A new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has revealed that airlines do not always fulfil requests of people with food allergies during flights.
People with food allergies say that airlines promise to protect their health and take the necessary steps but then don’t fulfil them, according to UPI.
20% of the people said they were promised food allergy-related cabin announcements that didn’t happen while 17% said the airline promised them allergen-free buffer zones that weren’t there.
The most drastic situation of all for a person with food allergies would be to have no allergy-free and safe food options while being several thousand feet in the sky and according to the research, 23% people faced this where they were promised allergy-free food that wasn’t offered.
“We are not asking for the moon and stars, we just want reasonable accommodations that are promised in advance of travel to be honoured at 30,000 feet,” said study co-author Lianne Mandelbaum, founder of the non-profit No Nut Traveller.
“On every flight, it is uncertain if and how crew members will accommodate nut allergies, and this adds tremendous unnecessary stress,” Mandelbaum said.
“Flying with food allergies is akin to a game of roulette, each flight a random spin around the wheel,” the co-author added.
The researchers surveyed more than 4,700 individual patients and families from all over the world to assess their concerns related to food allergies and flying.
Patients with food allergies said they worry the most about whether an airline would follow through on accommodations arranged and discussed during the ticket-booking process.
They also said they were worried about carrying Epi pens or allergy-safe foods being confiscated or contaminated at the airport security check or by customs agents.
Mandelbaum said she has heard from people with food allergies that they were kicked off of flights after asking for cabin announcements and being mocked by air hostesses and fellow passengers for their health concerns.
“When you get to the gate and everyone acts like you’re crazy for bringing this up, that’s a terrible experience,” she said in a Northwestern news release.