Airplane passenger with deadly nut allergy hid in bathroom while almonds were served

A woman flying Qantas Airways claims she was forced to hide in an airplane’s bathroom wearing a face mask because the cabin crew served fellow passengers sliced almonds, despite being forewarned about her deadly nut allergy.

Laura Merry, a teacher from England, posted on Instagram that she was traveling to visit her sister in Australia when she was informed by crew members that they would be serving almonds onboard. With such an intense allergic reaction to nut products, Merry was at risk of an anaphylactic shock.

She told The Sun, “Qantas Australia were made aware of my nut allergy months before my booking and I had written documents to confirm that they would not serve nuts on board.”

“However,” she continued, “when I boarded on March 3, the cabin manager’s attitude toward my allergy was awful. She claimed she had no notes on my allergy and it was too late to make any requests. She refused to make an announcement to passengers about my allergy too.”

Merry asked the cabin manager, who informed her that almond slices would be served to all 160 passengers, if they could skip the complimentary snack, as the flight would only be an hour. “She refused,” Merry explained, “[She] said these complimentary snacks are part of their policy.”

The cabin manager called the airport manager and, according to Merry, suggested she not board the flight. When Merry said that wasn’t an option, they gave her a mask to wear.

“During the rest of my Qantas flight they gave me this mask to wear as the solution instead of just simply not serving the nut snacks or simply just supplying a snack with no nuts in,” she claimed. “This wouldn’t prevent an allergic reaction. I also sat in the toilet to escape everyone eating these snacks around me.”

Qantas’ website states that the airline has stopped serving peanuts as a snack, and has reduced their use in meals, but “cannot guarantee an allergy-free environment.” The site also reads that the airline continues to serve other nuts.

Qantas did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment. However, a representative told The Sun, “Qantas is aware of the challenges faced by allergy sufferers and take steps to reduce the risk for many of our customers particularly exposure to peanuts but as there are a wide variety of allergies it’s not possible to cater to everyone’s requirements. As is the case with other forms of transport — like buses and trains — and other public places we can’t guarantee a completely nut free environment.”

The representative also confirmed they would be in touch with Merry before her upcoming flights with Qantas Australia, scheduled to happen within the next two months.

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