Are the Peanuts going?
 

I know that most of Delta flyers want those three little nuts but for someone like myself who suffers from a severe allergy, my options are limited when it comes to flying. I noticed on their website that they are changing their policy from providing a buffer to not serving them at all if you alert them. I know that Southwest has a similar policy and could this be a sign that they are on the way out? If not when? My primary airport is SEA and other than AS, Delta and Southwest rule.

On a flight last weekend, the FA announced no peanuts would be served due to a pax with a peanut allergy. First time I'd heard that.

I believe this new system went into effect around June 1. Details as noted on Delta.com:

Peanut Allergies

When you notify us that you have a peanut allergy, we'll refrain from serving peanuts and peanut products onboard your flight. We'll also advise cabin service to board additional non-peanut snacks, which will allow our flight attendants to serve these snack items to everyone within this area.

Gate agents will be notified in case you'd like to pre-board and cleanse the immediate seating area. We'll do everything we can, but unfortunately we still can't guarantee that the flight will be completely peanut-free.

It's sad they need this disclaimer. I'm sure anyone with a peanut allergy is aware that any public place cannot be guaranteed to be peanut free. This is an airplane, not a sterile ICU.

So is this the new preboard loophole for those who don't care about getting peanuts?

One can only guess how many lawyers were involved in drafting that verbiage. Perhaps based on prior claims? At least they didn't go so far to say...if you require pre-board due to peanut allergy you will be required to produce an epi pen (or similar treatment) to prove you are covered in the event of an attack. ;)

OP please don't take my retort the wrong way, I'm not picking on those with peanut allergies, I know it's a serious issue. IMHO the language simply speaks to the litigious society that the U.S. has become on all levels of 'it's not my fault.' :)

On my flight this week from ATL-Louisville they made a similar announcement once we began to taxi to the runway but also mentioned that alternative snacks would be available. I was in "F" so I don't know what the offerings were in the back. In "F" we had chips, crackers, pretzels, but no fruit. 1 hour 20 minute flight but got 3 beverage services in "F" and several passes of the snack tray.

Geez I hope not. It is the only snack in coach or first that isn't loaded with carbs. Now if they replaced them with meat sticks and jerky it might be another story.

Yep, was on a flight last week where they announced no peanuts.

I almost always have a bag of peanuts and my peanut butter crackers with me, so if you are on the same flight I am on touch luck.

Me too and Delta's decision not to serve peanuts isn't going to stop me from eating what I brought on board.

I hate the peanuts. So all I have to do is claim allergy and I can guarantee alternate options? Can I claim peanut contamination in Y forcing me into F?

On my flight last weekend, an announcement was made that a pax had a peanut allergy and that no peanuts would be served.

While I am empathetic, I'd like to understand more as to why this policy was put in place? Did DL experience an increase inflight medical emergencies, complaints, medical diversions, or lawsuits? I'm sure DL wants to be as inclusive as possible to all passengers but where does an organization draw the line? I often travel with fruit and nut bars that contain peanuts. If peanuts are not being served on the flight due to a pax allergy am I not suppose to eat the snack I brought onboard? (this was not part of the announcement last weekend and I did not eat one of my bars). Are airlines being specifically targeted due to: close confinement, re-circulated air, and traveling at 35,000 feet with medical help far away (time)? What other organizations, industries, companies will/should institute similar policies -- for example, will peanuts be banned from baseball stadiums?

How is this policy being enforced? Does a pax have to note it at booking? Call Delta ahead of time? Have medical records indicating a peanut allergy? What prevents a Zone 3 pax from claiming a peanut allergy just to board before "those needing extra time" so that they have overhead space?

Sadly, it will probably happen.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but is this really necessary?

I understand some people have an allergic reaction to peanuts. However, where does Delta draw the line with inconveniencing an entire aircraft full of people because of one person? I am allergic to cats, does that mean that no one should be allowed to travel with cats in the cabin on any flight I'm on? I know cats v. peanuts isn't exactly the same, but I think the point is still valid.

Also, there have been many studies done, most recently by a Harvard pediatrician that say unless the allergic person actually eats the peanut product, the risk of any kind of reaction is little, and the risk of a serious reaction is pretty much nil. Just being around peanuts will not cause a person to have a major reaction, that is an exaggerated belief and has been discredited through studies. Even if the person was worried about inhaling peanut dust, they could wear a surgical mask to filter out any dust in the air.

I always go for pretzels, so I really don't care. But situations like this really call on the individual to take personal responsibility (wear a mask, long clothes if concerned about oil) rather then relying on someone else to do it. I know most on here will say "it's just peanuts, who cares?" I really don't, but where do we draw the line?

Don't eat the peanuts.

Every real blinded study that looked at this issue failed to show that one can not suffer an allergic reaction from just proximity, Either injestion or very heavy dust levels are needed.

But if you do believe in this fairy tail, then do not fly at all because there will certainly be peanut dust left in the seats.

totally meaningless peanuts trivia
 

Southwest and Delta peanut packages are both supplied by the same company, and both have the same weight of peanuts - 12 grams.

And if you're in need of even more meaningless Peanut Trivia...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...ghlight=peanut

I'll take this a step further. Avoiding a food that you're "allergic" to makes your reaction worse when you encounter it.

My doctor tells me that (based on bloodwork) I have a severe nut allergy and am also very allergic to gluten. I could even bring a doctor's note with me (she was very insistent that this is a life-and-death matter). Should Delta then not serve anything with nuts or gluten on any flight that I'm on?

By the way, I eat nuts and crackers/bread all the time, never with a noticeable adverse reaction. My doctor swears either could cause a fatal allergic reaction at any time, but I seem to have built up immunity or something by continuously exposing myself to these "lethal" foods. :rolleyes:

If I had a potentially fatal allergy to peanuts, I'd be more concerned about how well the plane was cleaned before I boarded than whether peanuts are being served during the flight.

At least if peanuts are being served, you know and can have some control over your exposure. Whom among us hasn't stuck a hand into a pouch in the back of the seat in front of us or fished for a seatbelt only to find a half eaten bag of peanuts, or worse?

As is, I often wipe the seat, armrest and seatback down with an alcohol wipe. If I had a peanut allergy, there would likely be rubber gloves and a face mask added to that routine.

BTW, was I the only one who was diappointed after seeing this thread title but finding nothing about Charlie Brown or Lucy?

There is still a possibility that a co-passenger could bring nuts or other foods that cause allergic reactions in others - what next - the nut scanner (and not just for the human kind :p)

I was on a US flight a few years back where a lady demanded a gaurantee from both the GA and FA that nuts would not be present on the flight. The FA made an announcement that pax should not consume peanuts on the flight due to this. (US did not serve peanuts). The FA told the lady that she could not gaurantee a 100% peanut free zone...

I'm with others who find this thing to be a little out of control.

Inconveniencing a plane-full of pax seems a bit extreme and selfish when the person with the allergy can take simple precautions of their own. Wear a mask and do not consume the nuts. If the allergy is that severe, perhaps modification of transportation options should be considered.

i have no other way to put this but to state that this argument is total crap.

yes, the more you distance yourself from the harmful item, the more you will suffer if/when you're exposed to it, again. that's because your body has ridded itself of the majority of those pollutants and is operating as it should. a shock to the system is experienced when the body comes into contact with it again, which makes it TEMPORARILY more painful.

if your allergies are as severe as you state, then there's no way you would be eating nuts and gluten. My fiance has Celiac disease and suffered with it for 20+ years before Drs found out what the issue was. When she comes into contact with it, now, then yes, her spells are more painful due to what I posted in previous paragraph. the FACT is that her life and health without the toxin has IMPROVED dramatically.

argue about this as much as you want, but if you still continue to eat nuts and flour/wheat, then your allergies are not that severe.

someone enlighten me on the peanut allergy. can you breathe nut fumes or does something get in the air, somehow?

is it as simple as just avoiding touching them? if so, then the no-peanut zone is ridiculous

Maybe next they will ban cats and dogs on flights where someone is allergic to them. It would be nice if they would at least re-seat people with allergies away from the animal, but I have seen them not.

My 7-year-old has a severe peanut allergy and a much milder tree nut allergy (among other foods). Our solution...we don't fly Delta and we don't fly Southwest (or AirTran any longer in case catering gets switched).

While you can remove serving peanuts from one flight, I can't tell you how many times I've seen a "rogue" peanut wedged in a seat, on the floor, in the seat back pocket, etc. Not to mention the thousands of cycles a/c have gone through with the peanut dust still circulating even if you don't serve them on one flight. The peanut residue can exist on a surface for up to six months.

We generally fly JetBlue when traveling as a family (sadly leaving my DL miles to continue piling up), where we're granted pre-board access to thoroughly clean his seating area. We always reserve the last or next-to-last row and the flight attendants kindly make a generic announcement to the last few rows that a peanut allergy sufferer is on board and if they brought peanut products on board, they would be glad to re-seat them. We bring 2-twin packs of epinephrine, buying us close to 60 mins of treatment in the event of an exposure.

I am partially glad Delta is implementing this policy, but at the same time, those who truly suffer a life threatening allergy still shouldn't fly Delta. So why then "punish" the rest of the airplane.

That said, to a previous poster: If you do bring peanut products on board and the announcement is made on your next Delta flight, I hope you'll seriously consider waiting until you land to consume the product. I bet the 90+ minute delay you'll experience from the emergency landing will be a much bigger inconvenience than snacking on Biscoff's instead!

I am extremely allergic to cats, and have been hospitalized a couple times for reactions. (If you read the Marriott thread, I swear it's only cats and down feathers - same type of reaction to both, but nothing else.) The biggest issue is I need to be careful about the cat hair getting in my eyes. Maybe three years ago, there was a woman in the waiting area with a cat in a soft sided carrier. I asked the GA to check to be sure the cat wasn't going to be under my seat. Of course, it was. She offered to move me, but couldn't move my seat mate, so the woman with the cat was moved to the back. The woman with the cat was a little peeved, but the GA explained that it was that or not on the flight, and the woman calmed down.

I always travel with a PB&J sandwich. Hopefully, nobody will stop me from eating that.

Got an OpUp AMS-DTW yesterday and they made the peanut announcement, so no warm nuts in J, just regular little bag of pretzels.

That was my thinking as well when my doctor told me after 26 years of eating these foods that I am allergic to them.

Maybe I should let the doctor write me that note so that I can board before the throngs of SP pax.

I can't speak for other peanut-allergy folks, but for me, the fumes make my mouth and nose itch if I breathe them in. My nut allergy is more mild, as in an accidental ingestion has never actually resulted in an ER run. I've called paramedics a couple times as a precaution, but I usually just take an Allegra and have awful symptoms for a few hours. But I'm also allergic to all nuts, so its a little harder to avoid them all than simply peanuts.

I was impressed Delta would bother going this far with attempting to make flights as peanut-free as possible. But as I already started buying P and A fares to sit up front and minimize the peanuts around me, I don't plan to make use of the new rule. What I would like is for them to stop putting almonds and other nuts in the salads. Its always dissapointing to see the one healthy item on the tray and then realize I can't eat it. Can't they provide them in a little paper cup on the side? Sigh. :(

I must have been confused. I thought you were stating that you really were severely allergic to those items but continued to eat them. You should go back to that doctor while eating a piece of banana nut bread and inquire about the severe nut and gluten allergy, again :p

you serious, clark? it really is that sensitive?

Unfortunately, yeah. Peanuts tend to be a very dusty snack. Peanut butter is actually easier to be around as it doesn't fill the air with as many little particles.

interesting. i did not know that!

This just affected me on a flight last Monday. The flight was from 10:30 to 1:00, so I was planning to use my HOOU for a snack box since I wouldn't have a chance to grab lunch.

Much to my dismay, the FA announced that she was very sorry, but they would be unable to serve peanuts or any items for purchase containing nuts due to a passenger with a nut allergy. A review of the food options available for purchase will reveal that both snack boxes contain nuts, as do all of the a la carte items except Pringles. I don't know about others, but I consider eating nothing but Pringles to be a very meager and unhealthy meal.

If peanut allergies are so common, and now prevent entire flights from having any real food on board, I think they need to reevaluate their snack box offerings. At very least they could add a third choice, at least on meal-time flights that cannot serve the other snack packs.

I could definitely see a snack box offering with (fake) cheese, crackers, olive pate, veggie chips, and/or dehydrated fruit doing quite well as a healthy nut-free offering.

I was on a flight a couple of weeks ago where they announced there was a food allergy and no peanuts would be served. A few minutes later, the FA brought the snack basket around along with a tray of peanuts. I told her I thought there was a peanut allergy case on board and she said there was and that if took the peanuts, not to open them on board the aircraft. She also stated she knows how much some of her customers like peanuts. I grabbed 3 bags and put them in my backpack. :)

No Peanut Flights Do Happen
 

Happened on a flight last week.

delete

^^^

I am sympathetic to those with allergies (I have some), and now and then I do see people boarding with masks, and assume they have their epi pens or other items.

However, if somebody declares they have a peanut or other air/dust born allergy that requires preventing rest of a/c from access to food/snacks, why cannot the carrier either take other steps. For example require, or make a strong statement of suggestions that they will do what they can (e.g. DLs current policy statement) plus the passenger also do things such as wear a mask, make sure they have medicines, epi pens, or other preventive measures.

What if DL is pre-notified there cannot will be a peanut or other allergy on board, make an announcement in the gate area prior to boarding so all passengers can be appropriately notified and prepared. To the previous poster who mentioned DL taking a proactive or litigation defensive position, concur, that what it appears to be, however then why not take additional steps.

If DL is notified in advance (e.g. time of booking), then proper or alternate catering can be done to accommodate the rest of the passengers and if last minute due to IROPS or something else, make a best effort vs. the approach now being used.

Fwiw, not sure if due to the new policy, however have had the peanuts pulled on several flights in the past month on DL and WN.

On one recent flight an adult well dressed women made sure that everybody seated in F could hear her tell the FA that she was “the Special Passenger with peanut allergy” (I kid you not) and then proceeded to be seated just behind F in row 5.

Of course, no peanuts and a subsequent run on alternate snacks during the 3+-hour flight during which the “Special Passenger” leveraged her status to “parade” through F cabin on her way to/from restroom or get things from the FAs in the galley. In the case of the “Special Passenger”, a mask would have collided with her fashion wardrobe. However odd she wanted to be noticed, however not for wearing a mask.

-H

If a PAX has an allergy they should be wearing a mask.