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Travel Q&A: Peanut ban on plane irks flier

(PETER MONSEES / McClatchy-Tribune)
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Detroit Free Press

Q: My husband and I were on a Delta flight from Boston to Detroit. Shortly after takeoff, the captain announced that there was a passenger with a peanut allergy, so no peanuts would be served. I wondered if it was common practice to inconvenience an entire plane for the benefit of one passenger. Coincidentally, my husband has celiac disease and was not able to partake of the cookies or pretzels that were served. Would we have been allowed to ask that no one partake of wheat products?

I do understand that allergic reactions to peanuts can be very serious. I have never encountered a situation where peanuts were totally banned on a flight. Likes Peanuts

A: Actually, a few years ago it was hard to find a single peanut served on a flight. Airlines had gone “peanut free” to accommodate fliers with peanut allergies. However, that did not work because they could not guarantee that no trace of peanut dust would exist aboard. Peanuts slowly came back on the menu.

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Airlines do tend keep the peanuts locked up on individual flights if the crew is alerted that a certain passenger is allergic (those who are should call the airline ahead of time and remind the gate agent when they arrive. See Delta’s policy here. )

So, yes, one person’s allergy may technically violate other passengers’ right to enjoy a nice peanut in the skies.

But you said it yourself: The difference between a severe peanut allergy and celiac disease is that the first can cause anaphylactic shock and death.

Dear Traveler: We are leaving next week for three weeks in Spain and Portugal. We have regular cell phones that are not smartphones. Should we buy or rent a smartphone in Europe to aid us in booking hotels, navigating in our rental car and so forth? Distant Calling

Dear Calling: Smartphones and world travel often don’t mix well. Unless you purchase an international calling plan, you will rack up steep roaming charges.

However, your older cell phones may not work in Europe at all. Call your carrier to make sure they are GSM-compatible with Europe’s cell system. If they are, great. If they’re not, either buy a cheap international cell phone and SIM card (I have one from eKit) or just buy an international calling card at a convenience store when you get there.

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It is nice to have a tablet or laptop to access WiFi while in Europe, but it’s not imperative; most hotels these days have free public computers for guest use.

Some travelers take a smartphone but keep it on “airplane mode,” using it only as a WiFi device and to talk via Skype to family back home.

I know. This is all giving you a giant headache. Things were so much easier when nobody expected you to be in touch while traveling.

Dear Traveler: Regarding your column last week about things you never want to see via virtual reality or on TV, you forgot these things on my list: fireworks, magic and parades. Anyone who thinks it’s the same thing obviously hasn’t done whatever it is. Reality Check

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