Food Allergies on Airlines

[lunalovegoddess]

I have flown to WDW many times over the past few years, and have a child with a severe food allergy. We have had good dealings with Song and JetBlue.
What kind of food allergies do you or your family members have, and have you had a problem on airlines?
What steps were taken by airline staff to ensure safety?
Please feel free to post here or in ChitChat in the Living With Food Allergies thread.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Almost all airlines will allow you to select a special meal if necessary. Depending on where you are flying from, many domestic airlines in the US no longer serve any food at all. Peanuts have been forbidden for at least 10 years now (and that is why they serve those yucky pretzels with your soda). Airlines really make no provisions for food allergies other than not giving you a meal if you don't want one, when they do serve meals. They are kept inside the shelves of the serving tray until they pull them out one at a time to serve them to you. You can always ask them what foods are included for the day before they plop the food tray down in front of you or your child. There are no guarantees that the person sitting on the other side of your child will not spill something on themselves, your child, or the floor. I guess it really depends on the specific foods your child is allergic to. To be safe, have your child sit by the window, and you sit on the inside toward the aisle. Note: most airlines these days also allow people to bring food with them on the plane -- they have no way to control the foods that others bring on board. If in doubt, check with the airline that you are flying and make sure they are aware of your concerns.

 

[maelstrom]

You'd be lucky to get a meal on a domestic flight nowadays. On some airlines, you don't even get a snack.

I've heard of people calling the airline ahead of time to discuss food allergies and to ask about vegetarian meals, etc.

 

[BRER STITCH]

WOW! I never gave this much thought before, but the way the airliines throw those little bags of peanuts around, you'd think they never heard of peanut allergies!

I flew Southewest this week and they still served peanuts, so not sure where exactly they have them and where they don't.

Good Luck!

:wave:

 

[bpiper]

I have been on Southwest flights that made an announcement before take off that due to a person with a peasont allergy on the flight, they won't be serving peanuts, but pretzels instead. I believe you have to notifiy them when you make the reservation to put a note in the reservation about it and then it probably wouldn't hurt to tell the gate agent and a flight attendent about it too.

 

[barnum42]

I don't have an allergy, but all the UK airlines I've flown with will happily accommodate special dietary requirements, as long as you give them notice of when and where you are flying. You will also get served first, as they are the meals that get dished out ahead of everyone else in steerage.

 

[Rammstein]

Almost all airlines will allow you to select a special meal if necessary. Depending on where you are flying from, many domestic airlines in the US no longer serve any food at all. Peanuts have been forbidden for at least 10 years now (and that is why they serve those yucky pretzels with your soda). Airlines really make no provisions for food allergies other than not giving you a meal if you don't want one, when they do serve meals. They are kept inside the shelves of the serving tray until they pull them out one at a time to serve them to you. You can always ask them what foods are included for the day before they plop the food tray down in front of you or your child. There are no guarantees that the person sitting on the other side of your child will not spill something on themselves, your child, or the floor. I guess it really depends on the specific foods your child is allergic to. To be safe, have your child sit by the window, and you sit on the inside toward the aisle. Note: most airlines these days also allow people to bring food with them on the plane -- they have no way to control the foods that others bring on board. If in doubt, check with the airline that you are flying and make sure they are aware of your concerns.

Yup, agreed, My mum has a food alergy, where she can't eat much bread with wheat, and can't have any glucose. We always fly with Virgin Atlantic to the states and have never had a problem. She has always booked the speacial meal in advance. No problems what so ever!