Perth woman sparks furious plane etiquette debate after being called out for eating peanut chocolate on flight to Bali

Published: 01:18, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 01:28, 18 August 2026 A Perth woman has sparked a fierce debate after she was called out for eating a peanut-filled chocolate while boarding a plane   Madi said she was travelling to Bali with a Whittaker's Peanut Slab, a popular Kiwi treat, when a female passenger called her out on the airbridge for eating the snack around people who could potentially have a severe nut allergy. 'I’m just eating my peanut slab in peace and quiet and the lady behind me in the tunnel says, thank God I'm not anaphylactic, thank God I'm not anaphylactic,' she said in a video posted to social media. Madi said she wasn't happy with the way the woman spoke to her, particularly as she had not intended to cause anyone harm. 'The lady approached me unsolicited and made passive aggressive comments detailing that she was not anaphylactic and not allergic to peanuts,' she said. 'If I knew I was travelling with someone or that someone was going to be next to me, I would show appropriate care and consideration.' 'I definitely don't feel as though I've been malicious or unempathetic.' The incident divided viewers, with many siding with the woman on the airbridge and arguing that passengers should be mindful of severe allergies when eating nuts in confined spaces. A New Zealand woman has revealed how she was criticised for eating a chocolate containing nuts while on a plane, with many divided over the act Perth resident Madi said she was travelling to Bali with a Whittaker's Peanut Slab, a popular Kiwi treat, when a female passenger called her out in the airbridge for disregarding those with a nut allergy Others defended Madi, and she she could not have known whether anyone nearby had a peanut allergy unless she had been told. 'My husband would legit die because of this, you could have eaten it before or after the plane,' one said.  'When you are sharing space like that, you do have to think of the collective welfare,' a second said. 'As a nurse I’ve literally watched people going into anaphylactic shock from someone eat peanut in a completely different room to them… so I do agree is this confined space pick a different snack,' another said. 'This is incredibly rude, my mum goes into anaphylactic shock just by smelling peanuts,' a fourth said. However, others argued that passengers had the right to eat anything they wanted on planes. 'Got allergies? Wear a mask! I'm not going to deprive myself my comfort snack of any sort whether it be nuts, chocolate, sweet tea, nerd clusters, whatever,' one said. 'I'm confused, if they didn't announce that someone has an allergy, why is it a problem if she eats it?' a second said. 'Someone else's allergies aren't anyone else's problem,' a third said. According to Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin websites, it states that the airline cannot guarantee an allergy-free environment on board its aircraft, including one free from nuts.