Waiting to board our plane and....

[design_mom]

Of course it is. That's part of the intrigue.

Personally I think there's a lot of bluff and bluster on this thread. In the end I would think most people are reasonable and don't think "to hell with anyone else" when a simple request is made.

I think you are right that most people would try to accommodate, but the frustrating part to me is that it's not always a "simple" request -- especially by making the request at the last moment (and I realize that might be the airline and not the allergic person). Sometimes people have to choose between their own comfort or health and another person's.

Many times, though not always, the non-allergic person could make non-peanut arrangements to meet their needs, but a last minute request takes away their ability to do so. I know that I, for one, will assume from now on that any flight might be peanut-free and will pack something else. However, on our peanut-free flight (10 years ago), everything I brought was OK according to airline rules, and once we were on the plane, the rules changed. (Edited to add: I haven't seen ANYONE complain about airlines serving a non-peanut snack onboard. The not-always-simple part arises when they ask people not to eat the food they've brought on with them.)

Labeling it a "simple request" really comes off as dismissive to anyone else's needs or inconvenience. Most people, I think, will do what they can even if it's inconvenient to themselves, but it isn't always "simple," especially when it's at the last minute. Please try to be respectful of others when you're asking to change their plans to accommodate your (general, not specifically the poster I quoted) needs.