webazoid

I was on a southwest flight this week when I heard the flight attendant announce that they will not be serving peanuts on my flight and that people who had brought along peanuts or candy with peanuts should not eat their items. Didn't say why. Flight went through uneventfully. I later spoke to one FA who says its their policy to not serve peanuts to all passengers if one has announced peanut allergies. This is first I've ever heard of it.

CodeAdam10

That's right.

Some airlines don't serve it to rows around the person in question, and some don't serve at all. I guess it depends on how severe the allergy is. Personally it has never happened to me but it is not something that would bother me as someone's life is more important than the 8 peanuts they give out. I do believe if the person informs in the airline in advance, they would have an alternate snack for the passengers (ie: cookies)

peachfront

Cookies are not an alternative to a protein/fat like peanuts for diabetics, people w. metabolic syndrome, etc. Actually, fully diagnosed diabetics will likely have their own food but the borderline (metabolic syndrome) people are the ones who get forked over by a substitution like this. The proper substitute for nuts is another protein/fat that burns slowly, like cheese, but it isn't about health, is it? It's about airlines playing cheap.

Often1

It's all foolish. If someone really is allergic, given that WN doesn't clean aircraft between flights, there are probably wrappers stuffed in the seatback pockets, lying on the floor and the like. Pax also bring their own snacks and don't pay attention to the announcement.

This is one of those things which WN may do for liability reasons and may do to suggest that they care, but if someone is truly allergic, they should take no comfort.

rbwpi

In this situation if someone has a peanut allergy they should take precautions rather than expect everyone else to modify/change their behavior. One could wear a hepa filter mask and latex gloves.

To go further on this, would the individual with the allergy contact the airport in order to have a similar announcement made on public transportation (bus, train, etc.) between terminals.

GUWonder

If the allergies are so severe that being next to someone or something with peanuts or parts of peanuts, then a commercially scheduled passenger flight on a common carrier make no sense for such allergic person; nor does it make sense to deprive others of peanuts because of it.

I have found peanuts or peanut fragments on or under many seat cushions on planes, in the seat back pockets and sometimes on the trays -- even in business/first class. What is such an allergies passenger going to do about that?

Perhaps an airline looking to save money on peanuts can every so often claim "allergy" as the reason for no snack service?

jafrelin

This is cya not medicine

Delta Hog

Uh, when is the last time you've heard of death by peanut?

Javelin

It's not common but for a person with severe peanut allergies, eating a single peanut can cause them to go into anaphylaxis—which can be fatal unless they have an auto-injector of epinephrine (commonly known as an EpiPen). The effects of indirect exposure to peanuts are far less severe, but inconvenient nonetheless.

Gogie

Whether you care to believe it or not it happens. A simple google search will yield lots of information and examples.

quick_dry

I wonder if they do that if someone announces they're allergic to peanuts (in which case I think the burden should be on the individual to just not eat the nuts) or if its only those rare cases where someone can have a reaction from whatever goes into the air from nearby packets of peanuts.

Loren Pechtel

Yup. It's PR and liability. The precautions aren't enough to protect the seriously allergic and they are a total waste for everyone else.

If they want to do something that actually helps the allergic how about a complete ingredients list on the meals? (They're not going to be able to do this alone, though--the government doesn't mandate adequate labeling for the airline to even know. Exactly what in "natural and artificial flavors" is doing me evil?? {I've got a lot of sensitivity problems but not true allergies. Mistakes are unpleasant, not dangerous.})

Loren Pechtel

You hear of them every so often. One really cruel case I heard about involved a romantic partner eating peanuts some hours earlier. The victim died from a kiss.

cordelli

There are dozens and dozens of threads about it on the various airlines.

They all usually end the same way, either people saying it's good the airline does that, or others saying people shouldn't be flying if they are that allergic.

CPRich

Natalia Green, 17, died from an allergic reaction to chicken satay containing peanut.

Ammaria Johnson, 7, died at school after being exposed to something containing peanut.

Hayden Wileman, 9, died after eating a cereal. He had an unknown peanut allergy.

Jharell Dillard, 15, lost his life after eating a chocolate chip cookie, which unknowingly contained nuts.

Christopher Smith, 17, died after eating takeout food from a Wirral, England restaurant.

Mathew Lee, 26, died after eating a salad that contained nuts.

This topic, which occurs occasionally, always amazes me. Are you really that into peanuts that not being served on a flight is going to impact your life. Eating eight peanuts is worth the chance, even very small, that someone may get ill - and they've told you about it. Just because there may be traces left from earlier flights is not reason to just blow off a known preventative.

I'll keep a stiff upper lip and suffer with twelve pretzels instead. I think I'll get through it.