Passenger with deadly nut allergy forced to sit in plane toilet because cabin crew insisted on serving almonds
Laura Merry had written proof the airline would not serve nuts before she flew with them
A PASSENGER was forced to hide in the plane bathroom during her flight after cabin crew insisted on serving almonds despite being alerted to her deadly nut allergy.
Laura Merry, a teacher from East Sussex, was travelling with Qantas to visit her sister in Australia when she was told by flight crew there would be almonds on board - putting her at risk of an anaphylactic shock.
The 25-year-old told Sun Online Travel: "Qantas Australia were made aware of my nut allergy months before my booking and I had written documents to confirm that they would not serve nuts on board.
"However, when I boarded on March 3, the cabin manager's attitude toward my allergy was awful.
"She claimed she had no notes on my allergy and it was too late to make any requests.
"She refused to make an announcement to passengers about my allergy too.
They also still serve other nuts including: "Almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts as bar snacks or after dinner snacks."
According to Laura, the cabin manager then called the airport manager.
Both members of staff told Laura not to board the Melbourne-bound flight, which she was travelling on to see her sister.
When Laura said this wasn't an option, they gave her a mask to wear instead.
Laura explained: "During the rest of my Qantas flight they gave me this mask to wear as the solution instead of just simply not serving the nut snacks or simply just supplying a snack with no nuts in.
"This wouldn't prevent an allergic reaction.
"I also sat in the toilet to escape everyone eating these snacks around me."
With two more flights with Qantas Australia in the next two months, she said she was "dreading them" after how she was treated.
Laura said: "Prior to this horrible flight I had an amazing long-haul flight with British Airways who happily did not serve any nut snacks on board and made two announcements about my allergy.
"Seeing so many young people die from nut allergies last year is terrifying and should be a sign that some procedures need to change."
What is an anaphylactic shock?
Symptoms include:
- Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or faint
- Fast or shallow breathing
- Wheezing
- A fast heartbeat
- Clammy skin
- Confusion and anxiety
- Collapsing or losing consciousness
Earlier this year, a nine-year-old girl died on holiday in Spain after eating ice-cream she was reportedly told "didn't have nuts" and suffering from an anaphylactic shock.
After Laura on her Twitter account, other social media users were horrified at her treatment.
One person wrote: "You are so proud of your airline’s safety record but then you do this to a customer?!
The campaign was launched by the parents of Amy May Shead, a former ITV producer who was left brain damaged after suffering a severe allergic reaction during a holiday in Budapest.
Last year two siblings were also told to spend their flight in the plane toilet after Emirates served a chicken dinner with cashew nuts.
Another woman was left terrified after Cathay Pacific said they would not stop handing peanuts out during a flight.