Boy Banned From Flight: Allergy Keeps 11-Year-Old Boy From Boarding American Airlines Flight

A boy banned from a flight headed to Dallas, Texas, is making headlines this week. According to Travel Weekly, the 11-year-old has a bad nut allergy, and while this was mentioned during booking, the boy was prohibited from getting on the flight when his parents requested a “no nut” announcement.

“The family were escorted from the airport and had their tickets cancelled. A staff member on the way out said: ‘Americans have the right to eat nuts.’ They had to spend two extra nights in Florida arranging an alternative flight,” reports Travel Weekly.

The boy banned from the flight had a reaction to nuts when he was a baby. Since then, his parents have done their absolute best to keep him away from nuts to ensure that something like that never happens again. According to Metro, the British family had no problem getting from the U.K. to Dallas, and then on to Florida, but the flight home caused them problems. The family booked their flights through British Airways, and the airline told them that they wouldn’t have a problem with nuts, and that employees would be accommodating to their son’s medical needs. That, however, wasn’t the case, as the boy’s mother explained.

“I am absolutely appalled. When we approached them the woman taking tickets was clearly already stressed. We told her about the situation and after refusing to help us she then asked what the worst case scenario would be. We told him he had his steroids, antihistamines, and adrenaline with him if anything happened but the worst case scenario would be that his throat closed and the plane would have to land so he could get medical attention. Though he has only had one episode when he was diagnosed, that was it for them. They didn’t understand anaphylactic shock or allergies at all despite the fact they had first aid training.”

The boy banned from the flight was left embarrassed. The family has filed a complaint with the airline, but nothing more has been done to rectify the situation at this time. American Airlines issued an apology, and provided the family with “a hotel voucher.” They were also booked on another flight without having to pay a fee of any kind.

Getting banned from a flight is no joke, and it does happen every now and again. Last month, YouTube celebrity Matthew Lush was banned from flying with JetBlue. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Lush posted a tweet that referenced Mean Girls, calling out a JetBlue customer service employee, and posting her employee number online for all to see.

“Don’t fly @JetBlue! Their customer service is horrible! Especially Regina 87346. She is ruining my Thanksgiving vacation,” read the tweet.

Tons of people have since defended Lush in his “boycott” of the airline.

[Photo courtesy of Lasse Fuss via Wikimedia Commons]