Siblings with allergy asked to sit in toilets after nuts served on flight
Siblings with a severe nut allergy have claimed they were told by Emirates staff to sit in the toilets while the food was served.
Shannen Sahota, 24, and Sundeep, 33, were travelling on the flight from England to Dubai and Singapore for their parents’ 60th birthdays and said they paid more than $9000.
Shannen claimed they told the staff at least three times about their nut allergy, but were “panic-stricken” when they saw the main course meal being served, The Sun reported.
The flight was served chicken biryani with fried cashew nuts for dinner.
The siblings, who carry EpiPens, said they told the crew their allergy was so severe they could not be near nut residue.
They said staff told them they might be more comfortable to spend the seven hour flight in the toilets.
“We were stunned when a supervisor told us ‘one way round it’ was for us to spend the flight in the cabin loo,” Shannen said.
“We felt so degraded and embarrassed.”
Shannen said they instead spent the flight in their seats with blankets covering their heads.
In a statement, an Emirates spokesperson said the airline was sorry to hear about the complaint.
“We are sorry to hear about Ms Sahota’s complaint,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo7.
“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 back of the aircraft cabin to minimise their proximity to other passengers who may be consuming meals with nuts.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and our customer care team will be in touch with Miss Sahota directly.”
