Is the "Traveling with Food Allegeries" a purposeful malapropism? Are these "alleged allergies" or just a mistype?

:-)

What a great idea. Both my kids are allergic to peanuts, and one has life-threatening allergies to all nuts. We haven't traveled abroad in a while, but I'll certainly spread the news about this. It also help to have foreign language flash card for traveling domestically, as there's a good chance your waiter may be more conversant in Spanish or Chinese than English.

Tom, I sympathize greatly...I have two problems and traveling in Europe a few years ago was an adventure: 1) I am diabetic (so avoidance of sugar and carbs is a good thing); and 2) I have an allergy to mushrooms. This made eating anything in Italy a very difficult proposition for me (it was interesting just figuring out how to ask for a diet cola -- soda no sucre, let alone try to ask the question, "are there mushrooms in the sauce?"). I also had very many interesting arguments with various chef's when I tried not to have one of several courses or tried to swap a salad for something. The chef's make their meals like art where it all plays together and there are no substitutions and not eating something is an insult.

When I returned from Europe, I actually made it a point to look for anything that would be helpful on the next trip...and found nothing.

I sympathize with those who have food allergies, but suggest that public recognition of OTHER kinds of allergies needs a lot of improvement. I have perfume allergies that give me severe headaches in enclosed spaces like airplanes. For some people, fragrence sensitivities cause asthma attacks, which can be life-threatening. Sometimes flight attendants will take pity on me and move my seat away from people who are doused with cologne, but full flights make this harder to accomplish. Can all of you folks who just stocked up on perfume at the duty free PLEASE wait until you get home to put it on!!

This is a very real danger. My fiance was allegic to peanuts and died two years ago after he unknowingly ate ice cream that contained a trace of peanuts at a friend's house. He was always very careful about what he ate, but never expected ice cream to contain peanuts. Just wanted to applaud the efforts of this company to help those who have a dangerous and potentially deadly allergy.

I have a life threatening allergy to peanuts. My first attack/reaction was so severe I can't afford another one. I am shocked at the airlines in the US still serving peanuts. It's one thing to have products exposed to peanuts but serving peanuts and nothing but peanuts has been terrible. I've been flying weekly for my work for over 1.5 years and just recently had to switch airlines to Continental. On my first trip home with them they served peanuts and only peanuts. Of course I didn't eat them but so many in the plane did the whole plane smelled of peanuts. I was frozen to my seat knowing if I even touched any thing exposed to the nuts I would break out in horrific hives that feel like ants eating at my skin. Needless to say on my first flight home experience with them I had to use the restroom. I asked the attendants for napkins and used them to handle the door, toilet sink etc. No matter what I tried was covered in hives form head to toe by the time I got off that plan. I ended up with a bronchial infection and now am on steroids to fix it. My nasal passages swelled and my throat hurt but thankfully I didn't go into anaphylactic shock as I had in the past.

I’m stuck using this airline through the end of May as the tickets are booked for work. I will have to go back to USAirways and have multiple flights instead of direct just to avoid my risk of peanut exposure.

My fear is with continued exposure to peanuts in the air that if I breathe them in enough I will develop the similar reaction as I did if I was to eat them.

I understand airlines find it difficult to go peanut free. My family and I, as well as so many others out there do this on a daily basis. Is it really to much to ask to at least avoid serving the peanuts on flights? I've read even the pretzels can be exposed... reality is on other flights with US Airways most of their items say possible peanut exposure. I don't eat them I don't have a problem and the plane doesn't smell profusely of peanuts.