Last week Delta announced that they were testing new in-flight snack options. One of those options included
offering cashews instead of peanuts. We discussed why this change is not a significant improvement for their customers with a peanut allergy, but we also wanted to provide you with some tips for flying with food allergies:
Inform the airline in advance of your food allergy.Request a buffer zone. (How large that zone needs to be should be determined by nut allergic passenger and flight crew)Allow affected travelers time to pre-board flights for wiping down seats, seat belts, tray tables, and surrounding areas.Request an announcement from flight staff. Let other passengers know that there is a customer on board that has a life-threatening food allergy. The announcement should include a request that no other passengers consume peanut/tree nut containing foods in your buffer zone.Request a peanut/tree nut free meal/snack from the airline.Bring safe food/snacks from home, especially for children.Avoid using airline provided pillow and blanket.
Those affected by serious food allergies can also advocate that all airlines carry epinephrine auto-injectors on board and train their crews how to administer properly.
A bit of advance planning can make flying safer and less stressful for those at risk for a serious reaction to a food, particularly nuts.
