Note from Lianne (No Nut Traveler). It is my steadfast advice to never take airline food no matter the assurances from well intended crew. Crews are NOT trained about what a food allergy is, limitations and loopholes of labeling, and cross contamination. No meal in the air is worth it. Education and awareness are sorely needed.
Testimonial: My wife, 2 kids and I boarded an Etihad Airline plane (2/20/2023) from Abu Dhabi to Toronto (home).
We had no inkling of the horrible, scary experience we would go on to have on this 14+ hour flight.
Midway during the flight, a flight attendant placed a veggie sandwich in front of our 5-year-old son. I quickly snatched it away and informed the hostess that he has a severe egg allergy. She assured me that there was no egg in the sandwich. I told her to please check with her colleagues to make sure especially the bread and if I could see the menu so I could see the ingredients. After approximately 5-10 minutes, she returned with a more confident message that ‘there is no egg in the sandwich and it’s safe to eat for him’. She also showed me the menu- ‘Pumpkin rye sandwich- with cheddar cheese, baby spinach and tomato capsicum chutney’. With confidence in the airline, I gave it to him.
What happened next, I do not wish on any child or parent. For approximately 7 hours, he became withdrawn/drowsy and vomited numerous times- including on me while I tried to care for him. Words cannot describe our feeling as parents…sitting there with vomit on me, caring for him for many hours and worrying that he’d go into anaphylaxis. We had the Epi-Pen close by and tried to give him the Benadryl. A flight attendant came by and asked if everything was ok- I told her of the severity of the situation and she said that she would call for medical attention.
I told her that I’m a dentist with training in handling these situations, but she said it’s protocol for her to call medical attention. She checked in regularly and said attention is on the way- ultimately a few hours later she came back with medical direction (an anti-nausea medication) but no MD. I was astonished. Is this how a potential anaphylaxis is treated? Thankfully upon landed, our son slowly became ok and eventually back to normal.
This entire event is so disappointing, and we want to ensure this doesn’t happen to another person, let alone a child. I also want to say that I really hope this story does not jeopardize the job of this hostess- she was kind, caring and ultimately it wasn’t her fault- she along with all staff should be fully trained, informed about food allergy. The airline has responded to our letter and in not so many words simply said its not their fault.
To Etihad Airlines:
Where is the importance, awareness re: food allergies? Where is the training for staff about its potential severity, how to treat? Where is the prompt medical attention? And where is the allergen label on food items?
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