These included:
•  making any accommodation request of the airline;
•  getting flight crew to make an announcement asking fellow passengers not to consume peanuts or nuts;
•  requesting a peanut- and tree nut-free buffer zone;
•  asking for a peanut- or nut-free meal;
•  wiping off the seat’s tray table;
•  eating only food brought from home;
•  avoiding using the airline’s pillow or blankets;
•  and requesting a certain section of the cabin (not as significant).

Greenhawt and his colleagues found that of the 3,273 participants from 11 countries who took part in the survey study, 349 reported having an in-flight reaction.

“Looking at those who reported a reaction, there were clear differences in what was asked (of the airline) and what wasn’t asked,” he says. So the allergist sees a definite benefit of informing the airline of a serious food allergy.

The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice, involved participants in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several countries in Europe and Asia.

Greenhawt acknowledges that many airlines will not offer accommodations such as a PA announcement asking fellow passengers to refrain from eating allergenic snacks.

However, “I do think pre-notification is important, regardless of whether it’s rebuked by the airline or not,” he told Allergic Living. “If you don’t ask and don’t make an effort, you will never receive anything. And certain airlines will be more receptive than others.”

He believes there are lessons from the mitigating behaviors for passengers, for doctors to communicate to patients, and for airlines. While beyond the scope of his study, he agrees that airline allergy policies designed to protect a minority of people, no matter if reasonable, can cause controversy.

“But choices will have to be made at some point,” he says. “Every business wants customers to have a positive experience, and I do believe airlines are concerned about this [allergy risks], but it’s more a matter of not knowing what to do. Hopefully, an airline might also look at a study like this and see some solutions.”

One thing that might grab their attention in this international study is that, among American respondents, an astounding 61 percent reported not flying again after receiving a diagnosis (usually for a child) of a peanut- or tree nut allergy.

Next: Key Recommendations to Allergic Travelers

AllergySafeTravel.com, a new online travel resource for those with food allergies, is preparing to shoot a video this summer in the western suburbs of Chicago.

They are looking for people, both children and adults, who have had reactions to nuts on airplanes.

They’re also looking for individuals who have never flown before because of the nut issue.  This footage will be used during a presentation to the airlines association this fall.

It’s a great opportunity to tell your story to those who have the ability to make policy changes within the airline industry.  If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Amy at Amy@AllergySafeTravel.com.

In addition to the video, AllergySafeTravel.com recently launched a Facebook page – Allergic Reactions on Airlines – for those who don’t live in the Chicago area and who wish to upload their own video story.

WestJet, the country’s second largest airline, told Allergic Living that it has a new policy that a flight attendant will make a cabin-wide announcement requesting other passengers not to eat nut or peanut products when a customer with such allergies requests this accommodation.

This is a groundbreaking policy for a major airline in North America and one being hailed by Allergic Living and supporters of its 2009 “Reduce the Risk” airlines campaign.

“This is a hugely important accommodation, exactly what all of us lobbied for,” said Gwen Smith, the magazine’s editor. “WestJet is to be commended for its leadership, and what a great holiday gift to travelers with severe food allergies.”

On Dec. 2, 2010, Air Canada also posted its first official food allergy policy online. Canada’s main airline is starting to provide for a small buffer zone with advance notice and a completed medical form.

Read:

What the Two Airlines’ Policies Say
WestJet Q&A on New Policy
Gwen Smith: The Significance of an Announcement

Robert Palmer, WestJet’s manager of public relations, spoke with Allergic Living’s Gwen Smith this week about the details of his airline’s new forward-thinking food allergy policy.

Allergic Living: I have to start by asking: Why did WestJet make these few policy changes that are quite groundbreaking in terms of food allergy accommodation?

Robert Palmer: “I think the Allergic Living write-in campaign [to WestJet and Air Canada] made us aware that this was perhaps a more serious issue within the allergy community than we may have thought. And that’s the role of allergy advocacy.

“As an airline, we try always to strike a balance based on the information we have, to make the best decisions we can at the time. But that’s not to say that we ever have all of the information that we need, and so it was helpful to have brought this to our attention.

“[That] caused us to take a serious look at whether our policy was the best that it could be, given that we have so many constituencies to serve within our guest community. That’s always the challenge.”

AL: It’s pleasantly surprising to hear that the voices of the community made a difference.

RP: “Well, policies are living, breathing documents and we need to look at them when new information arises that suggests perhaps a change is in order. With respect to the work Allergic Living did, that’s what raised the profile of the issue. The letters [from the allergy community] made a big difference. I still have them at my desk. They’re a constant reminder that this is an extremely important issue.”

AL mentions that people won’t be aware, but WestJet’s talks with the allergy community – including allergy groups and well-known allergists and organized by Anaphylaxis Canada – about potential policy changes have gone on intermittently since last March. WestJet discussed in the talks that it was complicated both with internal communcations and in a highly regulated industry to make sure something as simple as a one-minute p.a. announcement could be done.

RP: “They (Transport Canada) don’t care if we say: ‘And happy birthday to Ted in Row 6C’, but if we’re going to institutionalize a formal announcement as part of our ‘suite of announcements’, it has to be approved and then translated (English and French). And then it has to go into the Flight Attendants’ Manual or FAM.”

Booking with Allergy Accommodations

AL: Let’s talk about some of the specifics of flying under your new policy. With booking, you need to go through the Reservations centre?

RP: “Yes. They can identify themselves as having the nut or peanut allergy, and then a special coding will be put on their file that identifies them as having that allergy.

AL: But should you still tell Reservations every time if it’s on your file?

RP: “I would, just to be on the safe side.”

AL: So Reservations is aware of the allergy accommodations request. Now the person is boarding. When do you approach the flight attendant about the p.a. announcement?

RP: “I would do it as quickly as possible either while boarding or while people are getting settled but before the doors close. The flight attendants have got a few minutes because they’re walking up and down the aisles, helping people stow their bags. That’s the time.”

AL: Do you need to alert the crew at the gate before boarding.

RP: “I’m not sure there’s much point as those people are not going to be on the flight.”

Next: Buffer Zones and EpiPens

This won’t be a big deal to most of WestJet’s passengers, but that little announcement is a huge deal to those who travel with serious peanut or tree nut allergies.

A p.a. announcement asking other passengers to “please refrain from eating” certain allergenic foods and was one of two key recommendations in Allergic Living’s “Reduce the Risk” write-in campaign, in which 1,100 Canadians wrote letters to the chief executives of both WestJet and Air Canada. The other was for clear, consistent policies, communicated to airline staff.

That lobby carried weight with WestJet, the airline’s longtime spokesman makes clear. The campaign “raised the profile of the issue; the letters made a big difference,” says Robert Palmer. “I still have them at my desk. They’re a constant reminder that this is an extremely important issue,” he says.

So pat yourselves on the back. You did it, allergy community, you got a major airline to listen and understand. And then they acted. Anaphylaxis Canada deserves credit for organizing confidential policy review discussions with WestJet earlier this year. (Talks included the main three allergy groups, allergists and Allergic Living.) That kept the issue of a formal allergy policy in front of executives of a busy airline.

As most of you know, Air Canada also just passed its formal policy. The timing is coincidence. Air Canada was told to finalize a formal policy by the Canadian Transportation Agency and the deadline was December 2. The CTA set out that Air Canada should set rules for an “exclusion” or buffer zone to protect those flying with nut of peanut allergies.

Air Canada complied and now you can request a small zone (where the attendants will ask other passengers not to eat peanuts or nuts) that consists in economy of the row you’re in, the row ahead and behind.

Outside the zone, other passengers can eat what they like and cashews and almonds, which Air Canada contends it can’t ask others to give up, will still be sold from the cart.

But requesting Air Canada’s buffer zone is a cumbersome process, which requires a form filled out by your doctor and faxed to the airline’s medical desk in addition to a call to Reservations to book, makes me wonder how many allergic frequent flyers will request this accommodation.

Still, this is a concession from an airline that flies 31 million passengers a year. It is a beginning. And at least in Canada, there are no peanuts being handed out by the airlines as is still dangerously the case on a few U.S. carriers.

Times have changed, and most airlines still aren’t aware that food allergies, which once were called rare, now affect two million Canadians and up to 12 million Americans – and that’s not counting those who fly with them.

WestJet is the kind of company that chose to hear the allergic community because as Palmer says “it’s the right thing to do.” With a few more executives with that attitude, with more awareness of the speed with which anaphylaxis can take hold, and with the strength of our community’s numbers, I truly hope the leadership shown by WestJet this week will be emulated by other airlines over the next couple of years.

It will take consistent reporting to the airlines – whatever airline – of any reactions allergic passengers experience onboard. (Better data is needed, so if you’re unfortunate enough to react – do tell the head office.)

And my friends, keep those letter-writing skills sharpened. It will take more campaigns, more negotiations, but greater allergy accommodations in the skies can happen.

For today, WestJet “gets” that safety trumps a handful of nuts for a couple of hours on a plane. And tomorrow? Others will, too.

We’re the people you may have heard about in the news. On February 15, we got tossed off a Mexicana Airlines flight simply because I’d asked that the attendants not serve peanuts. I’m at risk of anaphylaxis to both peanuts and tree nuts, and distributing peanuts throughout an airplane could be dangerous to me. When I finally got home to Calgary, I complained to the media about the poor treatment that my children and I received while waiting for Mexicana to decide –over several hours – what to do with us. CBC-TV ran a news item, then posted my story online. The fallout has come as a complete shock.

There are now over 800 mostly vitriolic replies. Some people have wished I would choke on a peanut and die; I am getting hate mail at my home. I have been saddened and disturbed by the response of fellow citizens. They clearly don’t comprehend the seriousness of anaphylaxis. From the airline to online, I’ve been treated like a troublemaker. I’m actually anything but. I just happen to have a medical condition that requires the consideration of others.

I also feel my “real” story isn’t out there. So here, for the record is my recent travel experience as an allergic individual:

I BOOKED A FLIGHT to Mexico for myself and my two kids, aged 8 and 3 years old. I informed the booking agents that I have life-threatening allergies to peanuts and requested, in advance as I always have, that no peanuts be served on my flight. I was then told that to have this happen I should speak directly to the Mexicana flight staff upon boarding. As it was explained, there isn’t a real communication process that’s used to let the booking agents inform the flight attendants of this issue. And even if there was, I was told, it could get lost and besides, ultimately, it’s the flight attendants who are in charge of serving – and not serving – peanuts on a flight.

So my family and I board in Calgary to fly down to Puerto Vallarta on February 4. I ask the flight attendants as soon as we got on to please not serve peanuts. I’ve successfully made such a request many times on previous flights. These attendants did look a little confused by my request, but then said: “No problem, we can understand your situation.” We all get down to Puerto Vallarta safely and comfortably.

My family has a great two weeks in Mexico. On February 15, we get to the airport to leave to go home. We have a short flight from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City and then are to continue on from there to Calgary. My children and I board the plane, get to our seats. I tell a flight attendant right away that I am deathly allergic to peanuts and ask that for this 11/2-hour flight that they please not serve them. Mexicana crew all begin to tell me that it is their “right” to serve peanuts. I tell them that there is a possibility of me not being able to breathe.

More staff come by to tell me that they “have to” serve the peanuts. They offer me a seat at the back of the plane. I don’t think they realize that the entire plane will eat the peanuts – so it’s not a solution for me to be stuffed in the back, behind all the peanut-eating. This situation has now delayed the plane about 15-20 minutes. So a Mexican lady stands up in the middle of the plane and explains in Spanish my situation to the rest of the passengers. Then the flight attendant explains in English what my situation is. Passengers start saying to just not serve them the peanuts! One man yells out: “I can live without peanuts for an hour!”

So the flight staff all nod their heads and everyone is ready to go. Then the pilot makes the decision to ask my son, daughter and me to leave the plane. A lady behind me starts yelling that I am not listening to the staff about going to the back of the plane.

“I am waiting for them to tell me what
I have to do when a staff member yells
at me to get away from the plane.”

At this point, my children start to cry because there is a lady yelling at us and we are very rudely asked to get off the flight. So I pack up and we walk out of the plane. I am waiting for them to tell me what I have to do when a staff member yells at me to get away from the plane. We walk into the terminal and sit down on the floor in a lump, crying. The plane sits there for another 15 to 20 minutes while they rummage through the baggage hold for our bags. I’m sure people are missing connecting flights.

A staff member finally instructs us to go back to the check-in counter to see if there is another flight. We stand at the counter for an hour as agents are supposed to be trying to get us on a flight. Not one person from the airline speaks to us.

I finally demand to speak to the supervisor. Another 30 minutes later, an agent says Mexicana has booked us on a flight the next day – but they are not sure if the airline will fly us home because they “have to” serve the peanuts. We go to a hotel and an airline representative calls the room. They’ve switched us to another airline, but I’m told I have to get a letter from the doctor in Mexico by the morning explaining that I have a peanut allergy. How am I going to go to a doctor in Mexico in the next 10 hours, and how will he even know that I have an allergy? I told the representative this was a ridiculous request. She said she just wanted me to know I might have issues again without a medical note.

At no time during this entire situation did one person tell me they wanted to help me and my children, or that they were sorry this was happening. It felt like I was a criminal. My kids and I had to spend another night in Puerto Vallarta and the next day Mexicana got us on an American Airlines and we got home.

I’m not sure what is going to happen in regards to peanuts on airplanes. Many airlines that claim not to serve peanuts still offer mixed nuts bags for sale. I am deathly allergic to all peanuts and tree nuts – so this is a huge concern for me as someone who wants to be able to travel.

“I have never realized that I am hated
by a large part of the population”

I have had enough of this peanut issue and people’s “right to have their peanuts.” I am not asking that the plane be fumigated, or that the seats need to be shampooed. I am just asking that the packages of peanuts that are sitting in a small box are just not served on a particular flight. Here’s a thought: hand the customers their package of peanuts when they leave the plane … so they don’t miss out.

It hurt so much that total strangers were yelling at me and my children. After the abuse I’ve taken on the CBC site, I’m actually scared to tell anyone again that I am allergic to peanuts and nuts. I will now be very careful who I tell and who I don’t tell.

I have never realized that I am hated by a large part of the population – until I read those comments. There were a couple of days that I was waiting for a jar of peanut butter to be thrown through my window at home.

Having a peanut allergy is not a choice! We are born with it. Those of us with allergies don’t deserve to be subjected to hate mail and having people hate us because we are different.

I will fly again on an airplane again that doesn’t serve peanuts. But I will always remember the way that I was treated, the way I was made to feel. I do wish everyone here the best of luck dealing with their food allergies. Keep advocating because, there’s clearly a long way to go.

In making its decision, the Canadian Transportation Agency weighed the recommendations made by Toronto allergists Dr. Gordon Sussman (advising the agency) and Dr. Peter Vadas (advising Air Canada), as well as the two complainants and Air Canada. Following are the key findings of the CTA’s ruling.

When is Allergy “Disability”

To determine if there is an “obstacle to mobility for disabled persons,” the transportation agency first determines if there is a disability.

In 2002, the CTA examined seven allergy complaints against Air Canada (five involved allergies to cats in the cabin, the other two were scent-related). The agency ruled that allergies per se are not always disability, but might be found such on a case-by-case basis.

When Sophia Huyer and the mother of Melanie Nugent formally complained about experiences flying with peanut and nut allergies on Air Canada, the CTA chose to examine whether their complaints fit the disability description on this case-by-case basis. It ruled that they did.

But it further ruled, based on expert testimony, that other persons with nut and peanut allergies similarly qualified as having disability.

The Ruling

Formal Policy

In the Huyer-Nugent ruling, the agency found that both complainants were offered a measure of accommodation by Air Canada – in each case, moving to other seats. But the agency was concerned about Air Canada’s ad hoc treatment, and the lack of formal policy addressing the needs of travelers with nut and peanut allergies.

The CTA found this amounts to an obstacle to mobility for those with these particular allergies.

“The agency is of the opinion that in making their travel plans, persons with disabilities are entitled to the same certainty that other people enjoy of being able to travel as scheduled,” it wrote.

Peanut/Nut Allergies and “Disability”

Both Dr. Sussman and Dr. Vadas noted there were nine top allergenic foods in Canada. Dr. Vadas said that peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish were responsible for “the majority of near-fatal and fatal anaphylactic reactions.” Both experts confirmed that allergic reactions could result from minute exposures to nut/peanut allergens.

Nut-free Zones, Announcements

One of Dr. Sussman’s recommendations was simply not to serve nuts, but he agreed that it’s impossible to create an allergen-free environment.

Instead, the CTA opted for a “buffer zone” approach. Its ruling says: “a buffer zone is the appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities due to their allergy to peanuts or nuts.”

It directs Air Canada not to serve nuts or peanuts in that area, and says a flight crew member would need to advise other passengers in the “zone” rows not to consume foods that contain peanuts or tree nuts. The agency leaves it to Air Canada to recommend the size of the zone.

Next Page: Plane Announcements, Auto-Injectors, Pet Allergies

TORONTO – January 6, 2009:  Startling new research reveals that most major airlines do not have clearly defined policies and procedures in place for allergic passengers, and they continue to serve some of the most highly allergenic foods, including nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish, according to Allergic Living Magazine.

In the Winter 2009 issue of Allergic Living magazine’s cover story “Plane Truths,” Allergic Living contributor Jennifer Van Evra exposes an allergic passenger’s nightmare flying 38,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean, locked inside an Air Canada plane with the flight attendants handing out packages of nuts.

Van Evra reveals several incidents on other airlines where flight attendants refused to stop serving peanuts throughout the plane even though passengers were having difficulty breathing and in one case, a 3-year-old girl became covered in hives, her face swelled and her breathing grew laboured.

Allergic Living editor, Gwen Smith asks the obvious question: “Why is an airplane the only public venue aside from a major league baseball park where an individual will encounter so many peanuts and nuts?”

The airlines have responded to passenger complaints by saying, “We cannot guarantee an allergen-free flight.” Smith would like to see discussions with the airlines in Canada about risk-reducing strategies accommodating the growing number of people traveling with serious food allergies. Allergic Living Magazine has just launched a write-in campaign to lobby for better risk reduction in the air and will be reporting the results directly to the airlines.

“Flying is a fundamental part of modern life, and the allergic have a right to do it safely – like everyone else,” says Smith. “We would be very open to speaking with the airlines about better accommodation for the allergic. It would not be difficult.”

To view online the detailed comparison chart on allergy policies of some of the major airline carriers, click here.

Allergic Living is an independent magazine, published by AGW Publishing Inc., and is available by subscription (www.allergicliving.com) and, in Canada, at Chapters outlets, Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs.

For more information about this article, or to set-up an interview with
Allergic Living’s editor Gwen Smith, please call:
Beth Sulman at 416-628-5602 or bsulman@hccink.com

See Also:

• See an update on Allergic Living‘s Reduce-the-Risk Airlines Campaign
• See Allergic Living‘s Comparison chart on major airlines’ allergy policies