A peer-review platform called SkyRate has launched, aimed at improving the inflight experience for millions of passengers with dietary restrictions.
Julianne Ponan MBE, Founder and CEO of allergen-free snack brand Creative Nature, unveiled SkyRate to coincide with Allergy Awareness Week.
The free-to-use website allows passengers to rate and review airlines based on how they handle food allergies, from pre-flight communication to onboard service and crew awareness.
Ponan said the idea was driven by years of frustration navigating inconsistent airline policies. “I’ve spent years watching people in our community research every single flight from scratch, hoping for the best,” she said. “I’ve been that person. I’ve sat at the gate not knowing if I’d be allowed to board.
“I’ve had a reaction mid-flight. And I’ve been handed a banana for a 14-hour flight as if that was acceptable. No one should have to go through that without somewhere to turn. SkyRate is that place.”
Around 2.4 million adults in the UK alone are living with clinically diagnosed food allergies, a figure that has more than doubled since 2008. Despite this, there is no universal standard governing how airlines manage allergic passengers. Policies, training and onboard practices vary widely between carriers.
SkyRate aims to address that gap by creating a centralised source of passenger feedback. Users can review airlines on areas including allergy handling, clarity of policies and the overall onboard experience, building a shared knowledge base for future travellers.
The platform is accessible via a web browser, with no app download required, and browsing reviews does not require an account.
Ponan said the intention is not only to support passengers but also to provide airlines with actionable insight. “We already have partnerships with airlines who are genuinely committed to improving the experience for food-allergic passengers,” she said. “SkyRate gives them the community feedback they’ve never had access to before. This is about progress, not blame.”
The launch has been welcomed by Professor Adam Fox OBE, Professor of Paediatric Allergy and Chair of the National Allergy Strategy Group, who said greater transparency and consistency across the aviation sector is needed. “Air travel would be significantly less stressful for people with food allergies if all airlines treated this potentially life-threatening condition with the seriousness and respect it deserves,” he said. “Unfortunately, real-world experiences show that many airlines still fall short.”
The timing of the launch reflects both rising diagnosis rates and a continued recovery in air travel demand, bringing renewed focus to gaps in onboard provision. Ponan said launching during Allergy Awareness Week was deliberate. “It felt like the right moment to say: enough researching alone. Enough hoping. The community deserves better – and this is where we start building it together.”
SkyRate is now live at skyrate.co.uk.
