LifestylePeanut allergy sparks distress on Qatar Airways flight

Peanut allergy sparks distress on Qatar Airways flight

A plane trip could have ended tragically for the tourist (illustrative photo)
A plane trip could have ended tragically for the tourist (illustrative photo)
Images source: © Adobe Stock | Matej Kastelic

12 September 2024 11:56

- I was petrified - said 25-year-old Amy Pearson in an interview with Kennedy News. The tourist feared for her life when the airline staff ignored her previous requests and served peanuts, to which she is fatally allergic.

According to Amy Pearson, she embarked on a 14-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to visit her sister. The journey quickly turned into a dramatic experience because of the airline's dismissive attitude.

Woman with allergy was terrified

The Brit informed Qatar Airways well in advance about her allergy. She is allergic to peanuts. Interestingly, even their smell can cause the 25-year-old to have a severe anaphylactic shock.

The airline representative accepted the tourist's request. Therefore, she hoped peanuts would not be served. However, reality turned out to be quite different.

The woman always carries an EpiPen, an automatic, single-use syringe with adrenaline, in case of an anaphylactic shock. She always hopes she never has to use it. This time, it came close.

Tragic flight

Unfortunately, according to the woman’s account, during this flight, the flight attendants continually offered peanuts to passengers. When the Brit asked them once again to stop, she was told that the cabin crew could not dictate what other passengers could or could not eat during the flight. The desperate woman, starting to feel worse, turned to her fellow travellers. Other passengers agreed to her request and refused to take the peanuts.

Unfortunately, the airline washes its hands of responsibility. Qatar Airways stated that employees do everything possible to meet the expectations of passengers with special needs, including allergies. However, their statements differ from reality. The situation was the same for the second part of the journey, which was operated by another airline - Malaysia Airlines.

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