which is not the case with other nuts. It has been proven that airline filters have been covered in peanut protein so it is a massive danger to those in a plane with a peanut allergy. I don't believe if there is one person sitting at the back of the plane and you are sitting at the front that there will be enough protein released into the air to affect you at that distance, the problem is when they are close by and it is a major problem when the whole plane opens their little bags of peanuts and a huge number of peanut protein is released into the air.

I personally do not fly on airlines that serve peanuts. I have had 3 anaphylactic reactions from airbourne exposure (one from peanut butter, so whoever said that peanut butter does not release protein is incorrect ), the other two were people eating a satay meal near me.

Sadly I know it does inconvenience some people to not eat a peanut for an hour or few, it does inconvenience them that they may have to eat another type of sandwich rather than peanut butter. But really it is somebodies life, it is not something that can be helped. Believe me, I find my allergy very annoying some people are worried about being inconvenienced for an hour or two on a flight (or three, four), I have been inconvenienced for almost 40 years with this allergy! , I really would rather not have it, I really don't want to die from somebody beside me eating a peanut either, I really HATE being pest and having to ask constantly, before ever putting anything in my mouth if this contains nuts or peanuts. But unfortunately I don't have a choice, there is no cure. If there were a pill or an operation that would cure this allergy I would take it or do it. I do choose airlines that do not serve peanuts (they do serve other nuts but with an airbourne reaction not possible with those nuts it's not as severe a problem). It is very scary knowing that every time I eat could cause my death but I have some degree of control over that, it's even scarier that somebody eating beside me could kill me as I have no control over that, I am in their hands.


Anyway, enough of my rambling . Eat peanuts on a flight, don't eat peanuts on a flight, take another type of nut maybe, but I hope that if anybody is seated near somebody with a life threatening allergy to peanuts that you do realise that they can't help it, would rather not have it and respect them enough to want to help them stay safe, just for a few hours.

Thank-you for your post. I would never intentionally set out to hurt someone else. This is why I now leave my peanut products at home..or keep them in my carryon bag and enjoy they at the terminal on either end of my trip.
The problem is when those who are not seasoned travelers, bring along peanut products for themselves and their families. They have no idea it could be an issue once on board that plane. Then, once they get on the plane, there could be an announcement that there is a severe peanut allergy onboard, so no one should take out any peanut products. Now..you have a mom, with her three kids, who are going to need something substantial to eat. They didn't realize that there could be an issue, and thought they were planning correctly. I can understand that mother's distress.

If more gate agents made the announcement, well in advance of boarding, that no peanut products would be allowed to be eaten once on the plane, that mother could have bought something else (at high prices of course!!!) at the gate area and her kids would have had something to eat.

It truly is up to each individual to plan accordingly if they have any kind of allergy. If you, or someone in your party, has a peanut allergy, it is a good idea to alert the airlines before the flight...well before it.
I know that the one time I flew with a cat (on Delta) I was horrified at the thought of causing someone's cat allergy to flare up onboard. I specifically chose a seat toward the rear of the plane, where no one else was seated. I continually checked on that seat in the weeks before my flight. When I checked the seat the morning of departure, I realized that they had seated a ton of people all around me..including right next to me. When I got to the gate, I asked if my seat could be moved to one where there was no one around me. The gate agent looked at me like I had two heads and asked me if I had an issue with other people being near me...very nastily I might add. 'Ah, no. I don't. But I'm traveling with a cat and I really don't want anyone near me who may have an allergy. Since I booked a seat well away from the majority of the passengers and you filled up those empty seats at the last minute, I thought that perhaps it might be possible to move me to the last row where there is no one nearby.' She did move me, and there was no one behind me or beside me. But there was a couple in front of me. I asked them if either of them had an issue with cats. The answer was 'No, but thanks for asking.'
And no, I wasn't trying to get a seat to myself. I have no problem flying with strangers next to me. I just wanted to avoid impacting someone else negatively.

 

[Sandi]

She did move me, and there was no one behind me or beside me. But there was a couple in front of me. I asked them if either of them had an issue with cats. The answer was 'No, but thanks for asking.'
And no, I wasn't trying to get a seat to myself. I have no problem flying with strangers next to me. I just wanted to avoid impacting someone else negatively.

I'm just curious about what you would have done if one of the people nearby were allergic to cats? I appreciate your sensitivity and all the effort you went to in choosing your seat, etc. I'm a cat lover myself (sure wouldn't fly with them -- I hate being in a car with them on our way to the vet!), but I have a niece who can't come to our house because of her allergies (our house is very clean, but the cat dander is impossible to get rid of).

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Okay- I'll play a little devil's advocate here... I have a friend whose son is TOUCH ANAPHALATIC to dairy.... ( also egg and peanuts.) Should it be forbidden to mix/feed an infant formula/milk on a plane in the rare chance that someone with this allergy is on the plane???? Seems to be the same argument that some of the peanut people are using...

Do people NOT feed thir children milk/formula on planes/in public because of this rare sitiation?


I believe it is the allergy-sufferers job to take all precautions that they NEED and to be prepared for the worst even if it means taking 10 epi-pens on board like someone here mentioned.

 

[junebugTN]

Okay- I'll play a little devil's advocate here... I have a friend whose son is TOUCH ANAPHALATIC to dairy.... ( also egg and peanuts.) Should it be forbidden to mix/feed an infant formula/milk on a plane in the rare chance that someone with this allergy is on the plane???? Seems to be the same argument that some of the peanut people are using...

I must be one of the "peanut people," because I would prefer to eat an alternative snack than put anyone at risk. I dunno why I got such a kick out of the term, "peanut people," but I thought it was funny. Thanks for the early morning giggle.

I don't think the two can really be compared. I think it would be quite rare for somebody to have a life threatening reaction to dairy powder in the air...haha. But if there were such a thing, then yes, when I travelled when my daughter was an infant, I'd be glad to relocate to another area of the plane rather than put someone at risk if they informed me of their problem.

No, we can't make accomodations for every possible rare condition that someone might possibly have, but for one that everyone is aware of these days, like peanut allergies, why not just do the right thing and not stress about it? And if we do learn that the person next to us has some strange allergy we've never heard of, then one of us can move....no biggie.

June

 

[aussietravellers]

Okay- I'll play a little devil's advocate here... I have a friend whose son is TOUCH ANAPHALATIC to dairy.... ( also egg and peanuts.) Should it be forbidden to mix/feed an infant formula/milk on a plane in the rare chance that someone with this allergy is on the plane???? Seems to be the same argument that some of the peanut people are using... As I mentioned in my post above, that the peanut protein becomes airbourne. Its not because of a touch allergy it's because they will breathe in the allergn not touch it. I am anaphylactic to pine nuts, but I wouldn't care if you were sitting beside me eating pine nuts, pine nut protein isn't airbourne so I won't breathe it in. I would have wipes to keep myself safe. It's a little hard to find alternate air to stay safe with a life threatening allergy in the airplane.

Do people NOT feed thir children milk/formula on planes/in public because of this rare sitiation? thats funny. If the protein in milk became airbourne (which it doesn't) then yes, they shouldn't But as the protein in milk doesn't become airbourne, then the person sitting in the row behind could not die from the person in the row in front feeding their children.


I believe it is the allergy-sufferers job to take all precautions that they NEED and to be prepared for the worst even if it means taking 10 epi-pens on board like someone here mentioned. This is not possible for everybody! In my country Epipens are $180 each and by way of the Australian Government we are allowed only ONE at a time. So for ME it's impossible to carry 10 epi-pens. Short of sitting in the cockpit as they have their own air supply, it's a bit hard to avoid breathing in an airbourne peanut protein on an airplane. I think that's the main argument with the peanut allergy, I think that allergy-suffers do their best to take the precautions necessary (I know I do, for me, flying on airlines who don't serve peanuts, noting my PA in the reservation, telling the flight attendants on boarding, take an antihistamine before flying incase of exposure to maybe prevent the severity etc), but that still won't stop me from having an anaphylactic reaction if you open your bag of peanuts beside me. Nothing I can do to stop that, as I have taken all the precautions I can, it is the person who is opening the bag of peanuts releasing the protein. Again this is not about touch allergies for me, I have those, not a big a concern (well it is, but not when it comes to breathing), its the airbourne allergy

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Adding to my devil's advocate post:

From just this thread, it has been stated that it the "touch allergic to peanuts/peanut butter is rare." It sounds that it is about as rare as a "milk protein touch allergy."


Yet, it has been argued that all people regardless of where they are sitting should just not eat any peanut products including peanut butter on any plane just in case..

[I]Unlike most other allergies peanuts are highly dangerous (and most people know this). My DW is a school teacher and says the number of kids with peanut allergies is growing. Also, many parents do not know their kids are allergic until they have a reaction (the allergy is not necessarily genetic). And, unlike other environments, a plane is 30,000 ft in the air with no 911 option.

So there are two possibilities here: 1) the airline announces there is a child with a peanut allergy on board (so they serve some other snack) but some parent lets their kid eat pj sandwiches anyway. The kid at some point goes to the washroom (or something else) and the allergic kid comes in contact with the peanut residue. 2) a parent does not know their kid is allergic to peanuts but finds out the hard way on a plane in mid-flight. In either case the child could choke to death (an epipen only stops the reaction for about 15 minutes - usually enough time to get an ambulance or to emergency... not so on a plane).[/I]


So, how is this different than a touch milk??? Children are just as likely to get milk on hand and touch something in bathroom as peanut butter?
I'm not saying that you should eat a pb sandwich right next to a person that tells you they are that allergic but saying that it should be banned from all flights just in case there is someone on the plane with an undiagnosed one is too far... Just like it would be too far to request that no one feed their babies or small children milk/milk products on a plane because there is someone with a milk touch allergy on board or maybe there will be one on a later flight... And yes, my friends allergy is just as severe as any severe peanut allergy...

 

[Inkmahm]

I used peanuts as my mid-morning protein snack. I just found 1 oz Planter snack size bags at Sam's club yesterday and I bought a case of them. 1 oz and 7 gm of protein is the perfect size for me.

I often eat peanuts on the plane and often eat them while in line for various attractions at WDW. They are easy to carry, easy to eat. If someone around me said they were allergic I would of course not eat the peanuts. But I'm not going to live my life worrying that there MIGHT be someone around me that is allergic.

 

[aussietravellers]

I must be one of the "peanut people," because I would prefer to eat an alternative snack than put anyone at risk. I dunno why I got such a kick out of the term, "peanut people," but I thought it was funny. Thanks for the early morning giggle.

I don't think the two can really be compared. I think it would be quite rare for somebody to have a life threatening reaction to dairy powder in the air...haha. But if there were such a thing, then yes, when I travelled when my daughter was an infant, I'd be glad to relocate to another area of the plane rather than put someone at risk if they informed me of their problem.

No, we can't make accomodations for every possible rare condition that someone might possibly have, but for one that everyone is aware of these days, like peanut allergies, why not just do the right thing and not stress about it? And if we do learn that the person next to us has some strange allergy we've never heard of, then one of us can move....no biggie.

June

 

[aussietravellers]

Have you ever heard that old adage 'You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.' ?? Your attitude and statements are off-putting which gets others riled up. Perhaps if you posted in a more calm manner people would take you seriously.



Thank-you for your post. I would never intentionally set out to hurt someone else. This is why I now leave my peanut products at home..or keep them in my carryon bag and enjoy they at the terminal on either end of my trip.
The problem is when those who are not seasoned travelers, bring along peanut products for themselves and their families. They have no idea it could be an issue once on board that plane. Then, once they get on the plane, there could be an announcement that there is a severe peanut allergy onboard, so no one should take out any peanut products. Now..you have a mom, with her three kids, who are going to need something substantial to eat. They didn't realize that there could be an issue, and thought they were planning correctly. I can understand that mother's distress.

If more gate agents made the announcement, well in advance of boarding, that no peanut products would be allowed to be eaten once on the plane, that mother could have bought something else (at high prices of course!!!) at the gate area and her kids would have had something to eat.

I agree, I think it should be announced at the gate, well before boarding, then if people wished they could find an alternative for that flight. I truely understand the inconvenience , honestly, having a peanut allergy really inconveniences me on a daily basis and I'm used to it really, so for somebody who doesn't live with it daily it would be hard to understand. Everybody with an allergy, should note it in their reservation, then the airline has time to prepare and yes, a gate announcement would help a lot of people.

I don't think the world should stop eating peanuts because of people with PA (would be easier for me if they did ) but really if you don't have an allergy in the family then why should you, you should be able to munch away on your peanuts or PB sandwiches if that's what you enjoy. I for one would have a very hard time giving up chocolate and I eat it where ever I am but at the same time, if somebody nearby had an allergy and my consumption at that moment endangered them in some way I would pop my chocolate away for later without a second thought. And I think that is the way that most people here seem to react when a peanut person is near by and that is lovely to see .

 

[Hannathy]

So why don't peanut allergy folks just wear a mask on airplanes? and gloves on their way to the bathroom? then it doesn't matter what the rest of the plane does. You are taking care of yourself.

PS everything I'm reading says that a few people on a plane eating peanuts does not put enough protein in the air to cause problems especially if several rows away. Same with at a game, or waiting in line. the dust has to reach a certain level to do anything and that is hard to do out in the open like in a line at Disney, especially outside. also there is no protein in the scent of peanut butter but it can trigger a "hysterical" type reaction to those with the allergy because their body has been trained to react to a danger.

IMO this is why there is so much push back to the peanut restrictions, many are over the top and beyond what is needed.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm just curious about what you would have done if one of the people nearby were allergic to cats? I appreciate your sensitivity and all the effort you went to in choosing your seat, etc. I'm a cat lover myself (sure wouldn't fly with them -- I hate being in a car with them on our way to the vet!), but I have a niece who can't come to our house because of her allergies (our house is very clean, but the cat dander is impossible to get rid of).

I booked that flight about 2 months in advance. THe airlines assume that if someone is allergic to animals, they will alert them when booking. One should always 'expect' there to be an animal on board a plane. If no one let the airline know that they were allergic, then there's not much you can do.
Flying with the cat was something I just don't want to have to do again. It was my son's cat and I was flying it down to him..he met me at MCO and then drove me to WDW on his way home to Tampa. I kept the cat in as small a carrier as I could, I kept all the flaps down with the exception of the one facing me. I draped a towel over the whole dang thing, with a bit of an opening in front of that flap.
That is why I asked the people in front of me if they had an issue....I just didn't trust the airline to make sure. I have family that is allergic to cats as well. I am as well. But, I'm good as long as I keep my hands away from my face after touching a cat.

I have overhead people complaining about animals on board planes..saying 'what if' about allergies. But, since animals do fly, those with any kind of allergy have to plan ahead and let the airline know. If someone had called Delta, after I had booked my flight, and told them they had a child that was allergic to cats, Delta would have told them there was a cat booked on that specific flight and they could have either booked that flight, knowing a cat was onboard, or changed to a different flight.

 

[Sandi]

Thanks Diane. You specifically told the airline about the cat in advance, too. That makes a lot of sense. You're a nice mom. Unless there were lots of drugs involved (for me and the cat), I wouldn't transport ours a long distance to anyone. I love my DD15, but I'd rather deal with her cats on a day to day basis than transport them anywhere. When she is all done with school, she can drive them to wherever she winds up!

That said, personally, I've been on planes with many dogs that are better behaved and nicer than some of the humans on board. I don't recall flying with any cats however.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

the peanuts im bringing onboard are from the place called "Five Guys Burgers and Fries" they are un-shelled.

 

[Lewisc]

Alitalia is not able to guarantee a risk-free environment for those
who have an intolerance to breathing-in the odour of peanuts or substances containing
peanuts, and therefore, advises people subject to this risk not to request flights with
Alitalia, as the company cannot guarantee their physical safety.

They're not the only airline to make this kind of suggestion.

Previous passengers on the plane may have consumed peanuts. Passengers on your flight may not hear the no-peanut announcement. Others may hear it and not care. Some may not even know peanuts is an ingredient in their granola or candy bar.

People have to evaluate the degree of their allergy. Many passengers with a peanut allergy may be OK with reasonable precautions. A few passengers may be better off not flying.

 

[monsterkitty]

the peanuts im bringing onboard are from the place called "Five Guys Burgers and Fries" they are un-shelled.

That is going to make quite the mess. I'm not sure the FA will be very happy with you...

 

[Inkmahm]

That is going to make quite the mess. I'm not sure the FA will be very happy with you...

Huh??

 

[monsterkitty]

Huh??

Unshelled peanuts still have the shell on them. Think of the mess unshelled peanuts make at a baseball park. Can you imagine having to clean up the shells after that flight?

 

[Inkmahm]

Unshelled peanuts still have the shell on them. Think of the mess unshelled peanuts make at a baseball park. Can you imagine having to clean up the shells after that flight?

Sometimes I take pistachios instead of peanuts for my snack. I also take a ziplock baggy to put the shells in so I don't leave a mess. I doubt the poster planned to toss shells all over the plane's floor.

 

[Brenle]

Sometimes I take pistachios instead of peanuts for my snack. I also take a ziplock baggy to put the shells in so I don't leave a mess. I doubt the poster planned to toss shells all over the plane's floor.

I would hope not!!!!