Something was missing in the new rules for the Passangers Bill of Rights. Peanuts. Though last year the Department of Transportation asked for public opinion on how to deal with passengers with nut allergies, it turns out there is a law that makes it currently impossible for it to ban or restrict them from flights.
Well, they could get the peanuts off the planes, but first they would have to have a peer-reviewed study that "determines that serving of peanuts causes severe reactions among airline passengers." And according to the DOT "There has been no such peer-reviewed study, so we declined to take action at this time." We're sure the pressure from the peanut lobby had nothing to do with the DOT backing down.
So those with severe peanut allergies will continue to fly the way they've been flying for years: with an EpiPen close by. Meanwhile, even without DOT regulations, a few airlines say they will do their best to put those with severe allergies in peanut-free buffer zone when given advance warning.
