I am an adult with anaphylaxis-level allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, seafood (all fish, all shellfish), and milk. All were discovered the "hard way" and all have had multiple anaphylactic reactions in the past (either before we figured out what the cause was and/or after through accidental exposure). The seafood allergy is airborne. The peanut allergy is airborne if there is enough airborne peanut dust (e.g. the time I went to a steakhouse not knowing that the peanut allergy was airborne; the steakhouse had peanut shells all over the floor; the reaction took about 20 minutes to start).
I have to travel for work, and I choose to travel for personal trips, including vacations. Often times, that involves flying.
In Canada, by regulation, Canadian airlines are required to provide certain accommodations to passengers with a peanut/tree nut allergy if the airlines receives at least 48 hours notice. This includes a buffer zone of rows around the passenger in which peanut/tree nut products will not be served, the passengers will be briefed and request not to consume items containing peanut/tree nuts. This is the link to the press release from the Canadian Transportation Agency regarding the direction that was provided to the airlines (
https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/direc...e-travellers-disabled-peanut-or-nut-allergies ) . it also contains links to some relevant prior decisions, which get into some technical and scientific discussion about allergens, aircraft air circulation, etc.
In practice, I found found of the three Canadian airlines that I fly on (WestJet, Air Canada, and Porter) that the airline by its own policy will also allow passengers to pre-board so they can wipe down their seating area.
On WestJet, each time I have flown the head flight attendant has asked about my peanut/tree nut allergy, including if it is airborne. i explain the circumstance in which it was. The flight attendant EVERY TIME has asked if I would be ok with them making a plane-wide announcement asking people not to consume peanuts and tree nuts. The first time I was asked, I said I didn't know if that was necessary. The flight attendant replied that they would prefer to do it to reduce the risk. So I said yes. The next times I said yes when asked if it was ok they did that, since I understood the rationale.
This is what I do to keep myself safe/mitigate the risk when I fly:
I notify the airline shortly after purchasing my ticket, usually the same day or the day after. For the Canadian airlines, depending which airline, when you explain you have a ticket and you have a peanut/tree nut allergy, you either continue to deal with the (trained) customer service person, or you are transferred to the airline's Medical Services desk. Either way I have been asked the same questions. I am asked what the allergy is to (e.g. is it just peanuts, or both ?), how severe it is, do I carry Epipens. The airline will assign me a seat if one hasn't already been selected/assigned. They discuss with me whether I need or want to pre-board. They remind me to make sure I carry Epipens with me on the plane. I let them know I will be wearing a mask on the plane. All of this info is noted in my passenger file, and the airline sets certain flags on my reservations, including medical requirement to pre-board and that I have a P/TN allergy and require a buffer zone.
So, for example, for my December 2015 flights on WestJet, I purchased the tickets in February. Within a week of buying the tickets I called WestJet and notified them of the allergy.
What does NOT happen is other passengers being notified before the flight. that is an airline issue and I am not aware of any that do that; I would suspect as another poster suggested that the airlines will only do what they are regulated to. Case in point, the CTA has to regulate the canadian airines to accommodate those with severe P/TN allergies; as you can see from the decisions, Air Canada fought but lost.
None of the three Canadian airlines I have flown make gate announcements. Any announcements are done while on the plane. For the buffer zone, those rows are told after the flight crew give the emergency briefing to the exit row passengers. I know for a fact that two of the airlines policies is that if someone in the buffer zone then says they want to have P/TN food, then the airline relocates that person outside the buffer zone -- the allergic passenger stays put. If the plane-wide announcement is done, it is usually at the end of the plane-wide emergency briefing. Westjet actually has a recording they use for the emergency briefing, and they just program the thing to add the P/TN request at the end (it is also a recording).
Flying with US airlines is more difficult because they are not required to, and most do not, accommodate. For now I would only fly a US airline if I had no choice, and I would be careful which airline I fly. I will pick Canadian airline itineraries to the US that are entirely on the Canadian airline, even if it costs more or the times are not as convenient or it means connections (including ones halfway across the country) instead of direct flights. I have enough points on a US airline right now for two free first class tickets but cannot use them because that airline refuses to accommodate at all.
What do I do ?
I wear long sleeves and long pants, even if it is the middle of the summer. I usually wear a lightweight jacket or at least a vest over that.
I wear an N95 or N99 mask on the plane.
I pre-board the plane. I use a disposable seat cover to cover my seat (I carry one for each leg plus two extras in case of unexpected itinerary changes). I wear nitrile gloves while I use sanitizing wipes to wipe down the armrests, seatbelt, tray table, window shade, and other things I may have to touch in my immediate seating area. (there are studies to show that wipes are effective but not perfect in removing P/TN residue from surfaces, and the type of wipe can make a difference; I use Wet Ones).
I carry multiple epinephrine auto-injectors (Epipens and Allerject/Auvi-Q) -- two on my person in a dedicated carrier (along with Benadryl and an asthma inhaler) (usually worn as a waist pack, but last time I put it in a pocket of the vest I was wearing) and at least two more in my carry-on bag under the seat in front of me (the bag has a washable open tote around it to protect the bag from the floor). I also have a portable nebulizer and its emergency asthma meds in the medical carry-on bag above my seat.
I bring my own food though rarely take the mask off to eat it-- I have safe snacks in case we are delayed for too long on the plane, and I have at least two meals (I use a specific backpacking freeze dried meal that is safe and that only needs water, preferrably hot, to reconstitute for eating). If my pre-flight and/or layover time is long enough, I will eat one of the meals during that time, if I cannot find suitable food at the airport. As an aside: often it is very hard or impossible to find safe food at airports beyond fruit as a snack -- actual meals are very difficult. I do not eat any food from the airline. I bring a bottle of water with me just in case.
So far, this has worked.
A PP asked about doing other things in public -- I am careful about what I touch and I always carry wipes with me. My hands get wiped and washed a lot. I have trained myself to not touch my face, food, etc until my hands are wiped or washed with soap and water. Right now I only take public transit when I have no other choice, but In the past I had to commute by bus. When taking public transit, I wear long pants and short or long sleeves, with a jacket over. Even in the middle of the summer. I try not to touch anything with my hands. I need a seat due to a mobility disability, so USUALLY do not have to stand and hold a bar. I wear a mask on the bus, but that is more for the plentiful airborne allergens in the spring/summer/fall.
At restaurants, I wipe down the table in front of me, and at some I use a disposable plastic placemat that I bring. We only eat out at a few restaurants that we know are safe. I won't even step foot in someplace that serves a lot of seafood, and I learned the hard way about peanut shells so the few restaurants that are like that are a no go too.
At hotels, we wipe down room surfaces and request no room service for our stay.
SW
