SIblings with severe nut allergy told to ‘spend 7 and half hour flight in plane toilet’ by Emirates attendant
Two siblings with severe nut allergies were advised to spend a seven and a half hour flight in the toilet when they raised concerns over the flight's dinner menu that contained cashew nuts, reported The Sun.
33-year-old Sundeep and his sister, 24-year-old Shannen Sahota, who paid more than $7,000 for their tickets, claimed that they had advised the airline of their condition prior to booking flights to Dubai and Singapore to celebrate their parents' birthday.
Shannen claims that she told the Emirates staff thrice of their potentially life-threatening allergy: at the time of booking, at check-in and even will boarding the flight at Birmingham Airport.
After the pair took off from Birmingham Airport and were forty minutes into the flight, they learned that according to the menu, Chicken Biryani would be served with cashew nuts to all passengers, despite their information to the staff, according to The Sun.
The brother and sister duo then decided to inform the staff that they could not be exposed to the nuts in the meal. In response, an attendant told them they might feel comfortable if they moved to the toilet of the plane.
That being said, the airline denies having any record of the allergies that the pair suffers from.
According to Sundeep and his sister, they were forced to sit underneath blankets at the rear of the aircraft so as to avoid breathing in nut residue that could spread through the air vents. Their condition is severe enough that it requires them to carry an epi-pen at all times in case of an emergency.
Shannen, who is an analyst from Wolverhampton, said: “It was uncomfortable, embarrassing and demeaning. We were stunned when a supervisor told us ‘one way around it’ was for us to spend the flight in the cabin loo.”
While her brother Sundeep, who is a contracts manager, added: “All information we gave them was ignored.”
An Emirates spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms. Sahota’s complaint.
“Emirates tries to cater to all passenger-specific needs by offering a number of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible.
“However, Emirates cannot guarantee completely nut-free flights.
"We’ve looked into Ms. Sahota’s booking and our records do not reflect any mention of a nut allergy.
“All passengers who alert us of a nut allergy prior to travel are informed of our policy and it is also outlined on our website.
“When alerted during the flight, our crew tried their best to offer Ms. Sahota and her brother alternative locations in an open space in the back of the aircraft cabin to minimize their proximity to other passengers who may be consuming meals with nuts.”
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused and our customer care team will be in touch with Miss Sahota directly," the airline said.