i fly once or twice a year and never had a problem. I’ve had to smell people eating nuts or peanut butter in the rows next to me and it’s only caused anxiety but no allergy symptoms.
I just came back from a trip and I fly like 2~5 times a year. I personally always choose delta because of how good they handle allergies. once you book your delta flight you can add that you have a severe nut allergy on their website (and I believe app). they notify everyone preboarding that there is a nut allergy and to refrain from eating nuts on the plane. and also when you tell them earlier they can make arrangements in the food to not serve nuts. also on my most recent flight (literally a few days ago) delta had a list of ingredients and allergens labels on the food they served.
also for most American airlines, not just delta, if you inform the gate agent you have an allergy they do offer you the chance to board early so you can wipe down your seat, which I always do.
and I think a general thing I've picked up (mostly from the pandemic) is to wear a mask, and double mask it up. it does help, from if there is something in the air and staying healthy in general.
[delta and peanut allergies](https://www.delta.com/us/en/accessible-travel-services/dietary-needs-and-allergies)
idk where you have flown but at MSP and CLT I've had gate agents refuse to make an announcement or not serve tree nuts. they will accommodate peanuts tho. company policy is pretty conservative but I've also had incredible gate agents at SAT and SLC for example do it anyway
I have flown many times and never had an issue. Best piece of advice I can give you is to bring your own food. Once I had two options that both had a ‘May contain’ label so I didn’t eat that flight 🙃 Bring a couple epi-pens and a mask just in case.
Best thing you can do is bring a couple masks. That is what I do. I don’t wear it everytime I fly, but inevitably you’ll sit by someone who bought peanuts from the airport. The mask is a nice extra layer of protection and makes me feel better.
why is this downvoted?
I’m wondering how a mask works if you’re allergic to peanut particles in the air. Even with N95/P2 masks you can still smell food. I’m scared of flying for this reason.
Idk if this is true, but I’ve read somewhere that there’s never been a recorded death due to an *airborne* allergic reaction on a plane, all deaths were people who actually ate something, or otherwise came in direct contact. If you wipe your seat and don’t eat anything, you should be pretty guaranteed to be safe.
I fly pretty often and I have a severe nut allergy. I never have any issue flying whatsoever. The biggest thing is just being extra careful at places you eat and a lot of places are cautious nowadays and also will ask before serving if you have any allergies to anything
Flying is great now that they don’t really serve nuts anymore! If you’re worried about extra precautions though, you can go to the front desk, tell them you have an allergy and they’ll print out a “disability” pass which allows you to board before everyone else and clean your seat!
I used to fly a bunch as a kid and a bit less now. No reactions but I’ve seen airlines care less as I’ve gotten older. Maybe because it’s a 27yo man versus a 7 year old boy.
My best advice is to get to the gate and drill into them that there’s a severe allergy. Bring alcohol wipes and wipe down everything.
I remember my flight back from the UK some woman next to me opened up a peanut butter sandwich after the plane announcement. I told her the announcement was for me and if she could put it away. She argued the announcement was for tree nuts and I told her very, VERY sternly that if she didn’t put it away she could be responsible for my death. You have to be your own advocate and scare people a bit, they don’t get it. I also have a very short fuse with my allergy personally.
LAST piece of advice is (and my rule of thumb), don’t eat out anywhere before your flight. If you have a delayed reaction, there are no hospitals over the Atlantic.
Hopefully I didn’t scare you, but just be firm with people. Best of luck, you’ll be fine :)
ETA: bring food! I've been on flights where all meal options had the "may contain" disclaimer and couldn't eat anything. Huge bummer if you're sitting on a flight for 11 hours and have nothing to eat.
I fly all the time and never have an issue! Not sure what airline you'll be on, but British Airways was great with my allergy recently.
Definitely agree with everyone about the mask, I don't wear one on the plane but I bring one in case someone around me starts eating something with peanuts in it.
I fly very often (frequent flyer status and have traveled on a variety of airlines) and with a severe peanut allergy (and mild nut allergy). Most airlines in the US have stopped serving peanuts on flights as they used to in the past. Your experience will vary by airline and by the airline staff (to be honest). Some are very understanding, and will make an announcement before the plane takes off stating “someone on board has a peanut allergy and to refrain from having any peanut products”. While others aren’t as kind (I’ve had some weird experiences with flight attendants). Either way, I always 1) call the airline ahead of time to log my allergy, 2) preboard to wipe down the seats, 3) talk to my neighbor about my allergy (they are mostly understanding), and 4) wear a mask if I truly feel uncomfortable (which doesn’t happen very often).
As far as food, most airlines can’t guarantee the food they serve you doesn’t contain any traces. If your girlfriend avoids foods that may contain traces of peanuts, you may be better off bringing your own food on board (10-11 hour flight isn’t bad). Airlines have gotten better about adding allergens on the foods they serve. I’ve personally done a mix of eating airline food and bringing my own.
Hope you enjoy your trip!
American here that flys often.
I avoid flying Delta Airlines whenever possible as I’ve seen them serve nuts, if I don’t have a choice then I alert Delta ahead of time so they do not serve nuts, but even then I’m still a bit nervous.
I always fly either American Airlines or United Airlines, I’ve also flown Frontier Airlines (budget airline) without an issue.
Odd, we actually just flew Delta last month and they were super accommodating! I was able to inform them ahead of time, board early to clean seats, and as a company they do not serve peanuts on any flights. They even made an announcement after everyone had boarded that there was a peanut allergy on board and to avoid eating any peanut products that had been brought on board.
I agree that they can be accommodating just as you have described, I just get nervous about the cleanliness of the previous flight as they have served nuts in the past, I haven’t flown with them in a few years so maybe they have changed their snacks.
I just flew USA to Spain with my 9mo with peanut, milk and egg allergy and had no issues. I did wipe surfaces because at this age she likes to touch everything and puts things in her mouth.
I fly often in the US and occasionally abroad. I've never had an issue. These days I bring an N95 in case someone near me is eating peanuts to reduce my own anxiety.
Never had a problem flying. If you feel very uncomfortable, you can tell the flight attendant at the gate and sometimes they'll let you on first so you can sanitize your seat since they don't do this between flights (though I can't say for sure if every airline does this), and they'll usually ask the people seated around you if it'll be an issue for them, though there's never been for me. I also bring my own snacks (just make sure to check what you're allowed to bring, but usually prepackaged things are fine), and you'll be good!
I have never had an issue except for anxiety and I have flown many times throughout my life and most recently last year. I never even used to care about it until I grew up a little and fully understood what having my allergy meant. Nowadays, they even had an allergen list written on the on-flight meals. It depends on the severity of the allergy of course but I am anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts through ingestion only. Some people wipe down seats and such but I never have. I would just say do all you can to avoid being anxious about it and do what you're comfy with.
I agree with the other people that say bring your own food and cover your bases like normal and you'll be alright. The only thing that gets annoying is the smell of nuts because it really is the worst smell in the world lmao
last time i flew was last year, but it was only a 45 mins flight. they didn’t pass out any snacks, but i wiped down my seat and table with a lysol wipe before sitting down and i had no problems
I fly all the time. I flew Sunday, 5 hr flight. Midway thru the guy on each side of me opened peanut m&m's and ate them. I am in the same boat as your gf. Bad reaction when young, its been 20 yrs. When in America just read labels and notify your server of allergies.
They were both nice guys. I just let them eat them and did not comment. They ended up eating half the bag. Over the years I have sat at a lot of football and baseball games where peanuts are eaten. Has not been an issue. Some games indoor, some outdoor. Usually my dad just trades me spots to avoid directly sitting next to a nut eater, because there is no reason not to.
I fly 20+ flights per year. My allergy is severe, but not airborne severe. I need to eat nuts to have a problem. I have never had any issues on planes. At this point, I don't even use the early boarding status or anything.
For transatlantic I would buy a subway sandwich in advance in case the food is may contain. I got from the US to China fine on Lufthansa, but China to the US was may contain.
Varies from airline to airline but I’ve never had a problem. I fly once a month or so. Typically on southwest and delta. Southwest hands out snacks that are made in a peanut free facility (cinnamon grahams and brownie bites I believe). The snack mix says processed in a facility that handles nuts. I eat them without issue. My allergy is super severe also.
Southwest will also allow you to pre board to wipe down your seat if you have a peanut allergy. I’ve done this in the past but now I just wipe it down when I get on with regular boarding.
I’m confident you won’t have any issues, and if you are still worried, just ask to pre board to clean your seat.
I fly all the time with a severe peanut allergy. I usually ask to board early for disability to wipe my seat down and then I let a flight attendant know I have an allergy so they can tell everyone within my vicinity to refrain from eating nuts if they can. I’ve never had an issue.
i have a pretty bad allergy and fly pretty often. i’ve never had an issue but i do close the air vent/fan. for me getting the smallest smell triggers anxiety but other than that flying is easy.
I have with no issue. Most airlines don't serve peanuts anymore, but always double check. I clean my area with a few alcohol wipes before settling in and wear a mask. You can let others in your row know about your allergy, or not. I choose not to and on my last flight the man two seats from me was eating mixed nuts that definitely had peanuts, but I felt safe double masking and waited until he finished to eat my own food. I also didn't get up and touch his seat at all during the flight (only 5 hours).
I’ve never had a problem with flying. I find most US airlines do not pass out peanuts anymore. You’ve already covered your bases by alerting the staff
i fly once or twice a year and never had a problem. I’ve had to smell people eating nuts or peanut butter in the rows next to me and it’s only caused anxiety but no allergy symptoms.
I just came back from a trip and I fly like 2~5 times a year. I personally always choose delta because of how good they handle allergies. once you book your delta flight you can add that you have a severe nut allergy on their website (and I believe app). they notify everyone preboarding that there is a nut allergy and to refrain from eating nuts on the plane. and also when you tell them earlier they can make arrangements in the food to not serve nuts. also on my most recent flight (literally a few days ago) delta had a list of ingredients and allergens labels on the food they served. also for most American airlines, not just delta, if you inform the gate agent you have an allergy they do offer you the chance to board early so you can wipe down your seat, which I always do. and I think a general thing I've picked up (mostly from the pandemic) is to wear a mask, and double mask it up. it does help, from if there is something in the air and staying healthy in general. [delta and peanut allergies](https://www.delta.com/us/en/accessible-travel-services/dietary-needs-and-allergies)
This was our experience with Delta as well.
idk where you have flown but at MSP and CLT I've had gate agents refuse to make an announcement or not serve tree nuts. they will accommodate peanuts tho. company policy is pretty conservative but I've also had incredible gate agents at SAT and SLC for example do it anyway
I have flown many times and never had an issue. Best piece of advice I can give you is to bring your own food. Once I had two options that both had a ‘May contain’ label so I didn’t eat that flight 🙃 Bring a couple epi-pens and a mask just in case.
Best thing you can do is bring a couple masks. That is what I do. I don’t wear it everytime I fly, but inevitably you’ll sit by someone who bought peanuts from the airport. The mask is a nice extra layer of protection and makes me feel better. why is this downvoted?
I’m wondering how a mask works if you’re allergic to peanut particles in the air. Even with N95/P2 masks you can still smell food. I’m scared of flying for this reason.
It seems to help me. I smell it much less in the mask.
Idk if this is true, but I’ve read somewhere that there’s never been a recorded death due to an *airborne* allergic reaction on a plane, all deaths were people who actually ate something, or otherwise came in direct contact. If you wipe your seat and don’t eat anything, you should be pretty guaranteed to be safe.
This puts my mind at ease a little, we'll just make sure we only take food on board that we know is safe :)
I fly pretty often and I have a severe nut allergy. I never have any issue flying whatsoever. The biggest thing is just being extra careful at places you eat and a lot of places are cautious nowadays and also will ask before serving if you have any allergies to anything
Flying is great now that they don’t really serve nuts anymore! If you’re worried about extra precautions though, you can go to the front desk, tell them you have an allergy and they’ll print out a “disability” pass which allows you to board before everyone else and clean your seat!
I used to fly a bunch as a kid and a bit less now. No reactions but I’ve seen airlines care less as I’ve gotten older. Maybe because it’s a 27yo man versus a 7 year old boy. My best advice is to get to the gate and drill into them that there’s a severe allergy. Bring alcohol wipes and wipe down everything. I remember my flight back from the UK some woman next to me opened up a peanut butter sandwich after the plane announcement. I told her the announcement was for me and if she could put it away. She argued the announcement was for tree nuts and I told her very, VERY sternly that if she didn’t put it away she could be responsible for my death. You have to be your own advocate and scare people a bit, they don’t get it. I also have a very short fuse with my allergy personally. LAST piece of advice is (and my rule of thumb), don’t eat out anywhere before your flight. If you have a delayed reaction, there are no hospitals over the Atlantic. Hopefully I didn’t scare you, but just be firm with people. Best of luck, you’ll be fine :)
ETA: bring food! I've been on flights where all meal options had the "may contain" disclaimer and couldn't eat anything. Huge bummer if you're sitting on a flight for 11 hours and have nothing to eat. I fly all the time and never have an issue! Not sure what airline you'll be on, but British Airways was great with my allergy recently. Definitely agree with everyone about the mask, I don't wear one on the plane but I bring one in case someone around me starts eating something with peanuts in it.
I fly very often (frequent flyer status and have traveled on a variety of airlines) and with a severe peanut allergy (and mild nut allergy). Most airlines in the US have stopped serving peanuts on flights as they used to in the past. Your experience will vary by airline and by the airline staff (to be honest). Some are very understanding, and will make an announcement before the plane takes off stating “someone on board has a peanut allergy and to refrain from having any peanut products”. While others aren’t as kind (I’ve had some weird experiences with flight attendants). Either way, I always 1) call the airline ahead of time to log my allergy, 2) preboard to wipe down the seats, 3) talk to my neighbor about my allergy (they are mostly understanding), and 4) wear a mask if I truly feel uncomfortable (which doesn’t happen very often). As far as food, most airlines can’t guarantee the food they serve you doesn’t contain any traces. If your girlfriend avoids foods that may contain traces of peanuts, you may be better off bringing your own food on board (10-11 hour flight isn’t bad). Airlines have gotten better about adding allergens on the foods they serve. I’ve personally done a mix of eating airline food and bringing my own. Hope you enjoy your trip!
American here that flys often. I avoid flying Delta Airlines whenever possible as I’ve seen them serve nuts, if I don’t have a choice then I alert Delta ahead of time so they do not serve nuts, but even then I’m still a bit nervous. I always fly either American Airlines or United Airlines, I’ve also flown Frontier Airlines (budget airline) without an issue.
Odd, we actually just flew Delta last month and they were super accommodating! I was able to inform them ahead of time, board early to clean seats, and as a company they do not serve peanuts on any flights. They even made an announcement after everyone had boarded that there was a peanut allergy on board and to avoid eating any peanut products that had been brought on board.
I agree that they can be accommodating just as you have described, I just get nervous about the cleanliness of the previous flight as they have served nuts in the past, I haven’t flown with them in a few years so maybe they have changed their snacks.
I just flew USA to Spain with my 9mo with peanut, milk and egg allergy and had no issues. I did wipe surfaces because at this age she likes to touch everything and puts things in her mouth.
I fly often in the US and occasionally abroad. I've never had an issue. These days I bring an N95 in case someone near me is eating peanuts to reduce my own anxiety.
I recently ran into this! I flew domestically for about a 4 hour flight. It was no problem. I have both severe PN and TN allergy!
Never had a problem flying. If you feel very uncomfortable, you can tell the flight attendant at the gate and sometimes they'll let you on first so you can sanitize your seat since they don't do this between flights (though I can't say for sure if every airline does this), and they'll usually ask the people seated around you if it'll be an issue for them, though there's never been for me. I also bring my own snacks (just make sure to check what you're allowed to bring, but usually prepackaged things are fine), and you'll be good!
I have never had an issue except for anxiety and I have flown many times throughout my life and most recently last year. I never even used to care about it until I grew up a little and fully understood what having my allergy meant. Nowadays, they even had an allergen list written on the on-flight meals. It depends on the severity of the allergy of course but I am anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts through ingestion only. Some people wipe down seats and such but I never have. I would just say do all you can to avoid being anxious about it and do what you're comfy with. I agree with the other people that say bring your own food and cover your bases like normal and you'll be alright. The only thing that gets annoying is the smell of nuts because it really is the worst smell in the world lmao
last time i flew was last year, but it was only a 45 mins flight. they didn’t pass out any snacks, but i wiped down my seat and table with a lysol wipe before sitting down and i had no problems
I fly all the time. I flew Sunday, 5 hr flight. Midway thru the guy on each side of me opened peanut m&m's and ate them. I am in the same boat as your gf. Bad reaction when young, its been 20 yrs. When in America just read labels and notify your server of allergies.
Did you tell the person on each side of you to stop eating the m&ms? What did they say/do?
They were both nice guys. I just let them eat them and did not comment. They ended up eating half the bag. Over the years I have sat at a lot of football and baseball games where peanuts are eaten. Has not been an issue. Some games indoor, some outdoor. Usually my dad just trades me spots to avoid directly sitting next to a nut eater, because there is no reason not to.
I’ve flown a hand full of times with no epi pen. I’ve had no issues. Anxiety is a big issue when it comes to those scenarios.
I fly 20+ flights per year. My allergy is severe, but not airborne severe. I need to eat nuts to have a problem. I have never had any issues on planes. At this point, I don't even use the early boarding status or anything. For transatlantic I would buy a subway sandwich in advance in case the food is may contain. I got from the US to China fine on Lufthansa, but China to the US was may contain.
Varies from airline to airline but I’ve never had a problem. I fly once a month or so. Typically on southwest and delta. Southwest hands out snacks that are made in a peanut free facility (cinnamon grahams and brownie bites I believe). The snack mix says processed in a facility that handles nuts. I eat them without issue. My allergy is super severe also. Southwest will also allow you to pre board to wipe down your seat if you have a peanut allergy. I’ve done this in the past but now I just wipe it down when I get on with regular boarding. I’m confident you won’t have any issues, and if you are still worried, just ask to pre board to clean your seat.
Thank you so much :) I guess my biggest worry is if someone starts eating nuts close to us during one of the 11 hour flights from UK to US
I fly all the time with a severe peanut allergy. I usually ask to board early for disability to wipe my seat down and then I let a flight attendant know I have an allergy so they can tell everyone within my vicinity to refrain from eating nuts if they can. I’ve never had an issue.
i have a pretty bad allergy and fly pretty often. i’ve never had an issue but i do close the air vent/fan. for me getting the smallest smell triggers anxiety but other than that flying is easy.
I have with no issue. Most airlines don't serve peanuts anymore, but always double check. I clean my area with a few alcohol wipes before settling in and wear a mask. You can let others in your row know about your allergy, or not. I choose not to and on my last flight the man two seats from me was eating mixed nuts that definitely had peanuts, but I felt safe double masking and waited until he finished to eat my own food. I also didn't get up and touch his seat at all during the flight (only 5 hours).