How American Airlines is Accommodating Nut Allergies

Starting December 12, 2018, American Airlines will allow passengers with peanut or tree-nut allergies to board their flights early to wipe down the area around their seat to avoid any possible exposure to allergens. American doesn’t serve peanuts on their flights, but they cannot guarantee that passengers will not bring nuts with them, causing the potential risk of exposure.

The change was sparked after a woman whose son has a serious peanut allergy and Food Allergy Research & Education filed complaints with American over the issue, according to an article published by Bloomberg.

American isn’t the first airline to make this change. Delta Airlines, who does serve peanuts on their flights, also makes special accommodations for passengers with nut allergies. Passengers with allergies can notify the flight staff and they won’t serve peanuts or peanut products during the flight. In addition, the gate agent will let those passengers board early to clean their seat area. An important thing to remember for both airlines is that passengers must bring their own cleaning supplies.