Flying With Food Allergies Guide

Flying with Food Allergies Guide

Flying with Food Allergies Guide to make travel easier and safer for millions of people with food allergies. Updated 2/21/2024.

Do you or someone you love have life-threatening, anaphylactic food allergies? Does getting on a plane make you concerned? Or completely terrified? Did you laugh at this comic? Or completely get the message? Traveling at 30,000 feet with little control of your surroundings is absolutely one of the most challenging experiences. Because as a travel consultant and mom of two food allergic children, I completely understand. Trip planning and travel is stressful enough. But add in life threatening food allergies and we have a whole other level of crazy. And you thought vacation is relaxing!

As a Travel Consultant and Food Allergy Mom, I am always working towards helping others with food allergies travel less stressfully and have more fun!

This Guide will make traveling with food allergies SO much easier.

This is NOT intended as medical advice. As always, follow your doctor’s recommendations.

Our First Flight with Food Allergies

Our daughter was only 1 1/2 years old when she had her first anaphylactic reaction. As we were visiting family in CA, breakfast for us Eastern time zone people, was very early. Like 5 am. So, having a delicious pancake breakfast, super shocked to see our daughter Katie’s lip swell, her eyes became purple, and she was now coughing. This was happening in mere minutes. Quickly, calling 911, the paramedics took us by ambulance to Stanford Medical Center. Not really knowing what set off this dangerous allergic reaction was quite alarming. After stabilizing our daughter and watching her for a few hours, we were sent home with instructions to not try any new foods until she could be tested, in 3 weeks. To be perfectly honest, I had never even heard of food allergies before!

A few days later, we continued our vacation, flying 5 hours to Hawaii. On the plane, all I could think about was:

“What if she has another allergic reaction as we are flying over the Pacific?”

Click: Ultimate Packing List for Food Allergy Travels

Flying with Food Allergies – Fears

Since, that journey years ago, we have become experts at flying with food allergies. We had to – my job requires us traveling!

And flying with life threatening food allergies is one of everyone’s greatest fears if they or a loved one has food allergies.

Along with: am I going to be able to feed my child safely? And what if my child has a reaction while we are away from home?

Or: It’s so difficult to plan a vacation but almost impossible when adding in food allergies.

I feel your pain. As well as the pressure to be absolutely perfect in all allergy decisions. Every single minute. And almost everything is an allergy decision. Which airline? Is there a better flight? What are the airlines food allergies policies? Has anyone eaten your allergens on this plane today? Did I bring enough safe food? Can we pre-board? Is there someone eating peanut butter in front of us? Yup. I get it.

Flying With Food Allergies – Gear

So, these will help you fly/travel more safely, comfortably and confidentially with a food-allergic person.

First, get An Easy Journey’s Free Traveling with Food Allergies Ultimate Packing List. Specifically geared towards making sure that you have everything you will need to have a safer, happier trip! Also, makes Mom/Dad feel less stressed wondering if they brought everything! Honestly, we go thru these checklists each trip. And we even suggest the best places to pack items so that you have what’s needed, when you need it.

Always pack your Allergy Plan (signed by your doctor) and all necessary medications in their original packages (EpiPens, Benadryl, Inhalers, etc…) and keep on you. This meets TSA airport security requirements.

Our top Must Travel With:

So many people have asked where we got this! Takes the unknown out of sitting on airline seats. Also great for train and rental car seats. Folds very small, washable, and more comfortable. Seat Protector

Absolute must, airline pillows are a NO – Travel Pillow

As airlines cannot guarantee cleanliness, bring your own: Travel Blanket

Backpack Cooler Bag (does NOT count as luggage per ADA laws, just make sure airline personnel realize it’s for your safe food/snacks). We add on a pin Stating: Allergic to Nuts. This helps people know about our allergies. Often times, people have asked us if it was safe for us if they were to open food they brought after seeing this pin. Now, THAT increases your safety! BTW, we take this cooler backpack everywhere! Beach, boating, hiking, day at the zoo…

Anything to make your plane environment cleaner/less risk of cross-contamination: Airline Tray Table Disposable Covers

Flying With Food Allergies Guide

Airlines vary from country to country. And policies can change at any time. Please review current airline guidelines before booking your flights. And always print a copy to take with you traveling. As it can be helpful to show airline personnel if any questions arise. 😊

Additionally, Travel Insurance is a must. Most policies allow for pre-existing conditions if purchased at time of booking or within a few days of booking. We use: TravelGuard – and World Nomads. Especially if traveling abroad. Almost all US health insurance policies do not apply overseas.

Here is Swiss Air’s flying with food allergies guide for airline travel: Swiss Air

Swiss Air is the 1st airline to be certified “Allergy Friendly” by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation. They request all passengers NOT bring peanuts onboard.  Swiss Air also has Lactose-Free and Gluten-Free menus for food intolerances. However, we ONLY eat what we bring onboard.

Additional preferred airlines: Lufthansa, Air Canada, British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and Southwest.

Although some airlines will make an announcement asking passengers to refrain from eating your allergens due to an allergic person onboard, others will not. Therefore, you need to access if this is an absolute requirement for you. Additionally, some airlines will make a “buffer zone” around where you are seated, asking just those passengers to refrain from opening or eating your allergens. However, some airlines will not do this.

Honestly, it really comes down to the airlines policies, crew understanding of food allergies and airline training concerning food allergies. We have the best interaction with foreign carriers. And the two US carriers listed.

Flying Plan

Before booking your flight, completely understand the airlines allergy policies.

Pre-board to give yourself extra time wiping down all the surfaces around your seat (tray table, seat belt, shade, tv console, remote, flight attendant buttons and armrests of everyone traveling with you) with disposable wipes (NOT hand sanitizer). Also, look around the floor and seat areas for any traces of your allergen. Peanuts and nuts especially.

Keep bag with your allergy plan and medications under your seat, not in the overhead bins. Bring your own ear buds, headset, eye masks, entertainment. For younger kids, we bring small surprises like a little Lego kit, coloring book, or travel size games. Also, gum, lollipops or gummy bears (for relieving ear pressure). See, traveling with food allergies can be stress-free and fun!

Great Places to Travel to with Food Allergies

So many wonderful places to visit! Easy places to vacation with food allergies are of course, Disney World/Disney Land. Sea World, Legoland and Busch Gardens are also extremely great vacation spots for food allergy travel.

When you would like to venture further, England is a fantastic trip abroad for the food allergic/food intolerances. Not only because of its great medical facilities, strict allergen labeling laws and same language, England is enchanting for all ages. For more specific details (especially what we saw and ate!), see Family Goals: 18 Summers

Flying with Food Allergies

After many flights over the years, our kids feel comfortable flying on their own. Even internationally!

Because of our serious food allergies, we have compiled a comprehensive Travel Starter Guide, which guides you through every step of your trip planning. Specifically geared for those with food allergies. It is a Digital Workbook that will save you hours of time, money and help you travel stress-free with Food Allergies.

The Travel Starter Guide is filled with: Specifically geared resources, checklists and worksheets for traveling with a food allergic person.

We go over our proven process of:

• How to find safe places to eat (restaurants, cafes, markets)
• Food allergy safe, fast & delicious meals to make without lots of prep, ingredients or a lot of clean up!
• Sample Meal Plans, Recipes, Grocery Lists – ALL included
• Recommended Easier Travel Destinations
• Airline Flying Guide 🛫
• Travel Insurance Basics – What is it & Do I Need It?
• Accommodations that Better Accommodate You
• What to Pack and Where to Put It Checklists
• And SO much more!

We no longer stress if we’ve done everything…packed enough…made all the right arrangements. Takes the stress out of traveling, just by using the Travel Starter Guide. Every trip, every time.

Because 32 million people with food allergies deserve to see the world safely! ✈️

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