Two siblings on an Emirates Airlines flight from Birmingham reportedly did all they could to warn the airline of their severe allergies to tree nuts, noting their allergies at booking, while checking in their luggage, and upon boarding the aircraft. Despite being assured that no nuts would be served, chicken biryani with cashews was carted out 40 minutes after take-off.
Learning that tree nuts would be everywhere on the flight, Shannen and Sudeep Sahota reportedly panicked. A crew member approached them and suggested they would be more comfortable in the lavatory with cushions and pillows.
Instead, the two spent the seven-hour trip sitting in the rear of the plane with blankets pulled over their head.
Said Shannen:
We felt so degraded and embarrassed. It was horrible and it was meant to be a happy occasion but the start of our holiday was ruined. We were stunned when a supervisor told us ‘one way round it’ was for us to spend the flight in the cabin loo.
Emirates claims they had no record of the nut allergies reported by the two. “We are sorry to hear about Ms Sahota’s complaint. Emirates tries to cater to all passengers specific needs by offering a number of special meals. However, Emirates cannot guarantee completely nut-free flights,” read a statement issued by the airline.
