Woman says she suffered discrimination because of her strawberry allergy

A woman with a severe strawberry allergy said she feared she could die on a flight to Ibiza.

Chloe Fitzpatrick, 24, said she felt ‘discriminated against’ after the cabin crew manager on her Jet2 flight wouldn’t ban the sale of strawberry daiquiris, rosé wine and fruit pastilles.

She feared she would come into contact with strawberry protein particles and experience anaphylactic shock on the almost three-hour flight to a girls’ trip with her sister Lucy, 27.

Chloe, a dance teacher from Read in Lancashire, said: ‘I couldn’t even go to the toilets on the flight because I could have been surrounded by strawberry products that could make me seriously ill or could have killed me.

‘I was strapped to my seat. I know it was only two hours but it’s a basic human right to be able to go to the toilet.

‘I was thousands of feet off the ground surrounded by products that could potentially kill me.

‘This was also extremely distressing and heart-breaking for my sister too who was terrified that I could go into anaphylactic shock, rendering me unconscious and could potentially die in front of her. She felt absolutely helpless.

‘Every day is a calculated risk when you have an airborne allergy but it [the incident] just made me feel discriminated against.’

She said she informed airline staff of her allergy when she boarded the plane at Manchester Airport on August 18 – something she had always done before when flying.

But Jet2 said their terms and conditions state that a severe allergy should be made aware to the team at the time of booking, not just when the sufferer boards the plane.

The flight was delayed for around 45 minutes while a discussion was had about whether Chloe could fly, and she was given a ventilator and a mask.

The cabin crew made an announcement to inform passengers of her allergy and told them not to consume strawberry products on the plane, but they still sold products containing strawberries on the flight like sweets and drinks.

Chloe, who had two EpiPens on the flight, added: ‘We said we would buy all the strawberry products on the flight when we knew they [Jet2] weren’t going to cease the sales and they refused this.

‘In places like clubs and bars, I can remove myself from the situation when strawberry products are around and I do this all the time.

‘On an aircraft its regulated air so I can’t move [away from strawberries]. It is a confined space and this is the only place we ask for them not to sell it.

She said when they arrived they were unable to enjoy their holiday as they were worrying about their return flight.

Chloe said although they gave Jet2 three days’ notice about her allergy for the journey home, she claimed they told her they would not stop the sale of products containing strawberries on the plane.

‘It cost us £500 to get an alternative flight home with Ryanair because Jet2 would not let us fly,’ she said. ‘They [Ryanair] were brilliant and didn’t sell these products on the flight.

‘If other airlines can do it, I don’t see why a big company like Jet2 couldn’t.’

Chloe, who refuses to fly with airline again, said she was not offered an apology or compensation and has called for a more robust policy to protect passengers with allergies.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: ‘Ms Fitzpatrick only alerted us to her allergies when she boarded the aircraft.

‘In such situations, we are unable to remove products as we cannot ensure the complete removal of all items that may contain allergens.

‘Additionally, it is possible that customers may bring onboard products that contain allergens.

‘However, our highly trained crew did everything they could to look after Ms Fitzpatrick despite this.

‘In our terms and conditions, we make it clear that anyone with a severe allergy should make our team aware of this at the time of booking, which unfortunately did not happen on this occasion.

‘We also make it clear that if we are made aware of a severe allergy and the customer is not carrying their required medication, they may be refused travel.

‘We are sorry to hear of Ms Fitzpatrick’s experience, however we took the necessary steps to address the situation, given the lack of notice, and provided Ms Fitzpatrick with the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding her safety before continuing on with the flight.’

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