No More Peanuts on Southwest

The last time I flew Southwest was last month, and we got peanuts on the way down to WDW but pretzels on the way home. Personally, I prefer pretzels, and since they are less likely to KILL any of my fellow passengers, I'm totally cool with the common sense change. We're sealed up in a tube with 200 other people, 30,000 feet in the air for a few hours. Certainly we can go without eating peanuts during that time?

And an interesting note: On the way down, when I reached into the pocket to pull out a magazine to look at, there were two empty peanut wrappers that were torn wide open and had been stuffed down into the pocket and gotten smashed in between the magazine pages. I remember saying "eww" because the inside of the wrappers was still kind of greasy with residue, which I unfortunately experienced because I felt the wrappers a split second before I saw them and realized what I was touching. I don't have peanut allergies, but if I did...boy. That could have been quite an issue.

There is no good reason TO serve peanuts as the snack on airplanes, IMO.

I think this can be agreed on put if airports sell peanuts and trail mix and things then it doesn't fix that problem. I could easily bring some with me from home and nothing is stopping me. Thanks to this thread and hearing peoples first hand accounts of people with the allergy I will refrain from doing so but not everyone will.
 
I think this can be agreed on put if airports sell peanuts and trail mix and things then it doesn't fix that problem. I could easily bring some with me from home and nothing is stopping me. Thanks to this thread and hearing peoples first hand accounts of people with the allergy I will refrain from doing so but not everyone will.
Of course, but at least Southwest isn't passing out little bags of snacks that could potentially make someone very sick or kill them. At least it reduces the likelihood that the majority of passengers on the plane are eating, handling, and possibly not cleaning up the packaging of a food that can be lethal to some people.

There may come a time when airport shops no longer carry peanuts or snacks that involve peanuts. And that's totally understandable. People could die from a fellow passenger eating peanuts on a flight. No one is going to die from NOT eating peanuts on a flight.
 
What no one seems to be mentioning in this discussion is that peanut prices have been on the rise for a couple of years now; peanuts cost SWA more than they once did. (They are still a lot less expensive than tree nuts, but pricier than pretzels.)

The peanuts started out as a marketing gimmick (SWA, where you can fly for peanuts) and their discontinuation of them is a marketing campaign as well. They save money by replacing them with a cheaper snack product, and they look very caring while doing it "to protect our allergic passengers". Win-win for SWA.

(And no, I'm not saying that because I dislike the airline; I love SWA, and very seldom fly any other airline domestically unless SWA doesn't go close enough to where I'm headed. I admire good management, and this is an example of it.)
 


I see this both ways. My son has a peanut allergy. When he was in elementary school, I had the choice of banning peanuts from the classroom, but chose not to as he knew not to eat peanuts or chocolate bars, or cookies that we did not give him. I know a lot of kids, including my nieces and nephews that PBJsandwiches were all they would eat.

On the other hand, my daughter was not allowed to have citrus, watermelon, seafood, peanuts, nuts, dairy in her class because of one child’s allergy. It was impossible to make her anything. At some point, you can’t restrict everything because someone might be allergic to it.

I think not serving them on the planes makes sense. I would be upset though if I wasn’t allowed to eat my food because of an allergy.
 
I see this both ways. My son has a peanut allergy. When he was in elementary school, I had the choice of banning peanuts from the classroom, but chose not to as he knew not to eat peanuts or chocolate bars, or cookies that we did not give him. I know a lot of kids, including my nieces and nephews that PBJsandwiches were all they would eat.

On the other hand, my daughter was not allowed to have citrus, watermelon, seafood, peanuts, nuts, dairy in her class because of one child’s allergy. It was impossible to make her anything. At some point, you can’t restrict everything because someone might be allergic to it.

I think not serving them on the planes makes sense. I would be upset though if I wasn’t allowed to eat my food because of an allergy.

As a parent with a son with the allergy do you feel that it is better for the child to be educated and aware and take the preventive action with his condition or do you feel that more places should follow in Southwest direction of getting rid of an item to better help those with the problem?
 
Just out of curiosity, how many flights (any/all airlines) has there been a death on due to peanuts?

How many flights have been forced to land or diverted due to peanuts being on board?

I don't know these answers and maybe only the FAA would know, but I am guessing that if it was such a widespread and common occurrence, we would be hearing about it on the news.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/why-you-dont-need-to-panic-if-youre-flying-with-a-peanut-allergy/
The most interesting paragraph in that article is:

Peanut dust doesn’t blow off peanuts,” Dr. Hugh Windom, an allergist, immunologist and clinical professor at the University of South Florida, said. “You really have to eat a food to have a food-allergy reaction. There’s never been a serious reaction, never been a death from non-consumed exposure to food.”
 


My son is now 23 years old and grew up with multiple allergies (peanut, tree nut, egg, shellfish). The only one we ever worried about on the plane was nuts because of what happens to them in those little packages/pouches. They get crumbled up, much of the peanut skin is still on them. You then get approximately 150-200 people (depending on the size of your aircraft) opening the packages at the same time, dust flying out of the packages, going into the air, etc. All in a very small, contained environment and despite traveling with 2 Epi-Pens, never knowing if it would be enough. My son did fly before we could get peanut free and he always got "itchy" on those flights and his skin would react. Things were MUCH better after the peanut free allowances occurred. We would board early, wipe down everything, put a sheet over his seat if it wasn't a vinyl seat, and so on. No more issues.

Other allergens like milk, eggs, seafood, etc, don't create an airborne "dust" like nuts do. So they were NEVER a concern for me. How anyone cannot see the difference between nuts and other allergens, just means you're not wanting to think it through. What surprises me really is the jerk attitude about the love of a peanut for that limited amount of time and your entitlement for your comfort over someone's life. Yeah, right, people with allergies should become shut-ins and not have a life so you can continue to eat your snack of choice. Incredibly selfish but doesn't surprise me in today's world.

As to the person who has reactions to perfumes and scents--I'm with you on that one. That is VERY real and getting worse for people. Quite honestly, I can't figure out why people want to douse themselves with some perfume/cologne and then go sit in a sealed compartment for 3 hours. People, you do NOT smell good in that situation.

THIS!!
Ditto all of it.

The scent thing is getting really bad for many people. Combination of aging population, climate change and the proliferation of spray on scents ( Bath and Body Works, Victoria Secrets).

At work, we know who used an elevator recently based on the odorous cloud that lingers.
 
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As a parent with a son with the allergy do you feel that it is better for the child to be educated and aware and take the preventive action with his condition or do you feel that more places should follow in Southwest direction of getting rid of an item to better help those with the problem?
I think in this case both. I think it is easy not too serve peanuts on the plane, but not to ban them. I think bannng food is a slippery slope.

The child absolutely needs to be educated, that in my mind is the most important thing. You cannot be around your child all the time. If he was at day camp or another children’s activity, then even at 5 he knew to not take chocolate or baked goods. It was tough sometimes for him. Even his grandparents didn’t think about it all the time, and would go to give home a chocolate drumstick with the other kids, and he always knew to say “no peanuts”.

I firmly believe that people need to take responsibility for their health issues, especially adults.
 
I think in this case both. I think it is easy not too serve peanuts on the plane, but not to ban them. I think bannng food is a slippery slope.

The child absolutely needs to be educated, that in my mind is the most important thing. You cannot be around your child all the time. If he was at day camp or another children’s activity, then even at 5 he knew to not take chocolate or baked goods. It was tough sometimes for him. Even his grandparents didn’t think about it all the time, and would go to give home a chocolate drumstick with the other kids, and he always knew to say “no peanuts”.

I firmly believe that people need to take responsibility for their health issues, especially adults.

Thank you so much for the in site to this. I definitely think it helps to educate the public also and you all have educated me and I thank you all.
 
I think in this case both. I think it is easy not too serve peanuts on the plane, but not to ban them. I think bannng food is a slippery slope.

The child absolutely needs to be educated, that in my mind is the most important thing. You cannot be around your child all the time. If he was at day camp or another children’s activity, then even at 5 he knew to not take chocolate or baked goods. It was tough sometimes for him. Even his grandparents didn’t think about it all the time, and would go to give home a chocolate drumstick with the other kids, and he always knew to say “no peanuts”.

I firmly believe that people need to take responsibility for their health issues, especially adults.
Exactly.

I know two little girls that have Celiac. I met them at a support group that I ran. I offered them each a cookie. Neither took it, and the older one said, "We aren't allowed to eat anything unless Mom or Dad gives it to us." I thought it was wonderful, and let Mom and Dad know that we had gluten free cookies that had been donated by a gluten free company. They then let the girls know that I could also give them food. And as long as I could eat it, so could they.

A few months later, I offered them something and the older one asked if I could eat it. Since I could, they both enjoyed a delicious chocolate cupcake.

That is how you teach young children. Now, they are older and they are able to read labels, and they are starting to make their own decisions.
 
Just to report back, flew on Southwest into PHX and back out just last week. We were served peanuts and vegetable wheat thins on both legs (direct flight going in and direct flight going out). We had pistachios and almonds as well. Amazingly, the flights went off without a hitch, there were kids of all ages on the plane too. Even saw kids eating (gasp!) the peanuts they handed out. And.....the sun came up again.

Who wold have thunk it?
 
Just to report back, flew on Southwest into PHX and back out just last week. We were served peanuts and vegetable wheat thins on both legs (direct flight going in and direct flight going out). We had pistachios and almonds as well. Amazingly, the flights went off without a hitch, there were kids of all ages on the plane too. Even saw kids eating (gasp!) the peanuts they handed out. And.....the sun came up again.

Who wold have thunk it?

Hope you enjoyed it while you could, because BIG ALLERGY is coming for all your favorite snacks starting tomorrow!!!
 
Exactly.

I know two little girls that have Celiac. I met them at a support group that I ran. I offered them each a cookie. Neither took it, and the older one said, "We aren't allowed to eat anything unless Mom or Dad gives it to us." I thought it was wonderful, and let Mom and Dad know that we had gluten free cookies that had been donated by a gluten free company. They then let the girls know that I could also give them food. And as long as I could eat it, so could they.

A few months later, I offered them something and the older one asked if I could eat it. Since I could, they both enjoyed a delicious chocolate cupcake.

That is how you teach young children. Now, they are older and they are able to read labels, and they are starting to make their own decisions.

This is how my kids are MOST of the time. I say most because one of them struggles with impulse control (ADHD/Autism) and he has been known to try and eat foods he knows he can't have. But most of the time all three will tell someone offering food that they can only eat what mom or dad says they can eat. Their allergies are pretty extensive and not all in the top 8 so they are too young to read labels themselves yet, but if they don't outgrow their reactions we will be teaching them to always read labels just as we now do.
 
There may come a time when airport shops no longer carry peanuts or snacks that involve peanuts. And that's totally understandable. People could die from a fellow passenger eating peanuts on a flight. No one is going to die from NOT eating peanuts on a flight.

That could be said about a large number of things. If we continue to strip down our lives to the lowest common denominator where nobody is effected by anything anyone else might do then we just won't do anything any more!

I am very allergic to colognes and perfumes. I can have a serious respiratory issue. Can I insist that the airports not sell any? I can go on an on with a list of common items that can result in deadly issues to many people.
 
That could be said about a large number of things. If we continue to strip down our lives to the lowest common denominator where nobody is effected by anything anyone else might do then we just won't do anything any more!

I am very allergic to colognes and perfumes. I can have a serious respiratory issue. Can I insist that the airports not sell any? I can go on an on with a list of common items that can result in deadly issues to many people.
Reminds me of the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut about everyone having to be the lowest common demonitor. People who can see well have to wear glasses to distort their vision, people who are graceful have to wear weights to make it harder to move.
 
A FA posting on another board said the increasing number of requests for a flight without peanut service motivated the change. Many of us think the cost savings is another reason.
Posters are talking about changes over the last 20-30 years. Smoking was permitted, some airlines some routes, as recently as 2000. Things change.

edited to add: I agree with what some of the PP are implying. Although airlines (probably) can't make it policy passengers should reduce, or eliminate use of fragrances (and other items which produce odor). Air circulation isn't what it should be on planes. We don't have the option of opening a window.
 
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Smoking was permitted, some airlines some routes, as recently as 2000. Things change.

Smoking was banned on all domestic flights by 1990. International flights to/from USA were banned in 2000 when international agreements were created between countries. Biggest reason was safety, not passenger discomfort. A fire on a plane at 30,000' is bad news!! Recently they've banned E-Cigs from being transported on commercial airlines. Nothing to do with passenger complaints and everything to do with safety.
 

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