Originally Posted by
SeaProf
It's not actually that rare - it's estimated about 1 in 100 have it (compared with roughly 1 in 200 adults for peanut allergies in the US). And yes, vigilance is always required, but there are some things airlines can do not to exacerbate the situation, just as there are precautions I can take. For example, one thing I could do is always take a window seat so that these cups are not being passed over me to someone else.
The difference with the peanut allergy is that while it's rare in the population, within the world of allergies, its one of the more "common" deadly allergies. And so even if cross contamination was unlikely ("just don't take the peanut bag") considering how bad the consequences could be, it's not worth the risk. They are not even comparable for this example.
I am sure there is a small chance that someone's cup will get crumbs in it, but the vast vast vast majority of the time an Air NZ staff members pours a cup of coffee into a normal cup, there will be no crumbs. Considering how unlikely that is, taking away a fun, nice, environmentally friendly option for 99% of people just because at some point, someone will get a crumb in someone's cup and they may be the 1% of the population with a gluten intolerance, does not feel like a reasonable reaction.