Emirates asks Indian siblings, having nut-allergy, to sit in loo
Two Indian-origin siblings Shannen Sahota, 24, and Sundeep Sahota, 33, were allegedly asked by Emirates crew to sit in the loo after they complained of nut allergy. The siblings boarded an Emirates flight from England's Birmingham Airport, to celebrate their parents' 60th birthday. They spent more than 5,000 pounds on the trip and by the end of it were left humiliated. Here's more.
40 minutes into flight, crew served nuts to passengers
They were left panic-stricken when they saw crew members serving fried nuts, just 40 minutes after the flight took off. They realized they could be exposed to nuts. They further learned chicken biryani with fried cashew nuts was also being served to passengers. When they told the staff about their severe allergy, they were asked to sit in the loo, with cushions and pillows, to avoid discomfort.
Our happy occasion was ruined, says Shannen
"We were stunned when a supervisor told us 'one way round it' was for us to spend the flight in the cabin loo. We felt so degraded and embarrassed. It was meant to be a happy occasion but start of our holiday was ruined," said Shannen.
Furious with treatment, siblings spent seven-hour flight covered in blanket
Owing to the insensitivity of Emirates' staff, the siblings spent the seven-hour-long flight at the back of the aircraft, covering themselves with a blanket. They alleged informing Emirates about their condition repeatedly- during booking, checking-in, and on boarding the plane. Reacting to the allegations, the airlines said they can never guarantee nut-free flights and added the bookings didn't reflect the meal choices of siblings.
What Emirates say about the incident
"We are sorry to hear about Sahota's complaint. Emirates tries to cater to all passengers specific needs by offering a number of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible. However, Emirates cannot guarantee completely nut-free flights," said the airline.
