Reasons Individuals Withhold Reporting Their Distressing Airline Encounters – And Why It Should Change
By Lianne Mandelbaum
Having dedicated much of the past ten years to advocating for food allergy awareness and as the founder of No Nut Traveler, I have gathered and chronicled stories from families dealing with air travel while confronting life-threatening allergies. However, for each account that is submitted to our advocacy platform, countless more are only shared in informal settings—in medical offices, among parenting groups, or during hushed discussions at airport terminals. A question that continually weighs on my mind is: Why do numerous individuals opt to communicate these troubling stories informally, yet refrain from officially reporting them or lodging a complaint?
The reasons are intricate and profoundly upsetting.
Trauma, Stigma, and the Urge to Move Forward
Some individuals prefer not to revisit their distressing experiences. Others feel a sense of shame—having faced ridicule or condescension from airline personnel, acquaintances, or even their own travel companions. Many of them feel a sense of relief that, although the experience was incredibly distressing, “nothing disastrous occurred,” leading them to simply wish to forget the ordeal.
Yet, silence does not equal safety.
This understanding did not fully crystallize for me until several concerning encounters involved my son, Josh. Our initial encounter with careless airline practices occurred when he was merely two years old. Returning from a family vacation, I informed a flight attendant in business class of his peanut allergy. Her reaction was anything but comforting. With a smirk, she informed me that peanuts had been served on the previous flight, dust likely remained everywhere, and that Josh’s allergy was secondary to other passengers’ craving for snacks.
I was at a loss for words. With trembling hands, I started wiping the seating area down. When nearby passengers observed this, they not only physically stood up but also took a moral stance—asking the flight attendant not to serve nuts. Thanks to their support, there was no incident, and I experienced immense relief. However, I never filed a complaint.
The Impact of a Pivotal Moment
The turning point came six years later when Josh, now eight, was openly mocked by children deliberately tossing and crushing peanuts in his vicinity before boarding a United flight. When I implored airline staff for a simple announcement alerting others about food allergies, a manager bluntly responded, “If you think he is going to die, just don’t get on the plane.”
That moment ignited a passion within me. It was no longer solely about safeguarding my son. It became a mission to protect every traveler with food allergies maneuvering through a system that seems apathetic to their concerns and minimizes the possible repercussions. No Nut Traveler emerged from this conviction—not merely to bear witness, but to inspire change.
The Importance of Reporting
The significant disparity between the number of private accounts I hear and the limited formal complaints lodged illustrates a broken feedback mechanism between at-risk passengers and the airlines that serve them. While families may wish to move on, their silence inadvertently upholds a system that continues to inflict harm on others.
Public outrage typically only escalates when a food allergy results in a fatal outcome. However, hives, vomiting, and shortness of breath—these are not trivial issues; they are severe medical situations that can quickly escalate, particularly during a flight. Downplaying less severe symptoms as unimportant not only diminishes suffering but also perpetuates an atmosphere of indifference and inaction.
Research Highlights Key Issues
A global study conducted by the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research (CFAAR) at Northwestern University revealed that 31 percent of passengers with food allergies occasionally hesitate to disclose their condition to airlines. Why? Concern over poor treatment. More than a third of participants reported unprofessional or insensitive reactions from airline personnel. Even worse, 12 percent faced denial of boarding or removal from their flight after revealing their allergy.
This challenge is not restricted to any specific country or demographic group. The study affirmed its presence across cultures and internationally—a truly global concern.
Perils in the Skies: Insufficient Medical Preparedness
Many airlines still lack auto-injectable or nasal epinephrine—an essential and life-saving remedy for anaphylaxis—in their emergency supplies. Some don’t even adequately identify allergens in their in-flight meals. Although the U.S. FDA advocates for informative labeling, it does not enforce it, and most travelers (as well as a surprising number of medical professionals) remain uninformed.
The outcome? At-risk passengers are left to manage life-threatening allergies in one of the most medically isolated places imaginable—30,000 feet in the air.
The Medical Community’s Role
This is where physicians and healthcare professionals can play a vital role. Initiate the dialogue. Inquire about your patients’ travel habits. Assist them in formulating strategies to shield themselves and their children while flying. Educate them on the importance of carrying safe snacks and two epinephrine auto-injectors. Reinforce that asserting their needs is not an imposition—it’s an essential component of self-care and safety.
Healthcare practitioners also possess the ability to