Nuts on flights

smurfjed

Another report in the DM today about a BA passengers having issues with the airline serving nuts on a flight from London to Larnaca.

For some reason, reports such as this are becoming more prevalent, so what is the solution?

1: Should airlines refuse to serve nuts?
2: Should parents take their kids to a non-flying destination for holidays?
3: Is it fair to expect everyone on an aircraft not to eat something because of one person?

What do you think?

Frynge

If someone has allergies that are medically documented as being so sever then there might be room to ban nuts on the flight that they are on, but I could see such an approach being abused.

Tabnabs

I find if I don't read the DM, I never have to worry about so many of the problems which they create.

Life is literally that simple...

zagmund

This is more of an After Hours topic, however . . .

Maybe, no, yes.

It's easy to sit up there on the high horse and be indignant about not being allowed eat nuts for an hour, or maybe 6 or 7 hours. What's the impact on the nut eating individual? Almost nil. Effectively, in the long run the impact on the nut eater is nil. For the person with the allergy the impact in the short term can be lethal. It's that simple.

z

porsche959

Tabnabs wrote: »

I find if I don't read the DM, I never have to worry about so many of the problems which they create.

Life is literally that simple...

Lol. You can guarantee if the airlines decided to stop serving nuts we would see headline from the Mail: "Political correctness gone mad!! Airlines bow to anti-nut extremists!"

Tabnabs

porsche959 wrote: »

Lol. You can guarantee if the airlines decided to stop serving nuts we I would see headline from the Mail: "Political correctness gone mad!! Airlines bow to anti-nut extremists!"

FYP

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

smurfjed wrote: »

Another report in the DM today about a BA passengers having issues with the airline serving nuts on a flight from London to Larnaca.

For some reason, reports such as this are becoming more prevalent, so what is the solution?

1: Should airlines refuse to serve nuts?
2: Should parents take their kids to a non-flying destination for holidays?
3: Is it fair to expect everyone on an aircraft not to eat something because of one person?

What do you think?

Discussions based on Daily Mail articles should really be quarantined into AH, imo.

Anyway:

1 - if there's a case of serious allergy on board, yes. They'll know in advance.
2 - why? How does this solve anything?
3 - absolutely. I love a snickers, but for one three hour flight I can happily have a Mars, Twix or ham sandwich instead. I don't beleive my right to eat a specific snack at a specifci altitude is in the constitution?

veetwin

I was on a Delta flight recently from Dublin to Atlanta. Prior to departing an announcement was made that there was a child on board with a severe nut allergy. Passengers were asked to to consume any nut products and were told that nuts would not be served.

It seems odd that anyone would have an issue with this. I like my nuts as much as the next man but I will do without for a few hours for the sake of keeping a child alive.

It also seems a bit harsh to deny a child the chance to go to Disney or whatever just because of someone's "right" to eat peanuts on a flight.

toadfly

I went to Thailand last month and was surprised they were serving nuts on the flight. Seems insane to me to risk it. Would it not be easier to just ban them on all flights?

Rightwing

If they can ban alcohol, surely they can ban nuts. Not worth a life.

kerry4sam

Yeah this thread is not suitable for our Travel forum. Moved to where it may be better suited.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

AnonoBoy

So what's the deal with airline peanuts?

Rightwing

Time to unfollow the thread so.

Generic Dreadhead

Do people who like nuts enter into apoplectic shock when they go on a flight and there's no nuts? Replace them with Bacon Fries and save lives

MarkR

My sons school doesn't allow nut products. Some kid has a severe allergy, so no peanut butter sandwiches. It was a pain at first, (limited amount of things he would normally eat - Special Needs) but it forced me to expand his options.

It's a minor inconvenience (at most) for people missing their nuts.

biko

No source so I can't read any background but will give a general AH answer:

Anyone with a nut allergy will just have to stay home forever. Simples. Not my fault they have defects.

osarusan

Are nut allergies so serious that somebody opening and eating a packet 10 rows away (or in the nest seat) could bring on a reaction?

Nino Brown

I don't think parents should take theirs kids on planes if they are so allergic that somebody nearby eating nuts could kill the child. And not because I couldn't do without nuts for a few hours, but because there is always at least one moron on every flight. Have you ever been on a overnight night flight where the moron just has to have the window blind up disturbing the entire cabin's sleep, or the moron who just has to use the toilet as the flight descends with the seatbelt lights on, or the moron who just has to bring a giant carry-on bag, but boards last so they have nowhere to put it.
Would I trust that moron with the life of my child?, ...eh no.

Shenshen

osarusan wrote: »

Are nut allergies so serious that somebody opening and eating a packet 10 rows away (or in the nest seat) could bring on a reaction?

They can be.
I had a friend growing up with really severe allergies and she would have a reaction when someone in the same room would open a packet of peanuts.
It seems incredible and if I hadn't seen it myself I would doubt it, too, but especially peanuts can actually cause an asthma attack at the distance.

Alun

osarusan wrote: »

Are nut allergies so serious that somebody opening and eating a packet 10 rows away (or in the nest seat) could bring on a reaction?

Yes, my cousin has a little girl like this.

P. Breathnach

Shenshen wrote: »

They can be.
I had a friend growing up with really severe allergies and she would have a reaction when someone in the same room would open a packet of peanuts.
It seems incredible and if I hadn't seen it myself I would doubt it, too, but especially peanuts can actually cause an asthma attack at the distance.

I accept what you say, but there is an oddity about nut allergy: what we call a peanut is not truly a nut, but people who are allergic to nuts are also allergic to peanuts.

[No, I don't think it is all in the mind. I'm sure that peanuts have some chemical makeup in common with true nuts.]

Gyalist

Shenshen wrote: »

They can be.
I had a friend growing up with really severe allergies and she would have a reaction when someone in the same room would open a packet of peanuts.
It seems incredible and if I hadn't seen it myself I would doubt it, too, but especially peanuts can actually cause an asthma attack at the distance.

Not asthma, but anaphyactic shock which is much more serious.

Remember the case last December of Emma Sloan who collapsed and died on O'Connell Street?

josip

Nino Brown wrote: »

... Have you ever been on a overnight night flight where the moron just has to have the window blind up disturbing the entire cabin's sleep...

Why would a window blind up on an "overnight night flight" disturb the entire cabin's sleep?
It's dark outside the plane...

catallus

I like chocolate covered peanuts.

wyrn

I know it's a Daily Mail article, but back in August there was a 4 year old who went into anaphylactic shock and lost consciousness on a flight. The crew made three announcements asking passengers not to eat nuts and they refused to give out nuts on board. The passenger has been banned from flying with Ryanair for 2 years for disregarding the crews instructions.

I think it's up to the airlines to decide, however personally I'd be in favour of asking passenger to refrain from eating nuts when there are sensitive passengers on board.

Hande hoche!

catallus wrote: »

I like chocolate covered peanuts.

What's your thoughts of chocolate covered raisins?

catallus

Awful. The work of the devil, almost.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Nino Brown wrote: »

I don't think parents should take theirs kids on planes if they are so allergic that somebody nearby eating nuts could kill the child. And not because I couldn't do without nuts for a few hours, but because there is always at least one moron on every flight. Have you ever been on a overnight night flight where the moron just has to have the window blind up disturbing the entire cabin's sleep, or the moron who just has to use the toilet as the flight descends with the seatbelt lights on, or the moron who just has to bring a giant carry-on bag, but boards last so they have nowhere to put it.
Would I trust that moron with the life of my child?, ...eh no.

I'd be more inclined to ban morons from flying than kids.

Egginacup

MarkR wrote: »

My sons school doesn't allow nut products. Some kid has a severe allergy, so no peanut butter sandwiches. It was a pain at first, (limited amount of things he would normally eat - Special Needs) but it forced me to expand his options.

It's a minor inconvenience (at most) for people missing their nuts.

In fairness I would count this as a plus. Why would you give your kid something that looks and (probably) tastes like worm sh1t?

Donkey Oaty

We need a Hollywood movie about this before we can really make up our minds, e.g. "Snacks On A Plane" or "Marathon Man" (set in the 1980s before it became Snickers) or "Satay Night Fever".

4zn76tysfajdxp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5tzU0VB93s

suicide_circus

osarusan wrote: »

Are nut allergies so serious that somebody opening and eating a packet 10 rows away (or in the nest seat) could bring on a reaction?

In the recycled air environment of an aeroplane, yes. It seems incredible to me that peanuts are the industry standard snack for airlines considering how leathal they can be to those with an allergy.

mauraf

My 3 year old son has a severe peanut allergy - required to carry an epipen around at all times.

Good to see that most posters on this site, would be considerate enough to abstain from nut based products for the duration of a flight, if so asked to do so - but for those, that are somewhat sceptical of what the 'impact' of someone eating peanuts in close proximity to a person who is analphyatic,please bear in mind:

- The dust from peanuts, that may be a particle so small it is almost unseen to the human eye, can travel through the air con systems onboard planes. A person does not have to physically injest or touch a nut themselves to have a severe reaction.
- A touch / handshake / kiss from someone who has peanut residue on them, can cause an analphylatic reaction

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has a severe allergy - its a frightening condition to live with, and unfortunately, is becoming more and more prevalent...

paulbok

I read this title as "Nuns on flights"
Disappointing to read about nuts banning nuts, or something.

catallus

If you cover the peanuts in chocolate then you don't have any dust.

Paramite Pie

mauraf wrote: »

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has a severe allergy - its a frightening condition to live with, and unfortunately, is becoming more and more prevalent...

That must be terrifying. All allergies are becoming more prevalent. I think one study suggested expecting mothers should consume more nuts to minimize the risk of a child being born with such allergies.

But many people seem to believe the opposite and avoid peanuts while pregnant.

The Aussie

I'm about to get on 2 long haul flights back to back, while I like the bag of Peanuts they give you (I normally ask for a few...) I can go without if requested, but to ban totally is a bit of a over reaction, if a Passenger has an allergy all they have to do is alert the cabin crew prior to boarding and the crew can handle it from there...

hardCopy

I thought most airlines had quietly switched to pretzels. I can't remember the last time I got nuts on a plane.

MarkR

Egginacup wrote: »

In fairness I would count this as a plus. Why would you give your kid something that looks and (probably) tastes like worm sh1t?

I don't know what worm poop tastes like. I do know what peanut butter tastes like. Peanut butter is delicious. I don't know why you would eat worm poop, and then talk about it on the internet, like it's normal?

Facinating facts from the National Peanut Board (US) Peanut butter is consumed in 94 percent of USA households.

I could not find a figure for the numbers eating worm poop, as they don't have their own advocacy group.

I'm from the States. I may have corrupted him.

Gongoozler

Gyalist wrote: »

Not asthma, but anaphyactic shock which is much more serious.

Remember the case last December of Emma Sloan who collapsed and died on O'Connell Street?

She ate satay sauce knowing she had an allergy, and didn't have her epipen with her.

allibastor

Lad I used to know is/was allergic to nuts.
Someone thought it would be funny to rub peanut butter on him at work. He went into shock and had to have the epi pen jammed into his leg, then off to hospital.

While I do love me dry-roasted, I don't think my life would be taken off track by not being allowed to eat them on a flight.

My sons school also has a nut allergy notice up for some twins there, I don't think my four years old world came crashing down around him

toadfly

allibastor wrote: »

Lad I used to know is/was allergic to nuts.
Someone thought it would be funny to rub peanut butter on him at work. He went into shock and had to have the epi pen jammed into his leg, then off to hospital.

Why would anyone do that? The mind boggles how people can be so careless and stupid.

kingtut

Ban all men from flights/flying.

/gets coat.

AlexisM

MarkR wrote: »

My sons school doesn't allow nut products. Some kid has a severe allergy, so no peanut butter sandwiches. It was a pain at first, (limited amount of things he would normally eat - Special Needs) but it forced me to expand his options.

It's a minor inconvenience (at most) for people missing their nuts.

My kids school had a similar ban which was fine but I really objected to the way the message was delivered to the kids - posters everywhere about the evils of the banned nuts - as if they were one step up from nuclear waste. Nuts are a healthy and nutritious food - particularly for vegetarians - I felt sorry for the (admittedly few) vegetarian children who were basically told they were eating dangerous evil food at home.

Greenmachine

allibastor wrote: »

Lad I used to know is/was allergic to nuts.
Someone thought it would be funny to rub peanut butter on him at work. He went into shock and had to have the epi pen jammed into his leg, then off to hospital.

While I do love me dry-roasted, I don't think my life would be taken off track by not being allowed to eat them on a flight.

My sons school also has a nut allergy notice up for some twins there, I don't think my four years old world came crashing down around him

Dry roasted are the only peanuts, I have trouble eating, brings on a cough reflex, may be a mild allergy there.

Gyalist

Gongoozler wrote: »

She ate satay sauce knowing she had an allergy, and didn't have her epipen with her.

That's not the point. The fact is that to someone with a severe nut allergy even the minutest trace of the allergen can trigger anaphylaxis.

allibastor

toadfly wrote: »

Why would anyone do that? The mind boggles how people can be so careless and stupid.

Some lads are just pricks. Your man was one of those so guys thought it was funny.

Creative Juices

What is it about those nuts in long haul, they are so damned tasty.

ProfessorPlum

josip wrote: »

Why would a window blind up on an "overnight night flight" disturb the entire cabin's sleep?
It's dark outside the plane...

Not necessarily.......

josip

ProfessorPlum wrote: »

Not necessarily.......

I'm all ears

Nino Brown

josip wrote: »

Why would a window blind up on an "overnight night flight" disturb the entire cabin's sleep?
It's dark outside the plane...

Not if you're flying from Europe to the US on an evening flight. For example you leave LHR at 6pm, and land in PHX at 9pm, you take off at night, but most of the flight is in Daylight.