Passenger gets booted from AA plane over mixed nuts; Here are the top 10 allergy-friendly airlines
If you are one of the 50 million Americans who suffer from an allergy, travel adds a whole new level of complexity. From deciding which airline to fly with or where to stay, it’s important to remember that you have choices. When it comes to accommodating travelers with allergies, not all airlines are created equal.
This became glaringly apparent in December, when Sophie Draper — a 26-year-old researcher from Durham, in the United Kingdom — was reportedly “kicked off” an American Airlines flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Draper told HuffPost U.K. that the airline refused to accommodate her life-threatening nut allergy.
Cabin crew claimed they were “contractually obliged to serve hot mixed nuts in first and business class,” and they failed to inform passengers in nearby rows of her allergy saying that it was “against company policy.”
Draper and her boyfriend were escorted from the plane and booked on a later British Airways flight. Their experience with BA could not have been more different.
“They stopped serving all nut products, made multiple announcements about there being a passenger with a nut allergy, and personally spoke with all passengers within a number of rows of me,” Draper announced on Twitter.
At TPG, we always look for ways to make traveling just a bit easier — including for people with allergies (and those helping to manage someone else’s allergy). That's also why we wrote the ultimate guide to traveling with allergies.
In 2020, Spokin (an app that touts itself as “the easiest way to manage food allergies") released a list of crowd-sourced “top rated allergy-friendly airlines." Here's our take.
Spokin’s top-rated allergy-friendly airlines
Let’s start by looking at the airlines that topped Spokin’s 2020 list. According to the app’s users, these are the top allergy-friendly airlines in the U.S. and beyond. (Click each link to read about the airline’s allergy policies.)
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Alaska Airlines
- British Airways
- Air Canada
- Easyjet
- WestJet
- Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Iceland Air
It's interesting to note that British Airways was included in this list.
How were the results tabulated?
When the list was revealed in 2020, we reached out to Spokin’s CEO and founder, Susie Hultquist, to ask how the company ranked these airlines.
The app allows members to share information and write reviews. Spokin harnessed that functionality to ask members to review airlines. About 1,000 members submitted reviews that helped create the ranking.
“We have a section on our app called ‘top rated’ and you can filter by category, i.e. airlines,” Hultquist added, explaining that the app also has rankings for allergy-friendly hotels, restaurants, bakeries, colleges and other categories.
“The ranking is 100% based on app reviews,” Hultquist said. “Our app users can share positive or negative reviews. Our algorithm accounts the ratio of positive and negative reviews (negative reviews hurt more than a positive review helps).”
She noted that while Southwest has more positive reviews than negative, the negative ones pull them down to second place in the ranking. But, she says the airline is trending upward based on its willingness to remove peanuts from its aircraft (though Southwest is selling its famous nuts to non-flyers).
You can add your own airline review at any time. The app is free and available for iOS (iPhone and iPad). All you need to do is download the app, sign up for a free account and then find the type of business you’d like to review.
Click on “Airline” from the category list and then find the airline you’d like to review.
From there, you can write a review that specifically describes your experience managing an allergy on that airline. Your input can help someone else who’s planning a trip and trying to find the airline that’s best suited to handle his or her particular allergen issues.
Additional reporting by Caroline Lascom.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.