May 24, 2026. I’d never had an issue with JetBlue until this flight. At the gate and again while boarding, I told staff that I have a nut allergy that can cause anaphylaxis. I was told to speak with the flight attendant closest to my seat.
When I asked him for a buffer zone, he shrugged and smiled. He said he’d try his best, but that it was out of his control. He asked whether I carried my own epinephrine. I showed him where I kept it, and he said, “Great,” and walked away.
I asked again before takeoff. This time, he said he would let my row and the rows around me know what foods to avoid. Before we took off, a woman seated diagonally behind me opened a peanut butter açaí bowl. I flagged it to the flight attendant. By the time he spoke to the nearby rows, we were already in the air and she’d already opened her food.
I was lucky. I was fine, and the woman was extremely apologetic. I understood why she’d opened her food. She hadn’t been told about my allergy. I wish the crew had spoken to the passengers around me while we were still boarding, when they could have acted on that information.
When I shared my experience online, it went viral. Some of the comments made me feel like a stranger’s right to eat peanuts mattered more than my safety. All I was asking for was a little consideration and the chance to fly with the same peace of mind as everyone else.
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