Profile:

missyuh

…around us – even though we had informed them before hand that we had peanut allergies. I believe Continental since has stopped serving peanuts, but it was very unpleasant and we had to give Benadryl to our then 2 year old as he started wheezing – it was not until he was wheezing that the flight attendant was kind enough to inform the Captain and take back the peanuts!
4) the peanut buffer zones just don’t work. I don’t know how many times we have notified the airlines and yet not once have been allowed pre-boarding to wipe down the area, been condenscended at the gate or by the stewardesses – this is no matter if we fly First or Economy. They still seat people with their own food next to us and they refuse helping us by asking these people not to eat peanut products – to the extend that we even experienced on AA last year that a lady sat next to us and insisted on eating her pbj sandwiches in spite that we were 3 people with peanut allergies next to her. She didn’t care and the stewardess didn’t care. When we asked her to help us she wouldn’t let us reseat somewhere else, she wouldn’t ask the lady to eat something else (even though we offered to buy her anything) and she wouldn’t ask the woman to move. She was rude and yelled that it was our problem and if our kids are so allergic we shouldn’t bring them into public. Her colleague said that people with peanut allergies should hire a private jet (yet it is not all of us that would ever be able to travel if we have to do this). Our oldest boy ended up getting sick and it wasn’t until then that the one of the stewardesses apologized but they still refused doing anything. They wouldn’t even notify the captain of the anaphylactic shock because then everyone would get delayed…..(and the stewardess said the flight was delayed enough as is. So she chose to risk our sons life. This happened on Aug 22, 2009 with AA from DFW to EWR.
5) The biggest problem is truly that so many people doesn’t understand how serious and dangerous peanut exposure can be to a person with peanut allergies. Even people who understands it behaves irradic when it comes to treating people with peanut allergies decently. On a overseas flight we overheard the steward telling his colleagues that “I wonder how serious the boys (meaning our son) allergies are – what would happen if we just crushed up some peanuts and put them in his food?”. We did complain and the airline did apologize but it still shows how people not caring are the biggest threat. The easiest way to ensure everyones safety (also the people without allergies) is really just to ban peanuts and peanut products on flights. It is not that anyone will die having to go without for a flight but some people may die or get seriously sick if they are not. I recall the time when passengers were allowed to smoke on the flights – this is not allowed any longer for safety. Although no one will die immediately from second hand smoke – but a fire may happen. Also, if there is an anaphylactic shock from peanut exposure then the entire plane may have to emergency land, causing possible danger to all passengers – shouldn’t that be the main consideration?
Also, how many people like me actually walks around with a latent unknown peanut allergy? My parents never thought to get me tested and I just didn’t know what made me so sick at times. I only learned when my children was sick and then got tested.
I learned that peanut allergies among children have tripled over the past 10 years. How many serious sick children or incidences does DOT need in order to ensure the safety of all these children?
So please either ban peanuts and peanut products or at least ban service of peanuts and peanut products on flights where the airlines know there is a passenger with a peanut allergy. This is the only way to ensure everyones safety, not to mention comfort.

« less