Whether traveling for business or pleasure, careful preparation will make your trip safe and enjoyable. As always, communication and planning ahead are key.
When making special requests, give as much lead time as you can to trip organizers and airline, hotel and restaurant staff. Bring a kit with all your medications, including extra epinephrine auto-injectors, and copies of your Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan. Make sure your auto-injector is update and not out dated too.
Air Travel - Before You Go
Katie
When making special requests, give as much lead time as you can to trip organizers and airline, hotel and restaurant staff. Bring a kit with all your medications, including extra epinephrine auto-injectors, and copies of your Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan. Make sure your auto-injector is update and not out dated too.
Air Travel - Before You Go
- Before booking your flight, read the airline’s allergy policy. Many airlines post their policy on their website. Find it by using the search function and searching for terms such as “allergies” or “peanuts.”
- Check the airline’s snack offerings. Individuals with peanut/tree nut allergy may want to consider choosing an airline that does not serve complimentary peanut/tree nut snacks with the beverage service. (Some airlines will serve a non-peanut/tree nut snack, such as pretzels, upon advance request.) This will greatly decrease the risk of exposure to peanuts/tree nuts during the flight. Keep in mind that airlines cannot guarantee you a peanut- or tree-nut-free flight because they cannot monitor or control the behavior of other passengers.
- When booking your flight, notify the reservation agent of your food allergy, and request that your information be forwarded to other personnel such as the gate agent, catering/food service, and flight crew.
- Since some airlines are cleaned at the end of each day, consider choosing early morning flights, where the chance of seats containing crumbs or food residue is minimized.
- Pack your own safe food to eat while traveling. Check with the airline to see if there are any restrictions as to which types of food you are allowed to bring on board or to your destination
Katie