3/09/2026:
My daughters and I all live with severe nut allergies. I have experienced anaphylaxis twice, once on Southwest Airlines and once on JetBlue. These were not mild reactions. One incident required me to be removed from the plane on a stretcher.
I am deeply disappointed in how passengers with life-threatening allergies are treated.
Just this past Monday, my daughter flew from New York to Florida on Southwest. When she approached the gate to request pre-boarding, something she has always needed in order to clean and assess her seating area, she was denied. She was told it was not necessary because the plane had already been cleaned and, due to assigned seating, pre-boarding was no longer needed.
This left her anxious and upset. Pre-boarding is not a convenience for passengers with severe allergies. It is a critical safety measure.
As someone who has personally suffered an in-flight anaphylactic reaction on Southwest, I know firsthand how serious this is. Passengers with severe allergies must be allowed to take reasonable precautions to reduce their risk.I am horrified by how airlines and flight crews continue to underestimate the seriousness of food allergies. For me, exposure to nuts is as dangerous as someone boarding a plane with a weapon. An airline that once branded itself around ‘heart’ is now falling short when it comes to passenger safety.
Comments are closed.