Passenger forced to buy 48 peanut packets on flight due to severe allergy

New Delhi: In a striking example of the lengths some individuals with severe allergies must go to ensure their safety, a 27-year-old woman had to purchase 48 peanut packets on a flight to prevent anyone from opening them. 

Leah Williams, suffering from a severe nut allergy that can lead to anaphylactic shock, had previously experienced a life-threatening episode on a flight when a nearby passenger opened a peanut packet.

The Incident Details:

Leah Williams was traveling aboard a Eurowings flight from Düsseldorf, Germany, to Heathrow Airport in London on July 13. Faced with her critical nut allergy, Williams resorted to an unconventional solution. Having taken a flight earlier that day from London to Düsseldorf, she had been able to make the cabin crew aware of her allergy. The crew accommodated her request and refrained from distributing nuts to passengers during that flight.

However, when Williams boarded the return flight to London, she encountered a different response from the cabin crew. Her request to make an announcement about her severe allergy was denied, and she was informed that such an announcement was against the airline’s rules, as reported by Insider.

Feeling the urgency of the situation and the lack of support from the cabin crew, Williams decided to take matters into her own hands. To prevent the risk of anyone opening peanut packets near her and triggering a severe allergic reaction, she chose to purchase all 48 peanut packets available on the flight. The cost of this preventative action came to three euros per packet (approximately ₹200 per packet).

Williams recounted her experience, expressing her frustration and determination. She recounted, “He wasn’t even looking me in the eye. I think he was getting frustrated I was holding up the line. I said: ‘I’ll buy them all so you can’t serve them. I don’t care how much it is. If you’re not willing to help me, this is the only thing I can do. The worst thing was they actually asked if I wanted to take the peanuts, and I said obviously not,” as told to Insider.

Williams did not mince words when discussing how she felt Eurowings handled the situation. She expressed her disappointment, stating, “Eurowings should be ashamed of how they handled this situation and for the way they made me feel,” reported the Mirror.

As Williams’ story spreads, it serves as a reminder of the need for greater awareness and accommodations for passengers dealing with life-threatening allergies.