Time with Friends and Family Be clear about your allergies. Socializing with out-of-town family or friends can be tricky because they may not fully understand the risks that food allergies present and the safeguards you or your child need. Be polite, clear and assertive – and never feel bad about saying no to a food [...]

Hotels Ask for what you need. If you have a life-threatening allergy, tell the check-in clerk so he or she can put it on your file. Also double check that if you asked for a room with a kitchen, that’s what you’re getting. If you’re not sure where the closest medical facilities are, ask for [...]

Travel by Air Pack your medications. Always remember to bring your allergy and asthma medications with you – and if you’re flying, don’t pack them in your checked baggage. Keep them with you at all times. Pack food. If you’re not sure what foods will be available on the road or in the air, bring [...]

Serious food allergies are challenging enough, but when you hit the road, they can get even trickier. One study showed that the majority of allergic travelers stick closer to home, and even avoid travel by air or boat because of their conditions. Still, food allergies shouldn’t stop travelers from getting out and exploring the world, [...]

There’s good news this summer for the traveling nut allergic. WestJet has stopped selling cashews on its flights and is not offering any peanut or nut products aboard its aircraft. “This has been a tremendous move on the part of WestJet,” says Yvonne Rousseau of the Allergy/Asthma Information Association in British Columbia, who had discussions [...]

Following the decision by Air Canada to join WestJet in allowing pets to travel in airplane cabins, The Lung Association has launched an online campaign calling on federal politicians to protect the health and safety of airline passengers and crew who may suffer from severe allergies to pet dander or have asthma or chronic obstructive [...]

Sean Callahan had just checked in at a WestJet counter for a 3.5-hour flight from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Toronto, when he turned to see a young woman behind him, carrying a cat carrier. Callahan, whose severe allergy to cat dander triggers his asthma, was shocked to learn that she and her feline friend were [...]

The McKenzie-Davison family continues their travels with life-threatening allergies, this time crossing the Atlantic. It’s bonjour South of France, hello England and Italy. Here they come, toting that suitcase of safe foods. In 2002, we took our first summer vacation in Europe with two children. Kieryn was not yet 3 years old and Taya had [...]

The adventure-loving McKenzie-Davison family proves that you can travel the globe with life-threatening allergies. It simply requires research, lots of precautions – and a suitcase jam-packed with food. IN 1993, BEFORE having children, my wife Keely and I went trekking in Nepal. We felt so adventurous, traveling with just a guidebook. We walked from village [...]

The following accompanies the “Have Kitchen, Will Ski” article (and travel tips) in the Winter 2010 edition of Allergic Living. All are written by AL’s food allergy/celiac travel writer, Scott McKenzie. To purchase that issue, click here. Owl’s Head – For more than 20 years now a large group of 50 family and friends has [...]