Emirates & On the beach - Happy to put my sons life in danger

Kevin1978

We have recently booked a short trip with on the beach with my wife and three children (for a special birthday). My eldest son has a number of medical conditions one of which is a severe nut allergy which is so intense it closes his airways. If you are not aware of this form of anaphylaxis it happens very quickly. Our son was diagnosed 5 years ago when he couldn't move or breath in his bed following putting his lips to some peanut butter on toast. More recently he had an incident at school where he was touched by a child who had eaten a peanut butter sandwich and no ingestion occurred. It is something we manage in everyday life although I admit had I not seen the effect or speed that this condition moves I would not believe it. I'm sure you have seen some of the tragic stories in the news over the last year.

We have managed this appropriately and go on our annual holiday every year by advising the airline before the flight and flight crew when at the cabin and from Ryanair to Thompson we fly without problem and have never needed to use his EpiPen.

Following booking this holiday in January (the flights are not until October 2020) my wife did the same as she has previously and contacted the airline only to be told we serve nuts as a snack or main meal on all of our flights and if we were unhappy we would need to raise with on the beach. She explained the severity to Emirates who had been absolutely unfazed by this condition or the potential consequences.

We contacted On the Beach immediately and I reassured my wife that if they couldn't guarantee our child's safety they would refund us. Little did I know!

We contacted On the beach on numerous occasions with each call or e-mail needing to be relayed to Emirates and taking time to response. Since the initial enquiry was made we have even had another payment go through. We have finally been told that if we can cancel the flights but at a cost of £340pp would be charged which seems absurd when you consider this is a life threatening condition. we now face losing £1,700 or risk our sons life.

We have tried to reason with Emirates. What is the cost of diverting the plane for an airline? How bad would the PR be for an Airline to have a passenger die on a flight? Do they really think they cannot sell the tickets if they refund us in full? What would they do in my position? To which they don't answer and terminate the live chat.

We have spoken to our insurers who have stated that they may not be able to pay out as this sort of thing would not be covered.

What options do we have? Lose the money and don't go or risk our sons life like a game of Russian roulette. We know there is no choice in this and so do they!

I really feel that this large corporation is staring us out and not using any common sense.

If anyone has any ideas of resolution or indeed could share this story or their similar stories I would be grateful.

Perhaps when you next see this companies corporate advertisements or sponsorships you can see the lack of compassion or will to be reasonable around a very serious medical condition.

Pollycat

Did you not check Emirates websites before you booked?

Their policy is very clear:

Food allergies

We serve gluten-free and lactose-free meals, as well as meals to suit other medical conditions.

We can’t guarantee our meals are nut free. We serve nuts on all our flights, either as a meal ingredient or as an accompaniment to drinks. Other passengers may also bring food on board that contains nuts, and traces of nut residue could be passed on to other surfaces of the aircraft as well as through the air conditioning system. If you have a nut allergy, we recommend discussing your travel plans with your doctor before you fly.

https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/before-you-fly/travel/dietary-requirements/

Did you explain your son's nut allergy with OTB before you booked?

I think you've made an erroneous assumption that because your son has a severe nut allergy, whatever airline you fly with will accommodate that allergy.

I do sympathise as my friend also has a severe nut allergy that can be triggered without ingestion.

I don't see where you go from here.

Westin

This is what Emirates say on their website -
“We can’t guarantee our meals are nut free. We serve nuts on all our flights, either as a meal ingredient or as an accompaniment to drinks. Other passengers may also bring food on board that contains nuts, and traces of nut residue could be passed on to other surfaces of the aircraft as well as through the air conditioning system. If you have a nut allergy, we recommend discussing your travel plans with your doctor before you fly.”

https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/before-you-fly/travel/dietary-requirements/

Did you research and check with Emirates about this prior to booking?

Caz3121

Kevin1978 said:

We have managed this appropriately and go on our annual holiday every year by advising the airline before the flight and flight crew when at the cabin and from Ryanair to Thompson we fly without problem and have never needed to use his EpiPen.

Following booking this holiday in January (the flights are not until October 2020) my wife did the same as she has previously and contacted the airline only to be told we serve nuts as a snack or main meal on all of our flights and if we were unhappy we would need to raise with on the beach. She explained the severity to Emirates who had been absolutely unfazed by this condition or the potential consequences.

Did you discuss with onthebeach in advance that nut free flights were critical?
Emirates do state that they serve nuts on all flights https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/before-you-fly/travel/dietary-requirements/
You cannot make an assumption that all airlines will behave the same. Whilst Ryanair may choose to not serve nuts for a short flight and do a tannoy announcement, there will be many airlines that don't
There are articles available that identify which airlines 'may' be suitable eg https://travelsort.com/best-and-worst-airlines-for-peanut-and-nut-allergies/

TELLIT01

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this situation but, unless you told On The Beach during the booking process that you must have flights on a nut-free airline, they have no responsibility for the situation you are in.  With an allergy as severe as this you should never make assumptions.

The_Fat_Controller

A little bit of prior research would have alerted you to the Emirates Airlines policy regarding nuts.
It is well known and not hidden at all.
It is NOT the airline that would be putting anyone's life in danger, it would be those choosing to travel on that airline.

NoodleDoodleMan

I don't see how OTB or Emirates have a case to answer.

mattyprice4004

I have a friend with a severe allergy to nuts too - but he's sensible and checks each airline's policy (and calls them if unsure) before booking to check they'll not serve nuts on the flight.

I can't understand why you think they're obliged not to serve nuts on any flight - it's a courtesy thing, not a rule that they have to ban nuts if a sufferer is on board. 

No one is putting your son's life in danger apart from whoever makes him board the plane - Emirates have always been clear this is their policy. 

Pollycat

I think this thread is shaping up to be one of the very rare ones where everyone agrees (apart from the OP).

bagand96

Perhaps see if you can book alternative flights for your child and yourself on an airline that is able to accommodate the nut allergy better.  Then your wife and other children could travel on the booked Emirates flights and meet at the destination.  You may be able to reclaim the APD tax for the 2 unused Emirates tickets.

Probably the best way to salvage the trip whilst minimising your losses.  Still an expensive lesson.

Kevin1978

Thanks for your thought Bagand.
my hope is that emirates may show a bit of good will here. And maybe I was brought up in a different time when companies tried to offer a bit of fair play.