Celiac disease airlines and in general

Eli, My advice is that it is better to be safe than sorry. You wouldn't want to waste precious trip time feeling miserable because of inadvertent gluten consumption.

If there is a French website for celiac disease, they may have some specific advice about good brands, places to eat, and so forth. And a UK website may also be a good source for information--UK residents go to France all the time.

I'd bite the (gluten-free) bullet and check a bag so that you can tote along a fair amount of gluten free supplies. And I would definitely take along a gluten free meal and snack for the flight. It's not like you'll be missing anything, really--airline food isn't one of the "don't misses" on your European vacation. Have a safe and enjoyable (and gluten-free vacation!

Hi Eli!

F/A checking in after a very long departure from this board!

As both an Incharge Flight Attendant and Medical First Responder (EMS) I would suggest that if there is any doubt...leave it out!

"Super sensitive" type of Food Product Intolerance or Allergy sounds like the making for a miserable flight for you.

Even if you do hear from a previous Passenger with Food Intolerences or even Allergies (if applicable) similar or identical to yours...that doesn't guarantee that your experience will be the same. I know it's not fair or fun for you. I wish it weren't that way.

Keep in mind that Aircraft can be catered differently in different parts of the world by different Companies with different products and policies. Some Airlines won't/can't guarentee products to be guarenteed Allergen/Intolerence free for this reason...So anyone who's Celiac Disease is also Allergy related, beware. So do make that call to your Airline to see where they stand on Special Meals.

My best advise would be to at least come prepared with some snacks which you know will be safe for you to eat. I'm sure you do that anyway.

Any questions feel free to PM me.

(Edited 12/03/08:
Just FYI there is a difference but often a relationship between Food Intolerences and Allergies. Often Airlines policies and procedures regarding special meals do not differenciate between the two. Therefore, their policies regarding the two will be similar if not identical. Just wanted to clarify that in light of the feedback I have received.)

Safe Skies,
F/A

FA, it's so good to see you on the board. I always look for your "expert" feedback on questions pertaining to flights.

No, thankfully with Celiac we don't have and problems with Anaphalaxis. I would just become quite sick and have a miserable time. I did order a "GF" meal, but plan on bringing additional munchies and something more sustaining in case what they serve is suspicious.

I also am Celiac.

I haven't had a GF meal on Continental, but I did have one on Lufthansa and it was very good.

I usually take along snacks for the plane. Upon arrival I buy fruit/veggies from a market. Buying processed foods in a country like France is a problem for me because I can't read the labels. I stick with things like yogurt & fruit for breakfast, salads for lunch, and plain meat, potatoes & veggies for dinner.

I would recommend calling Continental directly. Ask to speak to the dietitian who planned the gluten-free meal. Being a registered dietitian, I would be very cautious if they tell you a dietitian did not plan the GF meals. In that case, I would recommend taking enough GF snacks with you to get you to your destination.

Janis, I will do as you suggested. I do plan to take enough snacks for the trip also.

Amy, I practically lived on potatoes, boiled eggs and veggies on my last trip. Fun stuff!

Have someone do a translation for you of what you cannot eat and the name of disease in French. I did that for one of the other posters who was going to Germany and whose child had a ton of allergies. She said everything went fine. Being able to show a card to wait staff will improve your chances of having an outstanding meal with all health boundaries intact. I am sure we have some French speakers on here. If not, give a call to your local college to their French dept.

Please see the update to my earlier post in response to some feedback which I've received.

FA, thanks for the update. I found some ideas on Fodos for GF folks who are trying to find options in the UK.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35124013

It's going to be hard to dine out with my family and watch them eating while I either (1) take something along, or (2) try to stick to a menu that has safe items. The problem with eating out is cross-contamination. All my boxed/canned items have to come from a dedicated factory.

If I were to take a "meal" on board, I'd need to use freezer gel packs, but would security allow me through with something like this? For example, I could take a chicken, egg, or turkey salad, but I would not want to risk salmonella while waiting for our connection.

I just posted this on another thread which I hijacked, (whoops) about taking meds that need to be chilled. You take a cooler bag and put tupperware inside that are filled with ice. Dump the ice right before you go to security. Once you are through security, go to a restaurant on the other side and have them fill your tupperware with ice. All ready to fly!

Jo, so you put the ice in a container and then dump it? That's a clever idea! Thanks.

Well, I wish I could lay claim to thinking it up myself, but I didn't. It is a great idea. Moms taking snacks for kids, or diabetics or anyone who has to keep their meds chilled can use this trick. It is so simple, that I am surprised more people haven't come up with it. It is nice to have a travel cooler pack too. Just sling it over your shoulder. I have a little cooler back pack also.

Are you familiar with this site:

Gluten Free Travel Site

Frank, thank you. I had not seen that site before.

For other Celiacs, here is a restaurant in Paris that I found on the site Frank posted. Will give them a try and report back.

www.dessietdesmets.com