A young Brit was thrown off a plane in Argentina after telling the crew she had a nut allergy.
Trainee teacher Meleri Williams was boarding a flight from Buenos Aires when she spoke to staff as many people with severe allergies do.
But instead of not giving out nuts on board, staff from airline Aerolineas Argentinas ordered 20-year-old Meleri to leave the aircraft before take-off.
The Cardiff University student – who was due to start volunteering at a primary school 1,100 miles away – was left “shocked” by the ban and forced to make the journey by taking a 26-hour bus ride.
She said: “My allergy is very severe and could lead to anaphylactic shock where my airways could close up and I could potentially die.
“I do carry an Epipen but did not want to put myself in a position where there was a high risk and I could suffer from an allergic reaction midflight.
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“I explained that I could develop an anaphylactic shock if I was in an enclosed environment where nuts are consumed, but they didn’t seem to understand.
“The only food they had for their passengers was packets of dried fruit and nuts.
“They said that it would affect a greater number of people if nuts wouldn’t be served.
“There was a lot of fuss, I was very upset by the end I must say and then having to just walk away was awful.
“It was very distressing trying to explain everything.”
Meleri, fom Hendy, Carmarthenshire, was due to fly on the two and a half hour flight costing £200 to Esquel in Patagonia.
Meleri complained to the airline – telling Aerolineas that the treatment she received was “totally unacceptable”.
She added: “We did not receive any sort of apology, which was also very upsetting and on what was our first visit to Argentina, creating a very poor first impression of the country.
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“Thankfully when we did eventually arrive at Esquel, we did receive a tremendous welcome there and also in Trevelin where we were staying.
“Everyone we met expressed great sympathy at my experience with the flight and, I have to say, disgust at the way I was treated and embarrassment that an Argentinian airline had acted in this way.’
Meleri also urged the airline to revise company policy on serving nuts on flights while there are allergy sufferers on board.
The trainee teacher says she has never had problems with other airlines who had treated her allergy concerns “attentively and helpfully”.
She said: “Everything had been very easy until this incident. We flew from Gatwick to Buenos Aires with Norwegian Airlines and they were very attentive and helpful.”
Meleri claims she is yet to receive any response from the airline to her complaint.
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The airline based in Buenos Aires has so far not responded to a request for a comment.
UK charity Anaphylaxis Campaign say all airlines have different policies in place for keeping passengers with an allergy safe.
A spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the alleged incident on the Aerolinas Argentinas flight.
“We understand that flying with a food allergy can be stressful and cause much anxiety in those with a severe allergy, as such, we are continuously working with the airline industry to raise awareness of the key issues affecting those at risk of severe allergies whilst travelling and how airlines should best manage these.
“The Department for Transport has published a consultation on the future of aviation, which proposed the introduction of a passenger charter, a clear set of standards for how airports and airlines treat consumers.
“Furthermore, the Anaphylaxis Campaign have been involved in meetings with the Aviation Minister, the Civil Aviation Authority, Airlines UK and other key parties to see improved clarity and consistency in how the aviation sector deals with allergies.”
Earlier this year easyJet banned the sale of nuts on their flights.
