My daughter and I have severe nut allergies and have both been hospitalised after touching a work surface where nuts had been present. When my family flew with British Airways recently, I told the airline when booking and at each stage of the journey. Despite this, it served some of my family cashews on both the outward and return flights.
The nuts were listed on the in-house allergen sheet outbound but not on the return flight.
BA’s response has been lax. In one email it advised against contacting its catering department since it would not change the outcome of my complaint.
It has offered 100,000 Avios (reward points) per passenger by way of an apology but I’m loth to accept it as I feel that its failures need highlighting. PL, Leighton Buzzard
BA seems unable to grasp that contact with a cashew could have been fatal. In a delayed initial response to you, a customer relations operative merely stated that it must have been “frustrating” to have been served “a different meal to the one you were expecting”, and that menus sometimes have to be changed at the last minute for “operational reasons”.
It said that while it does not serve peanut products on board, it does not categorise tree nuts as allergens and apologised for “any inconvenience”. It told the Observer: “The safety and welfare of customers is always our priority … we have comprehensive policies to ensure the welfare of any customers with allergies and provide our caterers with strict guidelines.”
However, all airlines decide their own policies. Some refuse to ban peanuts and none guarantee a nut-free environment. Allergy UK, which carried out a survey after several similar incidents were reported last year, says that what has become clear is the lack of consistency. “We believe there would be major challenges in enforcing a nut ban effectively,” it says. “Our aim is that airlines educate both crews and passengers about the challenges passengers with allergies face when they fly. We are keen to help them develop more clear and consistent procedures, including training crew to administer emergency adrenaline.”
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