Bay Area family booted off plane over son's peanut allergy

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/about/article/peanut-allergies-nuts-airline-policies-Allegiant-7423014.php

When Bay Area parents Kyson and Sara Dana alerted a flight attendant of their son's severe peanut allergy, they found themselves kicked off the plane....

After boarding an Allegiant flight from Provo, Utah, to Oakland, the Danas asked a flight attendant if peanuts could not be served in the seating area surrounding them. The attendant refused the request, and Kyson told ABC News 7, they decided to stay on the flight despite the airline's decision.

But the flight attendant returned shortly thereafter and told the family they couldn't stay on the plane.

Kyson took to Facebook to share his frustration: "The flight attendant then causes a huge scene and KICKS US OFF the plane! Who does that? No accommodations offered, no refund, and now no plane. Ever heard of worse customer service????"

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

I think I'll wait for the response. There might be some details to this story.

[KamaAina]

9. Believe it or not, the ADA does not apply to airlines

but the Air Carrier Access Act does. Weaker than the ADA, but still...

[Blue_Tires]

2. The airline erred on the side of caution

For starters that's a lawsuit waiting to happen if the kid has an attack, and an even bigger headache will come when the plane has to divert...

Either way, the family got re-booked and they got an apology so case closed...

[cleanhippie]

3. This^^^. +1

[uppityperson]

16. Indeed. Family and airline were concerned about his safety, so put on another flight without

the risk. If you know your child, or yourself, is that allergic, check ahead of time to make arrangements.

[pnwmom]

53. Why would another flight not have the same risk?

[Orrex]

58. Maybe the next one didn't have peanuts on board?

[alcibiades_mystery]

91. Some flights serve graham crackers rather than peanuts

I'd guess that was the criterion.

[uppityperson]

94. I've been on peanut free flights, probably one of them

[Yo_Mama]

113. If they had already served peanuts since this plane was cleaned, it would be dangerous

The parents' request implies that their child was very, very allergic to peanuts - environmental exposure, not direct exposure was dangerous to the child. At least that is a reasonable conclusion.

[lame54]

60. wouldn't serving pretzels instead...

be accommodating on the side of caution

there is usually more than one way to handle a situation

[TipTok]

62. Uh no...

I'd like my peanuts...

How far do we take this? Request all stewardesses and passengers in the immediate area shower down to remove any perfume or cologne with sensitivities?

[Act_of_Reparation]

75. Do you mean on that particular flight, or on all flights?

People with peanut allergies can be so sensitive that even peanut particulate can trigger a reaction. If peanuts had been served on that plane earlier, there would still be a risk of reaction no matter what they served for that child's flight.

If you mean airlines should stop serving peanuts altogether, I'm inclined to agree.

[GummyBearz]

88. I have allergies too

I'm allergic to assholes, screaming kids, and anyone with a red shirt on.

If I buy an airline ticket I make it very clear none of the above can fly with me

[Act_of_Reparation]

92. Are you sure it isn't lupus?

Sounds like it might be lupus.

[TipTok]

95. Nope...

[Act_of_Reparation]

97. Then it is probably sarcoidosis. Or amyloidosis.

Or my personal fav, floating kidney.

[whistler162]

99. You must not hang out with yourself much!

[GummyBearz]

100. This is true

[Bob41213]

131. Yeah, the initial few paragraphs made it sound bad...

No refund, just kicked off according to the family on facebook. Then the article clarifies the reasons they did what they did.

[leftynyc]

4. I never really considered

this but I never eat on an airplane and instead always have trail mix and peanut m&ms - always those two food items. What if the person next to me had a severe peanut allergy? Which one would/should get tossed?

[philosslayer]

25. It would probably be a good idea to change your choice of snacks.

Just in chase. The person next to you might not announce they have a peanut allergy until its too late.

[leftynyc]

26. I ALWAYS have peanut

m&m's with me (whether on a plane or not). Nobody has died yet and I'm trying to figure out why someone's dietary restrictions should be my problem. I detest the smell of beer and gin - quite literally makes me nauseous. Should I inform whoever is sitting next to me on a plane/train?

[philosslayer]

30. Could the smell of beer and gin kill you?

No. However, to someone with a peanut allergy, even the tiniest bit of peanut residue, especially in the closed environment of an airplane, could be deadly.

I realize you ALWAYS have to have peanut M&M's with you, but how about a little compassion and caution? The statement that "why someone's dietary restrictions should be my problem" is about as anti-progressive and anti-tolerant as you can get.

[leftynyc]

34. Uh - no

If someone is THAT allergic and they're depending on airplanes actually being clean, they shouldn't be flying. So I should stop carrying a snack around I've always carried around on the off chance there is someone with a deadly allergy on the plane/train? I don't think so. And I'm getting sick to death of anonymous posters deciding what is and what isn't progressive or tolerant - I already know what progressive is and I don't really care how YOU define it.

[Mother Of Four]

122. ^^ This

If his allergy is so severe why on earth are they WAITING until they are actually boarding the plane to say something instead of discussing it with the airline beforehand?

This whole situation could have been easily avoided if the parents had taken the responsible steps beforehand, in other words talking to the airline company BEFORE boarding the plane. They go to their seat, wipe it down, let the flight crew know when the attendants come by to offer drinks etc "We spoke to your airline rep about the allergy, no plane food for my kiddo please." and wala. No problem. In many cases airlines will create a buffer zone around the person with the allergies, that being said they aren't required to do so and on Allegiants own website they state they don't guarantee allergen free flights. In this particular case, where the two year old had a bad allergic episode the weekend just before the flight- it's even more horrifying to me that the parents didn't contact the airline before boarding the plane.


This jumped out at me from this article-
http://www.sfgate.com/aboutsfgate/article/peanut-allergies-nuts-airline-policies-Allegiant-7423014.php

"In the case of the Dana family, a statement from Allegiant said that when the in-flight crew learned of the child's allergy, a call was made to a third-party organization that advises Allegiant and other carriers when making decisions about the safety of passengers with potential medical issues onboard an aircraft.

"The third party organization, which includes on-call medical doctors available to provide guidance, advised that the family not fly on that specific flight," the statement read.

Allegiant went on to put the Dana family on another flight, which got them home a few hours later. The airline also issued an apology, but the parents still feel they were treated unfairly."

So everyone is ticked at the airline because they CYA'ed themselves, then provided the family with another flight which was prepared for the allergy of the child. I'm sorry but I certainly wouldn't want to be blamed for a 2 year old's death or hospitalization.

Again, this all could have been avoided if the parents had taken 15 minutes out of their busy schedule to contact the freaking airline. Wow, just wow.

[TipTok]

96. It's a slippery slope of accomodation...

At what point does it become their problem?

Peanuts? Gluten? Perfume? Fat folks can't be near the cheesecake my wife packed for me?

In the end, it really is their problem.

[Demit]

105. You seem to need to trivialize people's life-threatening allergies

with your facetious cheesecake example. That's not a good-faith slippery slope argument. That's just illustrating the scorn you have for other people who aren't you.

[TipTok]

106. Daytime TV and parenting blogs account for many of today's supposed peanut allergies...

Last edited Tue May 10, 2016, 11:05 PM - Edit history (1)

In any case, I can only control myself and it is incumbent on the individual to find a way to deal with their problem and it is unreasonable to expect everyone else to accomodate them.

[Justice]

111. These comments are disgusting.

[TipTok]

112. Which part?

The first world problem of self inflicted allergies or the part about taking responsibility for ones own health?

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

132. There's snacks with peanuts in them

sold all over the airport! Surely, I'm not the only one to pick up a bottle of water and a snack before I board?

Flying is a dangerous proposition for someone with such a severe peanut allergy. I don't know what the solution is, but safety just can't be guaranteed unless the plan has just been cleaned and sanitized, and any peanut products are confiscated as passengers are boarding.

[TipTok]

67. It falls squarely in the category of 'their problem'.

[leftynyc]

68. That's my feeling

just as my anxiety about flying and not wanting to talk to anyone on an airplane is entirely my problem. But so far I've been called intolerant and not progressive because I don't cater to everyone's personal issues.

[TipTok]

71. Peanut allergies are a first world problem...

Literally...

I remember talking to an aid worker in Africa. They dispensed this peanut paste to local families who were hit by a drought.

One of my guys asked about peanut allergies and the doctor laughed in his face.

[mainer]

79. They are, but the allergies are real. Various theories about why.

It's now recommended that all infants be exposed to peanut butter. it may be that first world infant diets are so restrictive that the children develop allergies to everything they're not continually exposed to.

Akin to the "hygiene hypothesis," about why kids who are raised on farms have very low rates of asthma and allergies. Babies need to be exposed to dirt and pollen and animals.

[leftynyc]

89. That makes perfect sense

and reminds me of a George Carlin (may he rest in peace) bit. He claimed he was never sick - because when he was growing up he swam in the polluted Hudson River and had built up so much immunity that germs were afraid of him.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

5. I would bet there's more to this story

If that child's allergy is severe enough, there's no way the parents would agree to stay after making such a request. And on the flip side, I'd be nervous as hell as an airline to get up in the air and know some kid could go into an allergic reaction.

[thelordofhell]

13. They were probably bugging other passengers too........

"Don't eat those peanuts....They're too close to my baby!!!"

[TipTok]

69. I'm gonna need a list of everything you've eaten in the last 48 hours...

... Broken down by ingredient.

Little Braden here has an allergy you know and we are forces to share your air.

...

No, he's never actually had symptoms but I did see it on Dr. Oz and my homeopathy book says...

*headphones go on *

[liberal N proud]

57. I am sure there is much more to the story

Something is not being told here.

Were they assholes about the airlines decision and made a scene?

[Kittycat]

127. Severe allergies can be legit, but parents can be extemists, too

The issue at our school and a few others in district got so out of hand, all peanut snacks were banned, and no food at parties district-wide (22 schools). I have a child allergic to too much to list, our only request was that he not sit adjacent to peanut/tree nuts during snack time (pre-banning), and the surface be wiped. It was easy to accommodate.

On a plane, they have special service lines you can call to make pre-flight arrangements after you book, or as you book. They're really quite accommodating. We've never requested an allergy free flight, but they do ask about allergies, and we weren't offered anything on the risk list. So maybe they block it? No idea. We have to bring g-tube/enteral feeding supplies, and he needs more accessible seating. So they provide us with a special seating area with more room to get in bags/access our son, and my husband and other son are usually behind us or the next row over. Crew was wonderful. We boarded first. Honestly, if people take the time to read and plan for their accommodations, it would be a lot easier on them, and all those around them.

[Coventina]

6. Well, flying Allegiant was their first mistake.....

Worst. Airline. Ever.

[KamaAina]

12. No one else flies to Provo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provo_Municipal_Airport#Airline_and_destinations

Airlines Destinations
Allegiant Air Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix/Mesa

I suppose they could have flown to Salt Lake and driven down there, though.

[Coventina]

14. Yeah, that really stinks. I have the same issue trying to get to Grand Rapids.

It's either take Allegiant, or fly into Chicago or Detroit and rent a car, or take puddle-jumper from there.

I swore I would never fly Allegiant again, though, and so far, it has only meant that I haven't been to see the relatives for a few years....

[KamaAina]

15. Southwest goes there

I don't believe they fly puddle-jumpers.

[Coventina]

17. I won't fly Southwest either because I have to have an assigned seat.

Yes, I know it sounds like I'm a total princess, but I have a severe phobia about flying, so I HAVE to know where I'm sitting ahead of time, as one of my coping mechanisms.

The rush, rush, cattle-call of SW flights give me a nervous breakdown.

I know, I know, I'm a precious little snowflake.

This is why I avoid flying in general.....

[leftynyc]

27. That doesn't make you a princess

I would never fly without a seat assignment ahead of time. I can't get stuck in a middle seat simply because I don't need someone on both sides of me if I'm flying across the country. It's uncomfortable.

[Coventina]

31. Thanks! As consumers, we kind of have to look out for ourselves.

And, as flying for me is a REALLY BIG DEAL, every aspect of it matters.

[leftynyc]

35. I don't like it either

I highly recommend xanax and a very good book or music.

[Coventina]

36. Yep. I invested in noise-canceling headphones, worth every penny.

I'm never without my iPod, and my battered, old copy of "Emma". I rarely actually read it, though.
I take some Benedryl after I'm settled in my seat and that usually puts me out, or at least zones me out enough that I don't have panic attacks.

[leftynyc]

37. I can't recommend a kindle

highly enough - there's pretty inexpensive now and you always have something to read - you can go from poetry, to biography, to just plain silliness. A very good weapon for those who hate flying.

[Coventina]

38. Just ask Alec Baldwin!

But seriously, it is a great idea!!

[leftynyc]

48. I'm a pop culture imbecile

I'm going to have to look up that reference.

[Coventina]

74. I believe he was kicked off a plane for refusing to turn his off when told by crew.

Now he does commercials for Kindle.

[yeoman6987]

43. Dang! Thank you so much. I never thought of getting some noise-cancelling headphones

You have made my day and future flying much more bearable. I sincerely appreciate you sharing that with us.

[Coventina]

45. Glad I could help!!

[TipTok]

72. Plantronics back beat pros

Last edited Tue May 10, 2016, 12:47 PM - Edit history (1)

Decent price, wired or wireless and amazing for flights.

I wear them on C 17s and go right to sleep


http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Wireless-Canceling-Headphones/dp/B00MBWIL0G

[yeoman6987]

84. Thank you!

My next flight is June 3rd. I will purchase those. I appreciate the help!

[TipTok]

93. It's nice to pay for the product and not the name..

Cough cough... Beats..

[EllieBC]

28. I don't have a phobia regarding flying and I hate the cattle call.

It gives me anxiety. I flew Southwest once when I was in the US and thought "why would anyone want to fight for a seat?!?!".

[Coventina]

32. I know, right? It's not like there's enough stress involved in air travel,

even without my personal issues.

[madinmaryland]

42. I have flown Southwest dozens of times and have no problem with the way

the plane is boarded. I always pay the extra $10 to get in the first group boarding and was able to get an aisle seat. That included flights from Baltimore to Seattle. Never a problem with them.

[PasadenaTrudy]

90. Same here

I always snag a window or aisle seat.

[scscholar]

44. Then don't fly Spirit!

Even when I paid extra to get a seat, I still lost it at the gate.

[Coventina]

46. Yikes! Good info to have.

Thanks!!

[Silver_Witch]

77. Actually it makes you cute!

I think it is good to know oneself so well that you do what you need to to be happy and comfortable! And you fix it yourself instead of demanding accomdation. Very solid!

[kcr]

104. I don't have a phobia, but I won't fly Southwest for the same reason.

It's completely ridiculous that they don't have assigned seating and I refuse to fly with them because of it. I don't blame you one bit.

[Warren DeMontague]

49. "...Provo, Spain?"

[Person 2713]

7. I thought they have to be in contact with the airlines in advance? I could be wrong but

not after the plane has been stocked with snacks marked for no kind of allergy alert?

[LisaM]

59. That sounds more likely.

I have been on one peanut-free flight and they announced it prior to takeoff, so presumably they had ket the airline know in advance.

[ctaylors6]

124. some airlines won't accommodate that

and some peanuts allergies that aren't so severe don't need that. Usually just not sitting next to a person eating peanuts is all they need.

[Person 2713]

129. And sometimes not even that is needed. I have sat next to my cousin in a car' s back seat

where he has had a person on each side eating peanuts close quarters etc.
But put that peanut in his mouth 2 secs later his throat closes up and he can't breathe!
He knows some one who could be two rows away from someone and a peanut would cause a very severe reaction
You are correct severity varies

[onehandle]

8. Perfect analogy for the fallacy of the Second Amendment.

Rather than eliminate the threat (do we really need peanuts on airplanes?) they eliminate the family.

[Warren DeMontague]

50. Perfect analogy for what you should do before a workout.

[FLPanhandle]

10. I fly quite often

Occasionally, the flight attendants will come on the PA and announce they won't be serving any peanuts and for all passengers to not eat or have any nuts.

However, dust from nuts are throughout every plane as the cleaning between flights is minimal.

I can see the airline being cautious, on the other hand, if their son can't survive standard transportation maybe driving is safer.

[Matrosov]

11. Why not check with the airline ahead of time?

Some airlines are more willing to work with passengers than others, but that's something that should be checked ahead of time, not when you're already on the plane.

The family didn't get booted because of his allergy but because the airline couldn't guarantee his safety.

[Initech]

18. I wouldn't fly Allegiant if they paid me.

They're one of the worst of the worst. Spirit might be a slight step above but neither airline is good. I hope this family sues the shit out of them.

[WhiteTara]

21. I was thinking of flying Allegiant

because it flies non stop from northwest Arkansas into Los Angeles for an incredibly low fare. What makes them worse than United?

[Initech]

23. Well...... there is Yelp.

Apparently the issue of extremely rude flight attendants is not an isolated incident from this story - apparently it's a problem that is wide within their network. Extremely long delays are also very common.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/allegiant-airlines-oakland

[WhiteTara]

33. Oh, it sounds like United

I am sure they go to school to be as rude as possible. I hadn't thought about Yelp, but I'll go check out some comments.
Thanks

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

39. I have had far worse experiences on United and American than I have ever had on any LCC

For whatever reason the low-cost carriers seem to have fewer abusive and psychotic front-line employees.

I have flown Allegiant to Hawaii a bunch of times, no problems.

[Initech]

40. Wow they have surprisingly good fares to Hawaii.

Hmmm............ do I gamble on that though?

[rusty fender]

19. if a kid is that allergic, keep him in a damned bubble!

Jeebus, that family needs to drive everywhere with such a fragile kid, and they should stop trying to make the rest of the world accommodate to their precious snowflake.

[alarimer]

20. You would think there would be some way to desensitize people with such allergies.

As I recall, these types of severe food allergies, especially peanuts, are a relatively new phenomenon. Some say it's due to lack of exposure early on. But it seems it would be easier to treat one patient instead of making the rest of the world free from whatever he is allergic to.

[Horse with no Name]

41. There are doctors in some of the larger children's hospitals that are doing that

https://www.childrens.com/specialties-services/specialty-centers-and-programs/allergy-and-immunology/programs-and-services/food-allergy

As a result of its close affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Children’s Food Allergy Center is home to groundbreaking basic science and clinical research in food allergy.

Clinical Trials
Oral Immunotherapy

112009-006: Dendritic Cell Responses to Viral Stimulation in Peanut Allergic Subjects Undergoing Peanut Oral Immunotherapy


Oral immunotherapy is an experimental treatment for food allergies. Small, escalating, amounts of peanut flour are fed to peanut allergic patients to increase their tolerance.
Must be between the ages of 3-16 with a peanut allergy to participate in this study.
Enrollment currently on hold

[pnwmom]

52. They are working on it, but in the meantime, in the real world, there are children every year

who die of peanut allergies.

[EllieBC]

22. Anaphylactic shock is not a special snowflake situation.

It's quite real and deadly.

That said if I had a child with a severe enough allergy that the reaction could be triggered by peanut dust, I wouldn't bother flying as the planes aren't cleaned that well anyway.

[pnwmom]

51. Is that how you feel about every child with a life-threatening condition? How nasty. n/t

[rusty fender]

101. Ridiculous question

What is nasty is you calling me nasty just because you disagree with me.

I'm just advocating that people use common sense in these instances. Would you want everyone with an allergy to announce it to the flight crew of every flight and then insist that everyone who could be dangerous must be tossed from the flight?

So a person announces that he/she is allergic to perfume, should everyone who has already applied perfume to their bodies be kicked off the flight because of that one person's allergy?

If that's what you are advocating, then no one would be able to fly anywhere!

[pnwmom]

103. You just called a child with a life threatening allergy a "special snowflake." That is nasty.

How many people have you heard of who have died from perfume reactions? But people die every year from peanuts.

[rusty fender]

114. Again, if someone is so allergic to peanuts that

Being on the same airplane with someone else who is eating peanuts causes him/her to die, then the highly allergic person could die going to a movie, or to a baseball game. Your solution is to ban peanuts at all those venues because of a few allergic people; that's nuts

And stop calling me nasty. Your obsession with that word suggests more about your disturbed disposition than mine.

[pnwmom]

115. Where did I offer a solution? I criticized your name-calling. Those families go through enough

without having people mocking them with words like "special snowflake."

[rusty fender]

116. So now you are the snowflake police!

Pathetic

[pnwmom]

118. I'd rather be that than the person ridiculing parents of seriously at-risk children. nt

[rusty fender]

133. Give it a fucking rest, why don't you

Sheesh

[matt819]

24. Has to be more to this story

A family with a child with a peanut allergy would not wait until boarding to mention this. And they would/should know what the protocols are for protecting their child from his peanut allergy. They probably do this with his school and his classmates, etc. They should protect him from this when grocery shopping, especially in the prepared foods and bulk foods area.

To raise a stink like this, well, it just stinks. And while we have all had lousy experiences with flight attendants and gate attendants, and bad airlines, I find it hard to believe that the flight attendant would come back and just say, tough you're out of luck, you're off the plane, not our problem. Rather, the more likely response is that they couldn't protect their son from exposure and would book them on another flight and take precautions re the allergy.

I'm getting an allergic reaction to this story.

[MadBadger]

29. I feel like this is something the family needed to handle before they get on the plane.

[Skittles]

102. exactly

seriously poor planning on the part of the parents

[Spider Jerusalem]

47. Good

they're being unreasonable and stupid. Proximity to peanuts is not sufficient to trigger anaphylaxis in allergic individuals. There have been multiple studies on this. As long as their kid doesn't ingest peanuts? They'll be fine, even if someone in a nearby seat is eating peanuts.

[mnhtnbb]

54. I was on a flight recently where there was a woman who told the flight attendants she had

a peanut allergy. She was wanting to restrict peanuts in the area where she was sitting, too.

After we took off, the flight attendant made an announcement that someone with a peanut allergy was flying
with them today and because of that, they would not be serving peanuts with drinks. To anyone.

No problem.

[GreenEyedLefty]

55. The smell of peanuts does not cause an allergic reaction.

These people are nuts (literally).

[womanofthehills]

65. Peanut dust can cause a reaction - a large number of people opening peanut packages at the same time

in a small space like an airline. Someone walking on peanut shells, or cooking food with peanuts - steam can carry peanut proteins in the air.

[cleanhippie]

80. Then that dust from the previous flight, and the hundreds of flights before that would be all over

the plane.

If one is THAT sensitive to something so common, it's up to YOU to take special precautions, not demand everyone around you accommodate you.

Perhaps had the family notified the airline AHEAD of time, instead of as they were buckling into the seats, this would've benn a very different experience. YMMV, of course.

[womanofthehills]

108. the airlines suggest that someone with a peanut allergy

take a very early plane that has recently been cleaned. Makes you not want to fly late in the day.

[cleanhippie]

109. And that is good advice. Unfortunately, many want to be accomodated instead of

taking their own precautions.

Much like the family in the OP.

[GreenEyedLefty]

130. Dust is not the same as aroma.

Opening a bag of peanuts on a plane doesn't introduce enough "dust" in the air to cause a reaction.

Most likely, peanut residue left by another passenger causes reactions.

http://allergicliving.com/2014/08/21/anaphylaxis-in-the-air-two-recent-airline-incidents/

[moriah]

66. Yes, but even trying to watch a toddler like a hawk...

... if a package was in reach, it could be deadly.

For a very small child, I understand the request.

[Duckhunter935]

56. An airline serves snacks?

Wow

[Bettie]

76. That was my thought too

And I do not know how an airline could reasonably search each and every passenger to for possibly-peanut-containing snacks that they brought themselves.

My husband flies a lot and carries snack mix with peanuts.

[gollygee]

61. They can't promise the airplane is going to be peanut free at that point

It's too late to make that accommodation. I don't see how they were left with any choice to do otherwise. Just not serving peanuts doesn't make the airplane peanut free. I've flown on peanut free flights and I've been alerted ahead of time that I can't open anything with peanuts on the plane and why. You can't just tell the flight attendant at the last second and expect the plane to be made safe. People bring their own food on airplanes.

And at that point, they were faced with a potential health crisis and potential lawsuit. What else could they do?

[snooper2]

63. The millennials have started breeding :)

[marmar]

64. I'm shocked by the "They'll pry my peanuts from my cold, dead fingers" responses....

..... to this OP. Would it really hurt to give up peanuts for a few f**king hours so someone can fly without the risk of dying? Jeezus.

[womanofthehills]

70. Agreed

Sounds like a bunch of people with a Trump mentality - me, me, me.

The numbers of kids with peanut allergies has doubled since 2007. Here is an interesting article about keeping babies away from peanut dust so they are not exposed to peanut proteins too early.

MILWAUKEE, WI – According to a new study, led by King’s College in London, infants who have impaired skin barriers and are exposed to peanut proteins – which can be found in household dust – are more likely to develop sensitivities to peanuts.

The article was published on November 18 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), an official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

“Our findings point to a biological plausibility that environmental peanut exposure might be sensitizing children through an impaired skin barrier,” first author Helen Brough, MA (Hons), MSc, MBBS, FRCPCH, explained in the study.

The study examined the amount of peanut proteins which 359 infants, from a high-risk cohort, were exposed to by vacuuming and analyzing household dust found on the living room floor. Peanut-based food can leave peanut proteins behind in household dust, even after regular cleaning.

The children, aged 3-15 months, were considered to be at a high risk of developing peanut allergy because they were either allergic to cow’s milk or egg and/or prone to eczema. In this study, researchers found that exposure to dust with peanut proteins doubled the risk of peanut allergy. Children with a history of eczema were at greater risk.

https://www.aaaai.org/about-aaaai/newsroom/news-releases/dust-peanut-allergies

[cleanhippie]

82. I'm shocked by the "I can't believe others don't respect my entitilement" responses...

Had the family notified the airline AHEAD of time, instead of while they were buckling into the seats, accommodations could have been made. The expectation that one can go into a public space and demand on the spot that everyone comply with their special need is absurd.

[marmar]

83. That's fine, that's your opinion.

I'd be perfectly happy if airlines stopped serving peanuts altogether. Nobody's going to keel over without them. There are other snacks.

[cleanhippie]

86. I'd be happy if people started taking responsibility for themseves...

instead of always expecting others to accommodate them, then whine and complain when they don't.

This family could have handled their situation in a much more responsible manner.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

117. Why do you care so much?

Maybe I object to your "other snacks"!

Maybe people should follow my advice. Gas the fucking passengers as soon as they get on the plane and wake them up when they get to the destination. Then everyone would stop being such assholes worrying about everyone else doing math and eating peanuts!

[marmar]

121. I just don't see the big deal with forgoing one f**king type of snack, especially....

..... when so many people are allergic to it. The strident, "they're taking away my freedoms" backlash against this is just puzzling.

[Travis_0004]

128. People will still bring peanuts with them

You can never insure a plane is peanut free.

[dilby]

120. Plane has already been flying with passengers eating peanuts.

Kid should have never been on the plane, the cabin and air system was full of peanut dust. Parents should have picked an airline that does not serve peanuts, we did it with my daughter when she was young.

[ctaylors6]

125. One of my kids has a severe peanut allergy, and

in person we've experienced only kindness when we've asked people very close to her if they'd not eat peanuts.

Also, since she was very young, kids her age have universally been kind about allergies. For whatever yet undetermined reason allergies are so prevalent now, the kids are accustomed to having kids with food allergies around them.

[mainer]

73. plane seats are covered in peanut dust. All planes unsafe for this family.

Even if peanuts weren't served on this particular flight, they would have been served on the previous flight, and the traces are there.

[womanofthehills]

78. How different airlines handle peanut allergies

Southwest suggests boarding an early morning flight when the plane is cleaner and to notify at time of booking plane and they will accommodate.

https://www.verywell.com/want-a-peanutfree-flight-learn-airline-allergy-rules-1324387

[Pisces]

81. The mother should be grateful. What if there was a medical emergency in the air? What if

The cleaners left some trace peanuts behind??? Would the airline be liable now that they were
Made aware of his allergy? This is an inconvenience, however, this is one they have been dealing with since birth, so figure it out.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

85. a plane serves peanuts, would it not already be full of peanut dust from the first haul it made

planes are not really deep cleaned every time. if the kid had a anaphylactic shock because a passenger decided to take a bag of peanuts and walk past him, then what?

there should have been an explanation and a refund for sure though.

[cleanhippie]

87. Just stop it. You're using common sense, and we simply cannot have that.

[gollygee]

98. Yes - this has to be set up ahead of time

And it can be set up ahead of time. By the time this mother said something, it would have been too late to make an accommodation. I think peanut allergies should be accommodated, but it requires an earlier notification.

[hollysmom]

107. I agree, it is only a problem for the airline if they arranged it before hand.

too many things could have happened if they only told the airline after they arrived for the flight, that is the difference.

[Deadshot]

110. Fauxrage.

[dilby]

119. I guess the parents said he has a severe allergy to peanuts.

And since its so severe that he can't even have them near him the airline decided to protect itself by not letting him fly. The plane has been circulating peanut dust for days they may have saved his life and prevented a lawsuit.
My daughter is severly allergic to peanuts, but we know for her to have a reaction to dust she would have to be in a peanut factory, however if she eats peanuts and doesn't have her epipen she is most likely going to die.

[CentralCoaster]

123. Yup. Damages for failure to act could be far greater than damages for deplaning the family.

The repercussions for removal from the aircraft are minimal, but for the safety of the child.

The repercussions for not acting and then having a dead child removed from the plane or face a lawsuit for all this, no comparison.

[kiva]

126. Someone needs to tell dad that you don't get it both ways.

If his son "has a severe peanut allergy" (dad's words), then it's the job of the parents to keep him safe and pay attention to airline policies:

Allegiant says on its website that the airline "does not guarantee an allergen-free flight" but that it "will attempt to re-seat a passenger affected by an allergy in an effort to minimize the passenger's exposure to the allergen."

In a truly mixed message to the airlines, the father says

As they were boarding, Sara, 28, told a flight attendant Theo had a severe peanut allergy and asked if "they could make any small accommodations such as not serving peanuts during the flight," Kyson said. He added that he and his wife carried an EpiPen just in case of an emergency and reiterated that "the airline wasn't accountable for anything that could happen."

Uh-huh, because the airline would really believe that they wouldn't be held accountable if there was a problem.

And suddenly that allergy wasn't so bad and the parents decided it was OK to fly, but it was too late to walk back the "severe peanut allergy" statement.

Allegiant also sent the following statement to ABC News: "Upon boarding flight 1005 on May 2, 2016, the Dana family indicated to our flight crew that their son had a severe peanut allergy. The flight crew then contacted a third party organization that advises Allegiant and other carriers when making decisions about the safety of passengers with potential medical issues onboard an aircraft. The third party organization, which includes on-call medical doctors available to provide guidance, advised that the family not fly on that specific flight.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/california-family-removed-allegiant-air-flight-sons-peanut/story?id=38927044

The moral of the story is to keep your story straight - either your child is severely allergic and cannot be around peanuts, meaning you take proactive steps to ensure his safety and will not risk his health flying on a plane that doesn't meet the necessary standards
OR
Your child's allergy is not that severe and does not require that the airline change it's policies, so you don't need to manipulate a plane full of people.