a BBC Weather presenter whose family were kicked off a flight have said the ordeal was “humiliating”. Georgie Palmer, 49, her husband Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie, 12, and Annie, 14, were ejected after telling the crew that Rosie was allergic to peanuts.
Staff on the run Gatwick airport to Dalaman in Turkey declined to make an announcement telling passengers not to eat peanuts, Ms. Palmer said.
The forecaster said she politely asked fellow passengers sitting around her not to eat peanuts and to pass on the message.
But Ms Palmer claimed the plane's 'angry' captain insisted they get off the plane before it took off.
She said Good morning Great Britain the experience was “absolutely humiliating” for her daughter. Ms Palmer added: “When he (the captain) found out I had spoken to the other passengers he shouted at me from the cockpit. He was so angry.
“The next thing I knew, we were being told to get off the plane. It's really beautiful how every passenger on that plane was so wonderful, but no one working on that plane showed even an ounce of compassion.”
Mrs Palmer added: “Rosie is in a terrible state. It ruined her vacation. We don't go away all the time. We fly maybe once a year and have never had any problems with other airlines.
“If we had known that policy, we would never have booked with them. We went through the website with a fine-tooth comb and there is nothing.”
She said it was impossible to inform the airline in advance and wondered how many people with peanut allergies would fly SunExpress this summer without knowing the policy.
Mrs Palmer said even if her daughter did not come into direct contact with a peanut, she could die if someone on board ate it.
The presenter said the family had still not heard from SunExpress three days after what happened and the family's insurance company says the captain has the authority to remove people without reason.
A SunExpress spokesperson said: “We take the safety of our passengers very seriously. Shortly after boarding our flight from London Gatwick, the passenger expressed concern that one of his family members had a severe peanut allergy and requested that this be communicated to other passengers.
“We refrain from making these types of announcements because, like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights, nor prevent other passengers from bringing food products containing allergens on board.”
The spokesperson said that due to the passenger's “insistent behavior” with others on board that they should not consume nuts, the captain decided it would be safest if the family did not travel on the flight.
He continues: “When this was explained to the passenger, he displayed aggressive behavior towards our crew members and attempted to gain access to the cockpit.
“To ensure the safety of our crew and our passengers on board, we cannot tolerate aggressive and unruly behavior on our flights.
“In addition, our website states that passengers must notify us 48 hours in advance of any special care required due to a medical condition, and in this case no such notification was received from the passengers.”
The spokesperson said the airline is fully aware that this was a distressing situation for the family and is taking the incident as an opportunity to review the information provided during the booking process to ensure “more effective solutions” for passengers with allergies.
Mr Sollom denied behaving aggressively but admitted he felt irritated by the decision. He said he knocked on the cockpit door in an attempt to speak to the captain after being told the family's bags were being removed from the plane.