Plan your flight with food allergies

Start with the operating airline

Write down who operates each segment, including codeshares and the return journey. FARE advises reading the airline’s allergy policy before booking, notifying the airline and reconfirming with airport and cabin staff. Airlines cannot guarantee a nut-free cabin.^[1]

Make a small record for each flight: operator, route, date, policy link, contact channel and outstanding request. Keep the policy page and the answer you received together. A note added to a booking and an arrangement confirmed by staff are different stages of the same conversation.

Ask questions that produce usable answers

An enquiry works better when it describes what you need to know. Start with your actual allergens and ask about the specific flight. Leave space for the airline to explain what it can and cannot arrange.

• How should my allergy information be recorded for the operating crew?
• What ingredient information is available for the proposed meal?
• What is the process for requesting an accommodation before departure?
• Where are the current rules for bringing food and medical supplies?

Record the date and the team that replied. Avoid copying another traveller’s arrangement into your own plan as if it were a standing policy.

Plan the hours between meals

Draw a timeline from leaving home to reaching your accommodation. Include the airport, connections, delays and the final transfer. FARE recommends bringing suitable food and checking restrictions on what you may carry. An onboard meal should not be your only food plan when its ingredients cannot be confirmed.^[1]

For each gap, write down what you intend to eat and where it comes from. Do the same exercise for the flight home; access to familiar shops may be different then. Keep food choices specific to your own requirements rather than relying on a universal snack list.

Make the departure-day note short

Reduce the research to one page: booking details, arrangements to reconfirm, food plan and where your documents are stored. Keep prescribed emergency medication accessible with you, following your clinician’s plan; do not depend on aircraft supplies.^[2]

If a flight changes, use that page to identify which arrangements need checking again. A different operator or unexpected overnight stop can change several parts of the plan at once.