“Sorry ma’am, but your son cannot board this plane if he hasn’t been cleared by our med desk at least 48 hours in advance,” says the airline employee at the gate in Miami. “It’s the new policy ma’am. Nothing I can do about it ….”

“Do you hear what you’re saying to me?” I respond, repeatedly, with as much restraint as humanly possible (I’m well aware that any hint of aggression will get me nothing but a personal escort out of Miami International and a byline on the Air Canada black list).

My eyes are welling, my voice is cracking, my hands are shaking. Honey is in the gift shop with the kids buying gum; a line is starting to form behind me as I’m facing what seems the biggest human rights moment of my life.

“It’s 2011. We’re in America. Do you hear what you’re saying to me?” I add to my mantra.

All I was looking for was a quick conversation with someone from the flight crew so I could let them know about Lucas’ allergies and see about a p.a. announcement. I wasn’t requesting Air Canada’s new nut-free buffer zone, which I already know requires advance medical clearance.

I attempt to clarify this point several times, but according to this employee, what I’m requesting is irrelevant. “Your son is not allowed to fly without advance medical clearance because of his peanut allergy, and it’s too late for that.

“I’m sorry, but that’s what the policy says, ma’am!”

Resistance – I’m accustomed to. Ignorance – I’ve come to expect. But shameless discrimination against my innocent 8-year-old boy? I’m sick.

***
For me, there’s nothing friendly about the skies except on the occasion when you get an obliging flight attendant who’s happy to make a timely announcement asking passengers to refrain from eating peanuts and tree nuts on the plane; who’s willing to not serve or sell our allergens on board our flight; and who possesses the common sense and basic sensitivity we allergy parents pray for every time we fly.

You don’t always encounter these angels of flight, but they are out there. Well, at least they were out there until our fair Air Canada was led by its regulating body, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), to adopt its nut-free buffer zone policy in late 2010. This is undoubtedly the cause for the anti-allergy confusion in Miami.

Ahh, Air Canada’s new buffer zone – the one “nut-free” row behind and in front of (but not beside) a medically approved allergic passenger, “set up in order to help avoid the risk of exposure.” Yada yada.

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

“Let’s ski the Peanut Trail again,” exclaimed my daughter Taya, as we rode up the chairlift at Silver Star resort in British Columbia. I found the name of her favorite run ironic – since she is allergic to peanuts as well as tree nuts, sesame, kiwi and soy.

The Peanut Trail is a narrow run through the trees with lots of jumps, but fortunately no real peanuts on it. This is exactly the kind of run that 8-year-old Taya and her sister Kieryn, 10, love to ski.

My wife Keely prefers the wide, groomed, cruising runs which Silver Star has lots of, but she was not getting to ski them much since the kids kept insisting on that Peanut Trail.

Ski vacations are great fun for families, and I recommend them as well-suited to people with allergies or gluten intolerance. Condos and chalets with full kitchens are common at most resorts, so you can make your own safe meals.

There are ski resorts within driving distance of most major cities in Canada and the northern U.S. Many resorts now have other activities for après ski, and to keep non-skiers entertained as well.

Our top priority when booking a ski vacation is to always find a place that has ski-in and ski-out access to accommodations. This is a huge advantage with allergies because you can go back to your condo for lunch and snacks and not have to eat at a restaurant. It also means you can start late or stop early and not have to worry about driving or finding a place to meet.

Check the location out carefully though, some places that advertise ski-in, ski-out may be a long walk for little children carrying skis (and even longer for adults trying to carry small children and skis).

Another thing to consider is finding a skiing area that suits your group. Ideally that means a good mix of runs for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers.  Also consider whether non-skiing activities like a swimming pool or shopping are important to your group. A large resort may have a greater variety of runs and après ski activities to appeal to the whole family.

We tend to prefer mid-sized resorts over the largest resorts because the condos are usually closer to the runs and less expensive. After skiing all day, we’re usually content to relax in our condo and don’t use a lot of après ski activities like spa services or fancy restaurants.

When signing up your allergic child into ski lessons, make sure that you clearly communicate the allergies to the instructor and give the child an epinephrine auto-injector to wear inside his or her ski clothes (so it does not freeze). Find out if they stop for a snack during the lesson, and provide your own snack if necessary. If it’s an all-day program, we bring our daughter with allergies back to the condo for lunch.

Another option is to pack a lunch for your child, but be sure to give clear directions to the instructor about how to manage your child’s allergies.

Check where the closest hospital is to the ski hill before you go. All resorts have on-site first aid, but some are more isolated and a long drive from a major city. We try to ensure that we are within a one-hour drive of a hospital.

Many ski resorts are also good destinations for a vacation outside of ski season. It’s common to find them open year-round with golfing, swimming, hiking and biking in the off-season, when prices are lower. Because condos are popular at ski resorts, it’s easy to find a place with a kitchen.

Skiing is one of the few sports that you can do as a family. Unlike soccer or hockey, you actually ski with your children instead of just watching them. In fact, my kids and I often go with my 86-year-old father – he still loves to ski. There is nothing like spending quality time skiing with your kids on a sunny spring day. But watch out, my kids are already skiing faster than their mother and grandfather. It won’t be long before I can’t keep up either.

See Also:

• Our Ski Vacations-with Allergies
• Ski Vacation Tips
• Food Tips for Safe Travel

Share your allergy stories in the Comments section.