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British boy banned from flight over nut allergy

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A British boy and his parents were reportedly banned from boarding a flight home from holiday in Florida after they mentioned that he had a nut allergy.


Daniel Levitan, 11, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, suffered an allergic reaction as a baby and his parents, Howard and Judith, have kept him away from nuts ever since.


Daniel has flown on previous holidays without problem but was stopped from boarding the American Airlines flight as the family prepared to return from a winter break.


His parents mentioned his allergy when booking the holiday through British Airways, but when they requested an announcement asking other passengers not to eat nuts on the internal American Airlines flight from Fort Myers in Florida to Dallas they were told they could not board.


The family were escorted from the airport and had their tickets cancelled, the Times reported. A staff member on the way out said: “Americans have the right to eat nuts”.


They had to spend two extra nights in Florida arranging an alternative flight.


The family have lodged a complaint through their travel agent. A BA spokesman said that the dispute was a matter for American Airlines.


Mrs Levitan said: “I am absolutely appalled. They didn’t understand anaphylactic shock or allergies at all.”

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