DENviaLAX

To me it seems the general complaint and "outage" in this thread for the young lady and her food allergy is less about the fact that the OP couldn't enjoy a couple dozen nuts, and more about the fact that she was a non-rev. To me that is interesting and is something that really shouldn't matter in the least bit. Especially given the detail that she was in the process of relocating, and therefore most likely flying positive space. Which means she is no different than any other person on that plane who had their seat paid for them by their company for company business. Suggesting that she should give up a seat in which she is entitled to (as much as the OP was entitled to their's) is kind of insulting in my eyes. Having a medical ailment shouldn't be grounds for being treated lesser. "Go sit in coach for 6 hours so I can enjoy a handful of nuts for 5 minutes!" Really? Comes off very DYKWIA. In my eyes, anyway.

davie355

Pants on fire false. Numerous refereed articles support the existence of peanut dust allergies.

That is irresponsible to say, and dangerous to public health. I'm a PhD student and author of several peer-reviewed publications in medical journals.

I urge everyone to respect the wishes of fellow passengers with allergies.

Silver Fox

No matter how they present their wishes? I think you are missing the point somewhat. Respect is a two way street.

Bonehead

She may not have handled it perfectly, but in any case it's critical that someone with a severe nut allergy be given deferential treatment. I urge people to put themselves in the position of having a child or other close relative with one of these life-threatening allergies. Going without your nuts for a few hours isn't going to kill you.

dmurphynj

I'm seriously stunned at the lack of empathy in this thread. Or, maybe I shouldn't be. It's reflective of the FlyerTalk spirit. Just an offshoot of the same "My reading light didn't work, how much can I extort from the airline?" mentality.

fastair

I don't believe it's lack of empathy, it's psuedo-elitism. Remember, this wasn't a person, it was a NRSA. The negative posts don't knock the food allergy per se, they knock WHO had the food allergy.

fly18725

We want NRSAs (or employees, for that matter) to behave like "regular" passengers except when we don't.

artvandalay

^ Exactly. For that matter, why are you a FA?

fastflyer

A ten-minute interruption occurred last week on an AA flight (BDL-DFW), hub-bound so the FAs were particularly delay conscious.

Flight was fully boarded, and the gate agent was finalizing paperwork with the cockpit, when a 40-something woman from coach marched up the aisle and talked in an agitated way with each FA. Once I started listening more closely I realized it was a nut allergy rant. AA doesn't serve peanuts: neither among the coach snacks nor in the first meal service. The FAs repeated this several times.

The woman then shifted her complaint and demanded that the FAs give a public address instructing all passengers on the plane not to eat nor even to access any peanut products. They declined this request, but said she could negotiate with the passengers seated near her. The pilot then emerged and said do you want to fly with us today or not, I need to know now. She retreated back to coach and the flight went smoothly from that point forward.

pseudoswede

We've read that AA FAs are like that, which is why we try to avoid flying with them. We've had great luck with UA FAs making an area-only announcement. They are glad to do it--as long as you're nice about it. Kindness goes a long way.

So I guess here is my question: would you be more forgiving if the FA made the announcement or if the parent did?

Artpen100

Sweden is nice, but not worth dying for.

I wonder why I have never seen an animal allergy person confronting a person with a service animal on board.

Miggles

Such customers would probably rather cling to their fear than be corrected and assured by their physicians that their concerns are way overblown. Just take a look at how the anti-vaccine craziness grew to crisis proportions.

And to put this in perspective, the airport that this NRSA used probably has plenty of nut particles in the air already. Furthermore, the seat that she sat in probably has nut crumbs as well. Unless her fellow passenger has the table manners of Cookie Monster, I doubt that she was every in any danger.

dmurphynj

You're right; my friend's 5-year-old was on a ventilator because he blew his airborne out of proportion.

Come on.

CLEContinental

So if I happen to suffer from DVT, it's acceptable for me to demand to use the seatback in front of me to keep my legs elevated?

If I have pet allergies, I can demand that all service animals (including the fake family pet comfort animals) be banished to the coat closet?

Here's a thought: If you have a severe allergy, don't take a job where you are reasonably expected to come into regular contact with your particular allergen.

A major problem with today's society = my problem will be forced to become your problem and I demand special accommodations for all of my problems (real, perceived or exaggerated) at your expense (aka Special Snowflake Syndrome or Millennial Syndrome).

erik123

I think you might have insensitivis? It's highly contagious on FT.