11/23/2024
On November 23, 2024, my son and I flew Delta Flight 806 from LaGuardia to Las Vegas. This was meant to be a special parent-child trip, and I spared no expense: first-class airfare, luxury hotel rooms, and $650 tickets to the Formula 1 race on the night of our arrival, along with other adventures.
Ahead of the flight, we received emails prompting us to select our meals in advance, which we did. My son noted his multiple food allergies in the system as instructed. However, once onboard, we were told only one of our meal selections had been recorded.
My son asked the flight attendant which of the remaining meals would be safe for his allergies. The flight attendant, who mentioned having similar allergies himself, assured us the mushroom pasta and all its accompaniments—including the salad and dessert—were safe. Feeling reassured, Miles carefully checked the label on the salad dressing and began his meal.
But just two bites into the dessert, he began experiencing a reaction and rushed to the bathroom to vomit. Despite the flight attendant’s assurances, the dessert clearly contained a nut or allergen that triggered his symptoms.
He spent the next hour sick in the lavatory. I sat outside the door, panicked, worried my son was spiraling toward a full-blown anaphylactic reaction. We administered Benadryl, and fortunately, he stabilized. But the entire experience left us shaken—and it ruined what was supposed to be a joyful and memorable night. My son was so drowsy and wiped out from the medication that we couldn’t even enjoy the F1 event.
This never should have happened. We followed all protocols. We flagged the allergy in advance, confirmed it onboard, and relied on the assurance of a crew member. And still, my son got sick—because of incorrect information given about the food. A first-class experience quickly became a nightmare.
NOTE: With regard to meals, No Nut Traveler recommends bringing your own food- https://www.allergicliving.com/2023/12/21/the-trouble-with-airline-meals-and-food-allergies/
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