- Airlines face criticism as a woman had to abandon a long flight due to inadequate assistance from Lufthansa.
- The woman’s concerns about her severe peanut allergy were dismissed and laughed at by multiple cabin crew members.
- She requested an announcement to be made or a “buffer zone” to be created, but her requests were denied.
A woman with a severe peanut allergy underwent a distressing experience during a Lufthansa flight from London to Costa Rica.
Due to privacy concerns before starting a new job, the 22-year-old woman has chosen to remain anonymous. Insider is aware of her identity and has reviewed her formal complaint filed against Lufthansa, which is still awaiting a response.
Her journey from London to San José, Costa Rica, in June involved a Lufthansa flight via Frankfurt, Germany.
Having checked the airline’s allergy policy two days prior to the flight to Frankfurt, she found no information about whether the cabin crew would inform other passengers about her allergy. As a result, she emailed Lufthansa’s medical-operations team. However, she received a reply requesting further details five days after the flight had already taken place.
Upon boarding the flight to Frankfurt, the woman requested for an announcement about her allergy, but was informed by a flight attendant that it wouldn’t be possible due to the high number of allergies. Lufthansa’s website confirms that peanuts are generally not served on their flights, but does not mention any policy regarding allergy announcements.
Air safety advocates for travelers with severe allergies have called for the establishment of “buffer zones” to protect vulnerable passengers, as well as targeted announcements urging other passengers to refrain from consuming nuts and other allergens.
‘You won’t die’
When it became evident that no announcement would be made, the passenger requested to disembark the aircraft, but her request was denied.
She informed a flight attendant about her life-threatening condition, but was met with dismissive laughter and reassurances that she would be fine. Only after she protested did the flight attendant make an announcement.
Upon arrival in Frankfurt, she approached the staff at the gate for her flight to San José and once again requested an announcement. However, her request was met with laughter and a worker at the gate suggested she needed a private plane.
Lufthansa’s guidelines for passengers with allergies state that the cabin crew, who are medically trained, have access to emergency care medicines and a 24-hour medical hotline for long-haul flights.
The passenger was then informed by the crew members that they could not guarantee assistance in case of a medical emergency during the flight. Despite carrying four EpiPens, she felt compelled to abandon her plan and not take the flight.
“Throughout the day, Lufthansa made me feel excluded from modern society and international travel,” the passenger shared with Insider. “They essentially conveyed that I am not welcome to fly with them due to my disability.”
A Lufthansa representative declined to comment on individual complaints due to customer data protection reasons.
The passenger chose to fly back to London and booked a flight with Virgin Atlantic to San José. The cabin crew on Virgin Atlantic made an announcement to inform other passengers about her allergy and explained the protocol in the event of anaphylactic shock.
Two weeks later, she returned to London from Costa Rica on American Airlines.
Similar to Lufthansa, American Airlines does not offer a buffer zone for vulnerable passengers. However, the passenger felt that the cabin crew on American Airlines was more understanding and sympathetic towards her situation.
During the American Airlines flight, a passenger in front of her opened a bag of peanuts twice, and both times a flight attendant intervened and asked the person to put away the peanuts.
Reflecting on her experience with Lufthansa, the woman stated, “We’re now in 2023, and a nut allergy or any form of anaphylactic allergy is considered a medical disability. So, I don’t understand why they are unable to make reasonable accommodations to ensure the safe travel of individuals with medical disabilities.”
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
