Flying with food allergies

Our daughter has logged more than 10 round-trip flights since she was born 3 years ago. Two of them were international flights. Flying with a food-allergic child is still nerve-wracking, (really, is flying with any child stress-free? LOL!) but we have gotten more prepared and less frantic over the years.

Here are some of the tips that work for flying with food-allergic children.

1. Notify the airline ahead of your children’s food allergies. Most airlines now do not serve peanuts because it is one of the most allergenic and fatal food when inhaled. Those that do serve peanuts may have alternative snacks if you tell them ahead (24 hours ahead is the norm). Inquire about allergy-free food that your child can eat. This website has a list of airlines and the various allergen-free meals they offer.

2. Do your homework. Better yet, call the airlines you wish to fly with and ask about their food allergy practices, and don’t fly those that can not accommodate you.

3. Pick your flight time wisely. Most airlines get cleaned or vacuumed overnight, so flying early in the morning may lessen exposures to allergens. Not sure about the airline’s cleaning schedule? Call ahead and ask.

4. Inform the steward of your children’s food allergies upon boarding.

Even though airlines can and usually will accommodate your request for an allergy-free flight, they can not prevent other passengers from bringing unsafe foods, in particular peanuts, aboard. Politely ask the steward to make an announcement asking fellow passengers to refrain from eating snacks with allergenic ingredients.

5. Pack your own meals. Most airlines have allergen-free meals available on board, but in my experience, these food are not child-friendly, and usually do not cater to multiple allergies. I asked for a dairy-free, egg-free meal once for my daughter and myself, and we were given Indian food. We’re not too fond of curry, so I had to open a can of fruit and corn for both of us. We might not have to worry too much about airline food these days, with cost airlines getting rid of including meals in fares because of cost-cutting. So it just might work out to pack your meals or buy airport food.

6. Check airport procedures for traveling with medicine and food. At the height of the airport security checks on our trip to Italy, I had to open all the canned and packed food I hand-carried. I was devastated because half the food will have spoiled by the time we were over the Atlantic. It’s a little different now and airport security doesn’t open packaged food anymore. However, I would advice calling the airport ahead and checking their policy. Now with the Epipen (which is an injectable with needles), I carry a note from the doctor specifying what the medication is for and for whom. And I take it out of the hand carry at the x-ray area so security can properly check for it.

With advance preparation, flying with children, and those with food allergies, can be more pleasant tolerable.  Now if we can only get them to stay in their seats for four more hours…

images: flickr