Nut-free zone ordered on Air Canada

[teacher]

Once again AC gets ordered around while other airlines don't have to comply, why is that again? I know the article says they "usually follow suit" but are not required to.

Nut free zones, free seats for the obese and french and english when flying in BC, what next? How about wheat free zones for those with celiac desease or booze free zones for recovering alchoholics?


Nut-free zone ordered on Air Canada
Paul Waldie

Air Canada has been ordered to create a special “buffer zone” on flights for people who are allergic to nuts.

The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that passengers who have nut allergies should be considered disabled and accommodated by the airline. The CTA has ordered Air Canada to come up with an appropriate section of seats where passengers with nut allergies would be seated.

“It is clear from the evidence that there is a need for a formal policy to accommodate persons with disabilities due to their allergy to peanuts or nuts,” the agency said in its ruling. “Such a policy would remove the uncertainty that an individual experiences each and every time they travel, mitigating the risk that they will be exposed to an allergen with the possibility of experiencing serious consequences as a result.”

The CTA added that it “has determined that the appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities due to their allergy to peanuts or nuts, when advance notice is provided, is to be seated in a buffer zone,” including an announcement to the other passengers within that zone.

Air Canada stopped serving peanuts years ago, but the airline still serves cashews and other snacks that contain nuts.

The ruling involved a complaint from Sophia Huyer who has a severe nut allergy and travels frequently. Ms. Huyer has notified Air Canada about her allergy before flying but the airline had difficulty accommodating her, according to the CTA. She once spent 40 minutes in the washroom during a flight while snacks were being served. On another flight the captain demanded she sign a waiver before boarding in order to release Air Canada from any liability if she had a reaction.

Ms. Huyer said she is unhappy with the ruling because it won't solve the problem. “It's not enough,” she said. “You know that in grade schools if there is a child with a nut allergy nuts are banned either from the classroom or the entire school because that's how dangerous it is.”

She wants all nuts banned from all airlines.

The CTA ruling only applies to Air Canada but an agency spokesperson said other airlines typically follow suit.

http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/sta ... 22747.html

[fanspeed]

My son has an allergy. Not a severe enough one to have to have segregation, but some folks do...not like you can escape if you start to have an anaphylactic reaction. How does this affect you?

[ettw]

HURRAY!!

My son has a life threatening peanut (and some other nuts) allergy. If something is cross contaminated by peanuts and crosses his lips he WILL have a life threatening allergic reaction. The EPIPENs that we carry are only to be counted on for 10 min (worst case) and therefore we carry up to 3 if we are flying.

For those of you who seem to be put out by this, get stuffed. This particular reaction is life threatening and is an easy cross contamination candidate. Seafood is another but I think it's a little tougher (although not by any stretch impossible) to cross contaminate. But fish is irrelevent because I don't think AC has many flights left with meals on them.

I have to agree though in that I'm not sure why this applies only to AC but I do hope that other airlines will "follow suit"

Cheers,

ETTW

[teacher]

The fact that it applies only to AC is what bothers me the most. However many people have allergies to many things so does that mean that the cabin will have to be redivided on every flight?

[mbav8r]

Very dangerous alergy, however here's an example of a situation. You make the call, relative calls and says,"I'd like to come by for a visit, but here's what you need to do. My son's alergy is very severe, so 5 days before I come you have to remove all nuts from your house, put the peanut butter in a bag and out in the garage. Then we should be ok. The place they're visiting in 45 mins from the nearest hospital. So what if you missed a nut or something, do you want that kind of liability. What would your homeowner insurance say.
As for the airlines(air canada for now) you can't guarantee no one will brings nuts and disregard the warning that you are in a buffer zone.
Further more someone outside the buffer zone has a peanut butter sandwich and is sitting right where the re-circ fan is picking up and re circulating to the rest of the cabin. Now what? Why stop here lets ban nuts from any public place just in case your walking by

[ahramin]

For the young'uns here, this is how they used to have smoking and non smoking sections on flights. Funny thing was, the cigarette smoke didn't know which section was which. I'm fairly sure the peanut odor will not know either.

[midwingcrisis]

http://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/4-AT-A-2010-eng

[ettw]

Are we really having this discussion? I mean really, do you honestly love those little bags of peanuts so much that you can't see the downside.

Of course the airline can't guarantee an peanut free enviornment. Of course someone could happen to bring a peanut butter sandwich. I don't know how many people who have a nut allergy are actually going to have reaction due to the smell but I am certain that most if not all people who have a nut allergy WILL have a reaction if they ingest even a miniscule amount of a nut protein (that could be as small as 1/800th of peanut).

As a parent of a child with this allergy, I know that this world cannot guarantee a peanut free life for my son but I can do what is possible to reduce the risk of him ingesting something that really could if not treated quickly, kill him. Fast.

Teacher, I also agree, it troubles me that AC is being forced into this without the competition having to comply.

Cheers,

ETTW

[young grasshopper]

yeah I thought they were going on about a zone in the aircraft for people from Quebec at first

I wasn't going that way at all...I was actually thinking it would be an area in the cabin for guys like me!!! lol. In all seriousness though, I couldn't imagine having such a serious allergy. This is great news for folks who have to live with an epi-pen by their sides.

[Donald]

So will this open the door for any and all allergic possibilities?

Seafood free zone?

Fragrance free zone?

Latex/rubber free zone?

Sunlight free zone?

Larger seats for the claustrophobics?

etc etc etc etc

[Inverted2]

Can we have a screaming baby-free zone as well? How about a BO free zone as well.......... Air Canada is doomed with all these regulations.

[light chop]

I believe CBC news said that Air Canada could create a "nut free zone" on their aircraft to accommodate the issue.

Don't get me started.

[countryhick]

I do applaud this step, however, its a bit one sided to say the least.

I have a child who has a life threatening peanut allergy.

Our experiences have run the gamut from the moment we learned of our son's allergy. Ignorance, alienation, and in some cases hostility, are but a few examples. Education has been our best weapon, so to speak, to help us lower the risk for our son. We can never eliminate it, nor will we allow him to live in a bubble. He knows what his allergy means, and he is getting more responsible every day. But he is only 8, and he needs the adults around him to understand also.

Some of the comments I have already read show the ignorance we experience every day. A safe zone is just that, a safe zone. It does not guarantee that there will not be any allergen present, nor do we expect it, that is impossible. All we ask is that a reasonable effort be made to help us keep him safe.

To bust a myth, odor does not kill, ingestion does. Odor remains after visual evidence of an allergen (peanut butter for example) is removed. Minute quantities of the allergen can still be present, hence the belief that the odor did it.

Our reality is that ANY ingestion of even a minute (head of a pin size) quantity of peanut protein has the possibility of killing our child. If you have stood by helplessly and watched your child fight for life, and not know if he will be alive in 5 minutes, then you will understand. It is a feeling I would not wish on anyone.

[teacher]

I think all our snacks at Jazz are nut free or at least peanut free. You do get almonds in Business class though.

Again, I sympathize with your child and you in regards to this dangerous allergy it just bothers me that another rule will be applied to an already over stretched industry (and not across the board AGAIN) that will complicate matters even more.

[Adam1100]

i paid for my seat and i like nuts... I don't want to be in their buffer. Maybe they should try taking a bus next time, or there own private "nut free" car. I wonder how many tax dollars went into writing that waste of time.
While I can and do appreciate the government accommodating other cultures and the disabled, they need to print into the laws a certain amount of "suck it up Princess" so the whiners, and middle age soccer moms stop wasting everyones time and money.

[Check Pilot]

Quote:

"Ms. Huyer said she is unhappy with the ruling because it won't solve the problem. “It's not enough,” she said. “You know that in grade schools if there is a child with a nut allergy nuts are banned either from the classroom or the entire school because that's how dangerous it is.”

From what she claims, it now appears that airline operators are now required to be at the same level as grade schools. The Captain will be kind of like the teacher and have to report errant behavior to the principal. It also appears that an airport terminal building will now have to be treated the same as "entire schools". Airport operators will now have to appoint a "principal" that can expel passengers for behavior that might affect one out of a thousand "students" waiting to get on board an aircraft.

In real life airports and aeroplanes are public places just like malls, theaters, taxis, buses, trains, ships and anywhere else people go.

A cruise ship would be a prime equivalent example. Thousands of kinds of food are available on those. There are no requirements to limit any of them or a possible exposure to a potential allergen. In fact, the one I was recently on, did not even any of those usual warning signs about possible allergens in the food. Some cruise ships have doctors to help out if you do have an allergy and are about to die, but they can't prevent an exposure to an allergen. They have only limited medical help available. They can't stop the ship and there are not hospitals on board, only a morgue. There are all kinds of chances of exposure to some kind of allergy or pathogen when you board. Yet people still do get on and travel and no one expects segregation from anyone else until they get sick. Then they get segregated until the ship docks at the next port.

The next corollary to this of course is that there must be a doctor on board every flight to ensure that no one infects anyone else, or is able to do what he can to save someone suffering from an illness. In real life, that's not going to happen.

Many years ago, when aviation first started in Canada, the flight attendants, then known as stewardess's were required to be registered nurses. That was soon replaced after the second world war with "hostesses" as they later became know to a few in the industry. Now their only job is to ensure the safety of the passengers in the event of an emergency.

So while I empathize with anyone here that has someone suffering from an allergy or disease, I do not agree that society has any responsibility to replace your duties as a parent or sufferer of an allergy or disease, while in a public venue, from taking your duties for your own personal actions for the protection of yourself or your loved ones that you so dearly care for. That duty remains with individuals and not with a ruling of a government body.

[ettw]

Quote:



The next corollary to this of course is that there must be a doctor on board every flight to ensure that no one infects anyone else, or is able to do what he can to save someone suffering from an illness. In real life, that's not going to happen.

So while I empathize with anyone here that has someone suffering from an allergy or disease, I do not agree that society has any responsibility to replace your duties as a parent or sufferer of an allergy or disease, while in a public venue, from taking your duties for your own personal actions for the protection of yourself or your loved ones that you so dearly care for. That duty remains with individuals and not with a ruling of a government body.

No we don't need doctors on board. We just need to ditch the stupid little bags of peanuts that up until now, I think most people would have taken as an insult to having paid as much as we did for the ticket and "just got this stupid little bag of peanuts!"

As far as my responsibility regarding safeguarding my son, I take that very personally and I don't count on you or anyone else to look after him but that being said, I appreciate any little bit of help you might provide by giving up your 14 cent bag of peanuts while in an enclosed space at 37000 feet and 30 min from a hospital. But then again if it means so much to you then by all means write to the CTA.

Thank you,

ETTW

[macbainz1]

yeah I thought they were going on about a zone in the aircraft for people from Quebec at first

I wasn't going that way at all...I was actually thinking it would be an area in the cabin for guys like me!!! lol. In all seriousness though, I couldn't imagine having such a serious allergy. This is great news for folks who have to live with an epi-pen by their sides.

No seriously I thought it was designated area for people with mental problems (from all over Canada)

[mbav8r]

Just because I'm ignorant about these alergies, do cashews have the same effect? because it appears as though they stopped serving peanuts long ago

[CD]

No we don't need doctors on board. We just need to ditch the stupid little bags of peanuts that up until now, I think most people would have taken as an insult to having paid as much as we did for the ticket and "just got this stupid little bag of peanuts!"

Except, of course, that Canadian air carriers haven't provided peanuts on board the aircraft for years...

However, many passengers do purchase their own from stores in the airport -- so, the next complaint should be to prohibit airports from selling any nut-related/contaminated foods...

Also, don't plan on flying on Southwest since peanuts are their trademark (I guess WestJet might have to put the code-share on hold too?)

[countryhick]

From what she claims, it now appears that airline operators are now required to be at the same level as grade schools. The Captain will be kind of like the teacher and have to report errant behavior to the principal. It also appears that an airport terminal building will now have to be treated the same as "entire schools". Airport operators will now have to appoint a "principal" that can expel passengers for behavior that might affect one out of a thousand "students" waiting to get on board an aircraft.

Your analogy is a perfect example of the mentality my child has to endure every day. A nut free/safe zone is not a police state. It is an attempt to keep an area as safe as possible for those that need it. It is not a guarantee that an allergen is not present, or could possibly be introduced. The last time my child almost died he was in a nut free zone, so yes, it does affect that one out of a thousand. Is that an acceptable risk?

A cruise ship would be a prime equivalent example. Thousands of kinds of food are available on those. There are no requirements to limit any of them or a possible exposure to a potential allergen. In fact, the one I was recently on, did not even any of those usual warning signs about possible allergens in the food.

It is for this very reason we have yet to experience a cruise.

So while I empathize with anyone here that has someone suffering from an allergy or disease, I do not agree that society has any responsibility to replace your duties as a parent or sufferer of an allergy or disease, while in a public venue, from taking your duties for your own personal actions for the protection of yourself or your loved ones that you so dearly care for. That duty remains with individuals and not with a ruling of a government body.

Sorry, have to disagree with you there. While I am a firm believer of being responsible for your own actions, I also believe our society has a responsibility to safeguard those that need it. This does not mean I expect every public venue to be 100% safe, that is unreasonable and impossible. However, when my child is in school, in the care of others, is it unreasonable to have a system in place that allows him to be a kid, while at the same time keep him safe?
If we do not protect the most vulnerable, what type of society do we risk becoming?

I certainly have no expectation of anyone taking over for my parental responsibilities, that is something I treasure and will not give up for anything in this world. I will do everything in my power to keep him safe, and I continue to teach him that he has to be responsible for himself and his own actions. But sometimes help is needed. Is having a safe area on an aircraft too high a price to pay. If you don't get the cashews or peanuts or whatever is served, will it result in something potentially tragic?

For the record (but always check), Jazz and A/C snacks (buy on board) are nut free. The corn chips, although gross, are peanut free. The almonds are processed in a peanut free facility, the cashews I don't believe are peanut free.

[bmc]

It's not simple. Read up on what happens to people with these alergies when they're in close proximity to nuts. It's downright frightening.

Instead of a nut free area, drop the nuts altogether. Lots of other things to serve.

[teacher]

Hey!! I like the corn chips!!

[Adam1100]

i paid for my seat and i like nuts... I don't want to be in their buffer. Maybe they should try taking a bus next time, or there own private "nut free" car. I wonder how many tax dollars went into writing that waste of time.
While I can and do appreciate the government accommodating other cultures and the disabled, they need to print into the laws a certain amount of "suck it up Princess" so the whiners, and middle age soccer moms stop wasting everyones time and money.

When will i get my "rolls of fat coming over the armrest" free zone. Oh and I'm definitely allergic to B.O. and babies, especially crying ones.

[shitdisturber]

As bmc said it's not that simple. I know a woman with a severe nut allergy; she doesn't have to eat them to have a reaction, she just has to be in proximity to them or someone who has eaten them.