US travellers with nut allergies clash with airlines

New York

ROSANNE Bloom and her family had just settled into their seats on a flight from Philadelphia to Turks and Caicos Islands on Christmas morning when two airline employees ordered Ms Bloom, her husband and two boys off the plane. Their luggage had been removed.

The problem? Ms Bloom had informed the crew that her teenage sons had severe nut allergies. "I said, 'We have our medicine. We brought our own food, and we're comfortable staying on the plane.' I offered to sign a waiver," said Ms Bloom, an orthodontist in Clarksville, Maryland. "We were off the plane in two minutes."