Amicus

Not just "peanut dust.". If you ever sit in the bulkhead row, just glance at the crevice underneath the wall. It is full of peanuts! Even on the 6 am flights. I imagine there are peanuts in the seat back pockets and so on.

Can't remember how often WN planes get a " deep cleaning.". Anyone know?
Every 3 months? 6 months?

rsteinmetz70112

I read an article not long ago that said severe peanut allergies have increased some astounding percentage in the last twenty years or so. I also think some people overstate their sensitivity.

I have only been on one flight that I recall where peanuts were not served due to an allergy.

joshua362

Seems like every flight to/fro Orlando is peanut free IME. Where were these overly protective parents 20 years ago? I don't doubt the allergy is real and sympathize with them but if short of swallowing one is going to trigger a reaction, you don't belong on any plane!

LegalTender

Any link to this "legal definition??"

“Therapy animals” (also known as “comfort animals”) have been used for decades in hospitals and homes for the elderly or disabled. Their job is essentially to be themselves — to let humans pet and play with them, which calms people, lowers their blood pressure and makes them feel better.

Criteria for comfort animals on Southwest include a doc's letter:

FWAAA

The person with fur allergies can ask to be re-seated away from the service animal or the emotional support animal and, if not satisfied, can always be re-booked on a different flight.

The fur-allergic can (and should always) travel with their Benadryl and/or epi-pens.

rsteinmetz70112

From DoJ guidance "Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals."

Service Animals are defined in the regulations of the American with Disabilities act, here is an official DoJ description. Note the requirement that "A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability." and "This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act."

Notwithstanding the definition above "the Department’s revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."

Therapy animals, support animals or comfort animals are not service animals but the Air Carrier Accessibility Act recognizes them as such.

It is confusing and many people using comfort and support animals confuse them, sometimes on purpose.

For example under the Fair Housing Act support animals are required to be accommodated, but HUD recognizes that Service Animals and Support Animals are different.

In addition to that i strongly suspect that many people traveling with emotional support animals would qualify as disabled, the ADA definition is:

texashoser

Don't be so ignorant. Studies have shown that peanut allergies are actually increasing and not the result of years of underdiagnosis.

My daughter has a peanut allergy. We take an epi-pen with her but from past exposure, she actually has to ingest peanut products. But some people can have reactions to peanut particles. Unfortunately, you never know how severe a reaction is going to be. Some might just be hives and itching, but some could turn anaphylactic.

So, folks with peanut allergies aren't supposed to get on planes, go to public school, etc? Sorry, tough. You can do without peanuts for an hour or two. The specific problem with planes is that you are confined to a small space and if you have a problem, you can't just pull over and call an ambulance.

ursine1

With Southwest being the only major carrier that still serves peanuts (in quantity and on nearly every flight), it seems to me that anyone with a severe peanut dust allergy would be ill-advised to fly WN, and that knowingly choosing to do so would be irresponsible.

Yellowjj

I was on a flight BDL-FLL last November, seated in row 15. A gentleman with his wife and a friend in row 14 waited until the FA reached him to say he had a peanut allergy. As she has already served over 80% of the plane peanuts she was confused and begun to question him. He had not according to him, put his disability information in when booking online, nor had he informed the TA, GA or even the FA until just then. I could see she was highly skeptical of his claims; as was I when I said bullcrap, but she was forced to suspend serving peanuts.

His allergy must have been minuscule since the people in front of him were happily munching on peanuts.

DebitNM

And doesn't that violate a person's HIPAA?

And what is the GA or FA going to do to verify any of that info?

And what junior high school kid couldn't make up a nice letterhead and write that letter for mom or grandpa or...

Letter is worth as much as paper it's written on.

rsteinmetz70112

DOT regulations spell out what may be required. A letter from a "mental health profesional" is all that is required.

texashoser

I'm sure lots of folks do fly other airlines. It's my bet that Southwest will probably stop serving them at some point, though.

ursine1

IMHO, unlikely. They've been heavily lobbied by anti-peanut folks for years now, and their consistent reply has been the same; that Southwest was built on free peanuts and pretzels, so it’s ingrained in the culture and is a significant part of their brand. Personally, I think it would take an actual anaphylaxis death on board a WN flight before they would consider anything other than restating their policies and possibly re-issuing a directive to FAs regarding proper accommodations for self-announced allergic passengers (what they do now when, from time to time, the subject comes up publicly).

texashoser

I'm aware of all that. Eventually it won't be worth the risk. They'll eventually give in. In the meantime we'll still fly them.

joshua362

Regret my ignorance hit a nerve!

Even if they don't serve peanuts, what about the guy in the next row with trail mix and peanut butter crunch bars (sometimes me)? What about the family who brought their own PB&J on the away to Orlando? Isn't that ignorant to believe the plane truly peanut and dust free?

If you're that sensitive and its truly a problem, wouldn't it behoove you to find another means of transportation just to be safe?