EasyJet, Ryanair and BA Nut Allergy Policies: What Actually Happens

None of the UK’s big three short-haul carriers — EasyJet, Ryanair, or British Airways — will promise you a nut-free flight. That’s not a gap in their policies; it’s an honest reflection of reality. Nobody can control what several hundred passengers bring on board in their own hand luggage, and any airline claiming otherwise would be making a promise it can’t keep. What each airline can do is reduce risk, and they do it differently. This is what that actually looks like in practice, not just what’s written on the policy page — and airline policies do change, so always check directly with the airline before you fly, ideally close to your travel date.

The general shape of all three policies

Strip away the branding and the three policies are more similar than different: declare your allergy in advance if you can, remind the crew again at the gate or on boarding, they’ll stop selling nut products for that flight and make an announcement asking nearby passengers not to eat their own nut snacks, and none of them will guarantee the cabin is actually nut-free. That’s the ceiling of what a commercial airline can offer, and it’s worth going in with that expectation rather than a higher one.

EasyJet

You can flag a nut allergy in advance through the special assistance section of the booking portal, which adds it to your booking so ground and cabin crew are aware before you arrive at the gate. On the day, tell the cabin crew again when you board — don’t assume the advance note has definitely reached the crew working that specific flight. EasyJet doesn’t serve nut products as standard on its buy-on-board menu, and it will suspend any nut snack sales for that flight and make an announcement if you’ve told them. It’s explicit, though, that it cannot guarantee a nut-free environment, since it has no control over what other passengers bring on board themselves.

In practice, I’ve found EasyJet’s system for pre-boarding to wipe down your seat area works reasonably well if you ask for it at the gate, and cabin crew have generally been responsive when I’ve reminded them at boarding — but it does depend on being asked, not assumed.

Ryanair

Ryanair’s approach is simpler and less digital: there’s no formal advance-notice system in the booking flow in the same way, so the expectation is that you tell cabin crew when you board. Once you have, an announcement is made telling other passengers that no nut products will be sold on board that flight, and asking people not to open any peanut products they’ve brought themselves. As with the others, Ryanair is upfront that it cannot guarantee a peanut-free aircraft.

Because Ryanair doesn’t offer a full meal service and instead sells from a trolley, there’s genuinely less nut-containing food moving around the cabin than on some other carriers — though bear in mind other passengers’ own snacks are entirely outside the airline’s control, and a bag of peanuts brought from home is common on any flight.

British Airways

British Airways has the most structured policy of the three. Peanuts are no longer served as part of its standard catering, which is a genuine and meaningful step, though other tree nuts such as walnuts or cashews can still appear in meals and snacks depending on the route and catering supplier. You can request a special meal in advance through Manage My Booking, though it’s worth noting that special meal requests and nut-free requests aren’t quite the same thing, so state the allergy explicitly rather than assuming a “no nuts” meal type covers it.

BA allows pre-boarding so you can wipe down your own seat area before general boarding starts — bring your own wipes, as the crew won’t necessarily have them to hand. Crew can make an announcement asking nearby passengers to avoid nut products, and in my experience this has been handled professionally on most BA flights I’ve taken, though consistency has varied depending on the specific crew and route.

What none of them will do

None of the three will remove other passengers’ own food, ban nuts from the aircraft entirely, or take responsibility if a reaction occurs from something brought on board by someone else. That’s a genuinely difficult thing to accept if you’re used to controlling your food environment closely, but it’s the honest state of commercial air travel, and it doesn’t mean flying is off the table — it means the precautions sit with you as much as with the airline.

What I actually do before every flight, regardless of airline

• Declare the allergy at every point the airline offers, even if it feels repetitive — booking, check-in, and again at the gate.
• Carry my adrenaline auto-injectors in hand luggage, never checked baggage, along with a prescription or GP letter in case security has questions, and I carry at least two devices as standard advice from allergy charities recommends.
• Bring my own food for the flight itself, rather than relying on buy-on-board options, so I control at least that variable completely.
• Ask for pre-boarding to wipe down my seat, tray table, and armrests with my own wipes, since previous passengers’ crumbs are a realistic and often overlooked risk.
• Remind the crew again at boarding, even after declaring it online, because cabin crew rotate and the person checking you in isn’t necessarily the person working the flight.

Frequently asked questions

Can an airline guarantee a nut-free flight? No UK short-haul carrier does, and none of EasyJet, Ryanair, or British Airways claim to. They reduce risk through announcements and suspending nut sales, but cannot control food other passengers bring themselves.

Do I need a doctor’s letter to fly with an adrenaline auto-injector? It’s not always mandatory, but it’s strongly recommended by allergy charities and several airlines specifically ask for a prescription or doctor’s note to show security if questioned, so it’s worth carrying one regardless of which airline you’re flying with.

Does British Airways serve peanuts at all? No, British Airways has removed peanuts from its standard catering, though other tree nuts may still appear in some meals and snacks, so it’s still worth checking specific dishes rather than assuming a peanut-free menu is a nut-free one.

Should I still tell cabin crew if I’ve already declared my allergy online? Yes. Advance declarations help crew prepare, but reminding the crew working your specific flight, in person, at boarding, closes the gap between the booking system and the people actually on the aircraft that day.

Do these policies apply the same way to peanuts and tree nuts? Broadly yes in terms of process, but always specify which allergy you have, since the two are different allergens and catering suppliers may treat them differently depending on the route and meal type.