![]() after the company quietly changed the policy prohibiting preboarding for people with food allergies late last year.Īll customers with peanut and tree nut allergies are now allowed to preboard and wipe down surfaces, according to an airline spokeswoman. Two other complaints against American Airlines were dropped by the D.O.T. Allergic reactions comprise fewer than 4 percent of in-flight-medical emergencies. No one tracks in-flight medical emergencies, but they are believed to be relatively uncommon chest pain and heart attacks are the most common reasons that flights are diverted, according to one study. The tension and uncertainty have made some passengers reluctant to disclose food allergies. The reaction can be fatal.īut in recent years, families who asked to preboard or sought information about food served on a flight have been barred from flying or even escorted off planes after taking their seats. Some are so sensitive that merely touching a surface contaminated with an allergen can set off a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis, which causes swelling, hives, lowered blood pressure, shock and constriction of the airways. The warning to American Airlines comes amid heightened tensions between airlines and passengers with food allergies. “When the decision came down, I sat in my car and cried for an hour.” “Until now, food-allergy passengers’ safety was beholden to the mood of a particular flight crew,” Ms. “This changes the entire landscape for the food-allergy flier,” said Lianne Mandelbaum, who has a son with a severe food allergy and writes a blog about food allergies and travel. considers severe allergies a disability under the act if they impact a passenger’s ability to breathe or “substantially impact another major life activity.” ![]()
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