I'm Nuts About it!

While you are all moaning and complaining about the price of gas, and the way the airlines are fee-ing everything thing like crazy, I am jumping for joy! I just got off the phone with US Air, and all I can say is...I LOVE YOU!

We are going to be making our annual summer voyage to the Pacific Northwest to see Steve's Family. We have been researching prices, figuring out days, and trying to get some kind of schedule pinned down. I got online this morning to look up airline prices once again, just to see if they had gone up. However, when I look up prices, I have to do more than look at the dollar amount. I start searching the site for the fine print. What are their policies accommodating peanut allergies? This morning, I was on the US Air website and this is what I found:

Peanut allergies
US Airways recognizes that some of our passengers are allergic to peanut products. However, due to last-minute aircraft changes and the possibility that other passengers may bring peanuts onboard, we cannot guarantee that no peanut products will be onboard.Because we cannot accommodate "peanut-free" snack requests and the possibility that peanut-related ingredients may be contained in meals, we encourage passengers to bring their own food items onboard the flight.

Underneath that it said, if you have any questions, please call the disability team. I saw the number and decided I had some time, so I would give it a try.

(Last year when I tried to call someone for help, I ended up talking to a guy who couldn't speak English and kept reading the same paragraph posted on the internet when I asked him to explain the policy further. I hate outsourcing!)

I figured I would be put on hold and transferred several times, but I'll do anything for my son's safety and to ease my mind. Would you believe the phone didn't even ring once before I had someone on the line helping me with my questions! I even asked if it was really US Air when she answered the phone because it happened so quickly. I asked if she was on the Disability Team and she even said...YES! What the heck! A live person, who speaks English! It's my lucky day. I asked her my question and she quickly responded:

"WE DON'T SERVE ANYTHING ON BOARD ANYMORE! "

I know, you are probably thinking...how cheap. I'm thinking, I could reach through the phone and kiss you! You have no idea what kind of burden she just lifted. They actually stopped serving peanuts and will only serve pretzels or biscotti on long flights.

This is what it is like to take a flight with a child who has nut allergies.

1. Get an early flight, that way the plane has been recently cleaned.

2. Request early boarding so you can Clorox each seat, the trays, the window. Get down and look for any stray food that may have fallen during the last flight.

3. Cover the seat with a sheet or blanket.

4. Have your Epi-pen, benadryl, nebulizer, and inhaler under your seat. (This is after having to take everything out of the meds bag at security and have them inspect it all by hand instead of x-ray.)

5. Explain to the flight attendants that he is allergic, and that we will not be accepting any snacks.

6. Spend the whole flight watching his every move, making sure he doesn't touch something that hasn't been cleaned.

I will not have to do that on this trip. I am so thrilled. I will still clean the seats and be cautious, but the worry and concern has dropped considerably. I have just seen the silver lining on this whole economic downfall we are in, and it made my day!