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I am really sad about the change back to peanuts on Delta flights from the previous offering of almonds (as a nut snack). Why? Lots of reasons. I am currently working on dropping a bunch of weight (60 pounds, 40 pounds to go) and almonds have less of an impact on my goal. Plus, I just like almonds much more than peanuts. Maybe you are the same.
But for others this switch really matters. There are any number of folks that can have a really bad (think life threatening) reaction to peanuts. What do these flyers do? Notice what Delta.com says:
“PEANUT ALLERGIES:
When you notify us that you have a peanut allergy, we’ll refrain from serving peanuts and peanut products onboard your flight. We’ll also advise cabin service to board additional non-peanut snacks, which will allow our flight attendants to serve these snack items to everyone within this area. Gate agents will be notified in case you’d like to pre-board and cleanse the immediate seating area. Unfortunately we still can’t guarantee that the flight will be completely peanut-free. Note that some snack products on board may be processed in plants which also process peanut products. If you need to make us aware of a peanut allergy for an upcoming flight, please visit My Trips or call Delta reservations at 1-800-221-1212″
So if you are allergic you need to hope that your request is honored by catering. Also, and I find this both interesting and disturbing, you can request to pre-board to “cleanse the immediate seating area.” OK then! Considering how infrequently Delta jets are thoroughly cleaned I can see why Delta has this wording on Delta.com.
So back to the choice to change nuts. Southwest has made the move to dump peanuts completely. It made national news and lots of folks were upset. I think it is a wise move as, over time, jets do get a top to bottom cleaning so peanut residue will be removed vs. constantly re contaminated. If Delta had stuck with almonds the peanut issue could all but go away.
What do you think. Does this issue impact you? Do you like one nut over the other? Should Delta follow Southwest’s lead (as well as other airlines) and just not have peanuts on jets? Let me know! – Rene
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I’ve often wondered why the hysteria over peanut allergies. Sure, they can be life threatening, but so can many other allergies. Why don’t those with airborne allergy reactions wear surgical masks when in an enclosed area if it is that dangerous? Much simpler solution than changing company policies or changing the catering because of one person’s problem. Or, are surgical masks not effective? What about movie theaters where people could be sitting close to someone with a peanut allergy and eating peanuts?
So this is just pure speculation here but almonds are typically more expensive than peanuts in general and I’d also guess that if you want a good deal on airplane peanut packages now may be the time to get them even cheaper than normal. Frankly I really can’t digest nuts since having my gall bladder removed 10 years ago. I’ve been told that nuts aren’t a soluble fiber and they basically pass through your system although they can aggravate certain conditions including hemorrhoids As much as I like peanuts and peanut M&M’s I really don’t understand the fascination with having to have them on planes.
Agree with John. There’s a lot of “screaming” in the mainstream media and social media about this, but it never gets explained how this peanut allergy is so much worse than other allergies, or how the individuals affected have zero effective preventative measures that they can take (such as masks). As such, the issue presents itself to many as one where peanut allergy sufferers are attempting to dictate the policy of private companies and individuals with no regard for the fact that the allergy is an aberrant personal problem. Basically it comes off as, “I’m allergic to peanuts, therefore no one can have any!”
Again, I’ll restate that I don’t know much about the allergy. But it would seem that if this allergy was so much more pernicious than other allergies/afflictions, and if it were genuinely impossible for those afflicted to successfully take their own prophylactic measures, we would have heard about it.
Almonds forever! I actually have a friend who is allergic to almonds, but it is only if she eats them, not an all-encompassing, life-threatening allergy like peanuts tend to be.
So let me get this straight: they went from regular little peanuts to sugar roasted peanuts to almonds and finally back to regular little peanuts. So much for upgraded snacks.
Will almonds stay in 1st?
Rene,
Can I bring my own peanuts aboard??
@ John: I think any airline will look at any possible risk of flight diversion and will try to minimize that risk. If something as easy as removing a potential risk such as peanuts, then they have effectively reduced their total risk exposure and keep the planes flying and making money:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415712/
Peanuts are easier to eat!! But hubby loves the almonds too as he lost 50 pounds on his diet of fruit veggies protein n almonds sans all the white stuff of pasta,rice,and bread
PS Delta doesn’t seem to mind my cat allergy!!
What about flyers who are allergic to dogs and cats? Should they board early and clean their seat area? What is the policy on this subject?
@John and Wes – People go into anaphylactic shock and die with peanut allergies. Ask yourself if your kid had a peanut allergy and you had to hurl through the air in an aluminum tube of recirculated air while some widget salesman demands more more peanuts to shove in his maw, if you’d be cool with it. Now try to take a kid on a 14-hour flight to Shanghai and Delta doesn’t even offer a peanut free meal but sure offers multiple gluten free meals for for all the folks out there that think they are allergic to gluten or that being a little gassy is even close to the same thing as possible death. How many times to you eat peanuts at home? At the office? While driving in your Ford Fusion? Never, that’s how many times. But get on a plane and it’s all “I demand my peanuts!”
Where as not life threatening, my sinus and airways close up pretty badly due to pervasive halitosis. Certainly not going to change, let alone it being an anaphylactic allergen. But John’s and Wes’s comments scream a more embarrassing reality that we, collectively, have no desire to cater to those who we might cause to suffer. It truly is a disgusting label to wear, and certainly not one worthy of being bragged. I’d gladly go nut free in the cabin (Horizon’s trail mix wins anyway ) to be considerate to someone who might suffer.
But given that showering and oral hygiene aren’t preflight rituals for all, I know that will not be the dominate culture any time soon. And if you truly want to be practical, JR is in the only vein that goes anywhere. How badly do you want to get to where you want to go? How risky business-wise is allowing shellfish/cats/peanuts/et al to operations and litigation.
What would be a good article @René is knowing what type of first aid capability is aboard a flight to prevent diversion. Are there any Epinephrine or anti-histamine or aed tools like that on board a flight? Fire extinguisher suitable for a lithium ?
Anyway, travel compassionately my friends: prefer the kind bar and brush you teeth, please!
Agree that this seems like a cost-cutting move. The almonds were a high quality item, whereas these new peanuts are very inexpensive. Very disappointing. Yes, there are people with nut allergies, but the potential reaction is far less severe than those with actual peanut allergies.
I am allergic to peanuts, don’t suffer from horrible reactions, but I think they stink. I have a coworker who goes into shock over cinnamon, and will break out in a rash if she touches it. I work in food service; if there is a food, I’m sure someone will be allergic to it.
Hi-
First of all–I love that the peanuts are back–Love the almonds but those peanuts are the boom!!!
BUT–as someone who also has food allergies–I appreciate that if someone is so allergic to peanuts that even the “dust” in the air can set off an anaphylactic reaction–I appreciate their dilemna.
BUT–I think a lot of those ‘allergic to peanuts’ are NOT allergic to Others eating peanuts–just if THEY ingest them themselves.–Please don’t hate–I know there are you out there who the peanut dust can set off a reaction–NOT talking about YOU
Can we just be REAL about true allergies–I’m allergic to Black Pepper–weird==I know–but you can eat it next to me–just don’t sprinkle it on my food or in my face!!
AND–I always have a EPIPEN with me