Flyer “Belittled” After Informing Crew About Life-Threatening Allergy
Jeff Edwards September 28, 2018
A Thomas Cook passenger say she was “belittled and patronized and embarrassed” after informing a cabin crew member that she has a a severe airborne allergy to strawberries. The 19-year-old, whose condition has been used to teach schoolchildren about the dangers of anaphylaxis, was reportedly told that she would have to make alternate travel plans rather than denying other passengers “full access to the onboard menu.”
Chloe Fitzpatrick is something of a poster child for allergy awareness. The 19-year-old’s battle with a severe strawberry allergy was featured in the documentary film A Day in the Life of Chloe, which is used in the classroom to teach students about the risks associated with severe allergies.
Crew members on her Thomas Cook flight home from Zakynthos International Airport (ZTH) to Manchester Airport (MAN), however, were apparently absent from class on the day her story was taught. Fitzpatrick says that when she attempted to explain the nature of her condition to a crew member, the airline employee threatened to leave her behind in Greece.
“I was told I would have to sort out an alternative way home,” the teenager told The Lancashire Telegraph. “She appeared to have no understanding of the concept of an airborne anaphylactic allergy. I felt belittled and patronized and embarrassed about my condition.”
The airline eventually relented and agreed not to sell strawberry products during the flight. Flight attendants even made an announcement alerting fellow passengers to her life-threatening allergy – though, Fitzpatrick says, not before intentionally attempting to embarrass her and reminding her that her request was “at the expense of the other 200” passengers on the flight.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our first priority,” an airline spokesperson later told the newspaper. “When a customer lets us know that they have an allergy, the cabin manager will share the information with the captain and crew as part of their pre-flight briefing to decide on the best course of action, based on the severity of the allergy. On speaking with both Ms. Fitzpatrick and the captain, the cabin manager made an announcement to all customers asking them to refrain from opening products containing strawberries that they may have brought on board, and advised that no products containing strawberries would be sold on the flight.”
Fitzpatrick’s story came to light just as an inquest kicked off into the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died of anaphylaxis during a 2016 British Airways flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE). In this case, the teenager inadvertently consumed food containing sesame seeds from an airport vendor. Despite the short flying time, access to multiple epinephrine injections and a medical doctor onboard, the girl died as a direct result of an allergic reaction to the sesame seeds.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
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I am allergic to strawberries. The key is not to eat them and to bring the suppressants. Unlike pollen, strawberries don't go airborne, Given the absence of mainstream medical articles on circulated nuts in the airstream, she definitely owed the airline ample advanced warning and compensation. Leaving her behind, was a rational and sensible option.
1. It is entirely fair that they should not serve strawberries on the flight 2. She should compensate those who lost the utility of consumption on the flight home
Best is to inform the airline in advance. And airlines to a certain extent have stepped back their obligations because they cannot control what happened on previous flights nor can they control what people bring with them on the flight. United used to define a 3 row safety zone around the person with allergies. No longer. On the other hand, in Canada a person with allergies is considered a person with handicaps. The airline is obligated to handle. However, the passenger has the obligation to inform the airline in advance and have the necessary medical paperwork filled out in advance. My daughter has a nut allergy. We flew on Turkish. We let them know in advance. We had the medical paperwork filled in and presented it at checkin and at the gate. Got on the flight. Saw the menu. No nuts. For my daughter alone I asked? No, they pulled nuts from the menu for the whole flight. (No baklava for anyone) . So, airlines will accommodate, but you have to work with them according to the procedures that they have laid out.
We're getting to the point that no food will be on any aircraft at all. I feel for those who have severe allergic reactions to certain foods, I've actually never heard about strawberry allergies, though I'm not disputing this story. The question becomes - who's obligation is it to insure that the person who has the food allergy will have a safe flight?